Mama Michelle!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Early Spring Hike Up The Los Robles Trail!

Very Late winter or very early spring - whatever you want to call it -it's cold! At least for us California girls -50 is chilly for an outdoor hike when the sun is hiding behind the clouds!

Nevertheless - the intrepid hikers set out on a 5 mile roundtrip trek!! (((brrrr)))



The dogs were so much less chilly (fur and all ya know)... but they were shivering a little at the outset...


So we started out on a "3 hour tooouuurr..." (oh wait, that was Gilligans Island..) anyway, it seemed way further... so on we went...some of the downhills were a little scary.. slippy-slidey rocks and all.. But the scenery was so pretty and the wild flowers are just starting to bloom!!





So on we went, over hill and down dale -through lichen covered rock valleys and walking down into the green meadows of Hidden Valley!

and an amazing discovery!! A tiny cabin in the woods! We called and called, but little red riding hood never did appear...(nor the wolf ,thank goodness!...or, had he been there already?....)










It was so beautiful - almost surreal... the abandoned cabin nestled in the meadow and surrounded by giant oak trees. They looked down on the tiny cabin like giant sentinels...however...I digress...we were hiking, and the dogs - Montana and Toootsie, were joyously running ahead! Noses poking into burrows, no rock unturned, no bird unchased! We found ourselves in a tiny valley at the end of the trail, probably the back side of some huge hidden Valley Ranch. It was so peacefull, so magically unchanged, probably for thousands of years this small valley and meadow has looked just this way every spring... (((sigh)))

It was really amazing...


then we had to come home...uphill....





But the view was really fabulous, and of course the spa was waiting just around the corner past the park...

It was a wonderful hike! Join us next time..

4 comments:

Jamie and Scott said...

wow that a beautiful hike. wildflowers are going to start blooming here soon. we can't wait to go on hike with the girls. wouldn't you just love to have that cabin!

Brandi and Anthony Sigona said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brandi and Anthony Sigona said...

What a wonderful story-teller you are...and funny!! Looks like a great hike! Wish I could have done it with you! Love ya!

Grandpa + GramariO said...

Janell keeps telling me it's a hike I can make! We'll probably find out soon. Grandpa - not without both knees replaced. Won't happen.