SA Guide: Bell/Oso/Cougar

There are hiking days when you struggle to haul yourself up the slightest hill - not because you're out of shape but…just because. Sometimes it's work. Granted, it's a nice working environment, but on the hard days it often seems like I barely notice my surroundings. Fortunately for me these experiences are few, and as one would expect from any activity that lends itself to a normal, Gaussian distribution (yeah, that's a little statistics smack there), the bulk of my time spent padding the trails is routinely enjoyable.

Then there are those times when, well, I think of them as "Everything sounds like a predator" days. In my early hiking career my head would be whipping around at every brushed leaf or snapped twig, at least until I realized this bit of slapstick was like a sign hanging from my neck that said "Newbie."  

Though I've now been hiking for quite some time I still experience a senses-on-high day once in a while, albeit without the spit-takes and slipping on banana peels. I don't know if there's something in the air on these days, or something in the breakfast I ate, or just the ebb and flow of natural biorhythms - but whatever's going on it certainly seems to include some extra bit of adrenaline. At least that's what my momentarily subdued nagging aches and pains suggest.

It also apparently leads to a bit of giddiness, resulting in silly photos.

These are fun days to be out. Today was one of them. I was hiking in Caspers Wilderness Park here in Orange County, and it was a beautiful ramble. No one else on the trail, warm Santa Ana winds, blue skies. Everything seemed so...alive.

Had to stay sharp, though. There were mountain lions everywhere.

Info: Distance - 4.7 miles, Elevation gain - 292', Rating - Easy-Moderate

All photos by Laura (or Bob) Camp unless otherwise indicated. Use without permission is not cool.