Back to Badger

It's been a month or two since I've hiked up my favorite local hill. This morning seemed as good a time as ever. When I hatched the idea, I realized I might even get to enjoy the sunrise. I hustled to the trailhead and headed up, I was not disappointed. It is amazing the beauty of the shades of brown on the desert hill with dried up grasses and sagebrush. As I hiked up, I kept glancing at the sky to the East as it started to glow.
My heart was beating strong in my chest. The cold wind nipped at my exposed nose. I knew every turn as I'd been on this hill a hundred times before. But it was still an exhilarating adventure. I knew I'd pay for it for the next few days with stiff, sore legs that were out of hiking practice. But I set a goal to be on top at least twice a week this year. I only saw two other sets of footprints and one was actually pawprints from man's best friend. No one was in sight this morning and this trail isn't too busy this time of year. As I kept inching higher, the sky grew brighter. A look at my watch showed I was on my normal pace to the top of 19 minutes. As I reached the top, the sun shone bright in my face. I walked around a little on top, then headed back down. I snapped these pictures on the way down and remembered and felt the familiar gratitude for the beauty we are blessed with, even in the desert. Hopefully, within a few weeks, my legs will be used to this and I'll tackle the hardest trail. The late Sir Edmund Hillary would probably scoff at my "adventure" but it's something to me and I'll keep enjoying Badger Mountain.