Prelude to the Holidays
The holidays are just around the corner. There are many things I should be doing in preparation for the coming festivities but instead of progressing through my lengthy list of chores, I sneak off for a diversionary hike. Although I’d love to spend the day crunching through early-season snow above 9,000 feet, I only have about three hours to wander so I must stay closer to home. I choose the simplest of my options: the Eagle Wind Trail at Rabbit Mountain.
My first ambition is to do two laps. I walk fast to warm my muscles and whip-up a workout. But then I am not sure I have the time for a double-loop. I slow my pace — not wanting to rush, if a single lap must suffice. The slower pace allows me to better absorb the views. The landscape is drab and bare. A few small patches of color remain, but most shrubs and grasses slumber in their winter hues. Autumn snuck past me this year, I realize.
Assortment
- An Outdoor Living Room
- Outdoor rooms in Hawaii are magical. I relish the sounds of nature, busy but soft and nurturing. Birds sweep through the room, then out of sight. Breezes come and go at their leisure. Cushions grow warm in the sunlight.
- The Princess
- I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, but I harbor considerable guilt regarding the environmental impact of these huge ships.
- Blue Lake
- Today I continued my exploration of Indian Peaks Wilderness with a hike to Blue Lake, a gorgeous alpine lake situated in the cirque beneath Pawnee Peak, Mount Audubon, Paiute Peak, and Mount Toll.
