I recently went with Lisa and her family to an art show in the Botanical Gardens in the Chicago suburbs. I’m a sucker for a good art show, which I suppose is why they have them in the first place. While I was thoroughly enjoying myself walking through neatly manicured vegetation, I couldn’t help thinking how strange it was to have a botanical garden in the first place, let alone an art fair in the gardens.
Now don’t get me wrong, I think its great that in many places there are botanical gardens that safeguard space for the enjoyment of nature… I just think we’re all missing the boat. Why don’t we make botanics more commonplace in our daily lives? Why aren’t we funding the creation of walking trails through nature and safeguarding what we already have instead of commercializing natural undeveloped land and building small single serving gardens for our enjoyment? Thoughts?
Walking up to the camel-hump-shaped mountain (Camelback Mountain AZ), the beautiful inset dwellings and golf course make for a surprise distraction from the awe of the mountain. However, once you reach the trailhead, the path looks like a simple, easily traversed, continuous twisting staircase of well laid rocks. Looks can be decieving though.
This path isn’t for the faint of heart, but also shouldn’t scare the beginning hiker / climber. Trails are wide enough for two way traffic in most sections with a few steap climbs, and a couple narrow edges. Just be aware and take it slow if you’re a beginner.
Some advice for this trail:
- Water is key, it gets hot and you’ll sweat a lot.
- Don’t be afraid to push yourself, but keep a steady speed through the steep inclines.
- Keep your hands free, you’ll need them.
- Bring a camera and try to hike on a cloud-free day.
- Post a comment if you’ve climbed this mountain.
We only did about 1 mile up and 1 mile down, but this trail could easily be a day hike to the top!
May 1st seemed like a great day to hit the lake with Lisa. Unfortunately, I mis-calculated a bit. Lessons learned…
1. A Chevy Cobalt is not a Ford Explorer: Well, I guess they told the truth… At the rental place, they said they could put a canoe on ANY automobile. As I was driving down the street with a canoe attached to my car, longer than its body, howling in the wind, I began to wonder whether that was more of a hypothetical promise.
2. Check the wind report: And know your own strength. Contrary to how strong or good you think you are with a paddle, the wind will have its way with you. Once we got to the other side of the lake, getting back was a bit of a chore. Luckily, there were lulls in the current, but I wouldn’t take a canoe out in a thunderstorm… I prefer a motor in that situation.
3. It’s always smaller than you remember: No matter how much you think it can hold, and how big you think it is, the canoe will most certainly ALWAYS be smaller than you remember it. For some reason I was thinking I could walk from one end to the other. Maybe I just remember more than a two person canoe.
So there it is. Remember those three things and your next canoeing trip with a Chevy Cobalt on a windy day will be a success!
