So right now I’m listening to a streaming audio version of
the new Wilco album, and I’m eating a sandwich that is
probably filled with all kinds of chemicals and additives.
I’m thinking about the war, about how teenagers may or may
not be able to play in the NFL, about how we are running out of
oil, and how I don’t trust all the good baseball players who
say they don’t use drugs to make themselves better.
All that is pretty heavy stuff. And when I realized I was
thinking about some pretty heavy stuff, I only wanted one thing: to
go back to the
Santa Ynez mountains (which are east of Santa Barbara), take
another hike, and get some peace of mind.
Prior to last week, I hadn’t been on a serious hike in
five years. And about that hike five years ago, the thing I
remember most is the mantra I recited as I trudged up a muddy path
““ “I’m hungry, I’m tired, I’m
thirsty, my feet hurt.”
Well I’ve grown up a lot in the last five years, and the
hike I took last week in the Santa Ynez Mountains with my friends
Aaron and David (who were on that first hike, half a decade ago)
was a great experience.
I encourage more people to take hikes. First off, you get to see
a lot of cool animals. And secondly, you get to be in nature, which
for me, is a transcendent experience. (Note: I don’t exactly
know what transcendent means, but I think I’ve heard people
use it in a similar context.)
Hiking is also a great physical activity. (Check out the
American Hiking Society if you don’t believe me.) On my hike,
I climbed rocky embankments, ran up paths, and as a result, got the
best workout I’ve had since I quit the color guard last
season.
Besides the great physical activity, my buddies and I are in
agreement that the coolest part of the hike was the sweet and
awesome animals we saw! Here is a list: a cool snake, a sweet frog,
some awesome salamanders, bees and many awe-inspiring lizards.
If you venture out to the Santa Ynez mountains for a day of
hiking, try the Seven Falls trail, which is the five-mile hike that
we did. Also worth checking out is Inspiration Point, which offers
a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and truly makes you feel
inspired.
At one point on the hike, we came across some UC Santa Barbara
students who were ascending a steep rocky wall. While several of
the students had successfully surmounted the difficult part of the
climb, one had decided it was too much for her and had ventured
back to the car. Not wanting to be outdone by the Gauchos, I
decided it would be a good idea to climb the dangerous mountain and
show the frightened Gaucho how it was done.
We made it up the cliff unscathed, and the frightened Gaucho
applauded before running to her car, tears streaming down her
cheeks (just kidding about that). But on the way back down, I
slipped.
Now, I didn’t actually fall, but I lost my balance for a
second, and the whole thing was rather embarrassing. To make
matters worse, David recorded my slip on his digital camera. I
decided to gloss over my infamous slip when I interviewed Aaron at
the post-hike press conference.
DM: What was your favorite part of the hike?
Aaron: Hmm. “¦ That’s a good question. My favorite
part was the animals. My favorite animal was the frog.
DM: What was your least favorite part?
Aaron: No least favorite.
DM: Would you do the hike again?
Aaron: In a heartbeat.
DM: With the same group of people?
Aaron: Eh.
So there you have it, the story of the greatest hike ever. I
really encourage students at UCLA to try hiking. It’s great
for the body and the soul. (Isn’t that a milk slogan, or
something?)
And no, walking from your dorm to Bunche Hall doesn’t
count.
E-mail Miller at dmiller@media.ucla.edu if you want to see
the video of him slipping down the mountain.