on sunday nancy and i went hiking in big sur. we took the car down the hell road again, tassajara road. click on the little map above to see where we were. the little green arrow on the bottom right marks our approximate location. it’s a beautiful drive, but treacherous. i think it helped to destroy one of my front struts in the car. so a truck or something along those lines is certainly recommended. at the end of this remote road is a zen buddhist center. the end of another hike we did takes you through the center. it seems like a really cool place to go and study.
i think this area is one of my favorite areas. not sure i can explain exactly why. maybe it’s just my emotions at the moment, or because it’s fresh in my mind, but there is something about the way things feel there. somehow the earth vibrates there, the landscape is raw and unashamed. it’s unforgiving and comforting at the same time.
the hike was 7.2 miles traversing 1200 feet of elevation. we left a little late in the day so we had to hike fast, sometimes jogging a bit so we could make it out before nightfall. it took us 3 1/2 hours round trip. this hike kicked my butt. i think it would have been fine except for the giant lead weight camera bag on my back. but if i didn’t take it, you couldn’t see any of these photos, so i guess it’s worth it. i keep telling myself that anyway. at the turning point we sat and quickly scarfed an apple before heading back. it’s strange how much better food tastes after you exercise a bunch. the hike back up from where we turned was what really got me. the sun was going down but right on our backs and hot. the camera bag really started to hurt me… hahaha. after we reached the top of the ridge i started feeling better. the last 1/2 mile or so, we ended up doing a jog for the finish line to beat nightfall. when we started to descend the shade side of the mountain i think the temperature must have dropped at least 20 degrees in like 5 minutes. we made it back to the car right at dusk.
