On the Yellow Brick Road to the Golden Gate

I did it!
My voice sounds like a strange combination of my dog Taylor and Will Ferrell in my head.

It may not seem like an accomplishment to some, but to me it’s epic.

After a mile walk with Taylor in the morning, I left him at home embarking upon a 6.38+ mile hike in a little over 90 minutes from my place on the north end of Sausalito heading southeast thru the Marin Headlands along the Alta Trail to the SCA Trail to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once I arrived at the bridge, a red-tailed hawk greeted me and the tourists, its wings taut with all its muscles flexing as it laid in the air motionless staring at its prey somewhere below. Its focus was undeniable and its grace an absolute thing of beauty. I joined the others in utter admiration.

I sit here now staring at the bridge, one of my favourite structures on the planet, a thing of such awe-inspiring magnificence, the culmination of what people can build and truly accomplish. I sit here reminiscing upon God’s beauty and the evidence of His existence from the terrain I just canvassed. Between the Alta and SCA Trail, I stopped for a few minutes at the aptly named Morning Sun Trail, sitting on a bench formed from big rocks with both Marin and San Francisco before me, a magical view envisioning a sunrise appearing over the cityscape.

The trails cut through hills at certain points and hugged the hills at many others. With no railing to separate me from valley below, I was definitely challenging my fear of heights and my sense of vertigo. But I’d accepted that fear a long time ago; and only for brief nano-moments did the fear grip its hold before letting go. I hiked through forests. I hiked along the 101. Depending upon where I was, I could easily see Sausalito, the Bay, Alcatraz, Tiburon, Strawberry, and ultimately San Francisco.

It’s been a long time since I felt this kind of physical accomplishment. Over the past month plus, I’ve been hiking with Taylor early mornings three miles followed by another three miles on the treadmill. Then another mile, Taylor and I walk in the evening. With seven miles logged in on most days, and eating healthier, I’ve been shedding the weight, around a healthy ten pounds lost (give or take a pound here and there, depending upon the rising tides, sea level, barometric pressure and humidity), more importantly incorporating a healthy lifestyle into my life. (A few days later, I would find out that I had actually lost fourteen pounds, I’m sure some of it to be gained back during Thanksgiving.)

I feel tired at the moment. However it’s the good kind of tired. And quite frankly, if it wasn’t for the Michigan St and Ohio St college football game, I’d hike back. So when I really think about it, I’m not that tired.

I did it!
Where’s my cup of coffee?
Time to stick “Elf” into the blu-ray player.

The day started with the moon; and later, it would end with it.

Go Adventure. Go Travel. Go Live.

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ALWAYS BE EPIC