FIRST OF THE SEASON was almost the last....

HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE

I am so excited that it is hiking season. I love Usery park. There are so many cool things to do there from different hiking groups, night hikes, campfires, astronomy nights, biking trails, different level hikes, etc. It is worth it to buy a year pass for $70. Each time you go in its $6 to park so I have more than paid for my pass with all my trips. Yesterday was the first hike of the season and Trisha and Brynn came with me. THEY ARE NOW A PART OF THE HIKING CLUB!!! YAHOO. It's always nice to have new members. From this particular hike up to the wind caves you can see South Mountain, Downtown Pheonix, The superstition mountains, & The Fountain Hills Fountain. Quite the view I would say.

We made it to the top in just 45 minutes. I was pretty worried about how everything would go because I haven't done this hike in about 5 months. Plus I haven't done much working out all summer. :( Sad, I know but its winter again and the weather inspires me. Last year I got to where I could hike the mountain in 45 minutes. 30 up and 15 down. Running down is my favorite part. :)

We rested at the top for a bit and had a photo shoot. The view is amazing! Now you see why I would hike this everyday?

The actually do offer nature yoga classes at Usery park. I don't think its at the top of the mountain but they do offer them.

On the way down we were running, naturally. It's an intense run. There are many rocks along the path and you have to keep your legs and buns in control or you WILL get hurt. I decided to stop and wait for Trisha and Brynn. There were only a little bit behind me. As we are walking I look down at my feet and seriously a foot away is.... A SNAKE. FREAK. I say, oh look a snake. It doesn't look like a rattle snake. At just that second it coils up and starts rattling away!! HOLY CHRISTMAS TREE! We all jump back screaming, naturally. That stupid little snake just sat in our way, coiled, looking like a perfectly placed rock. It is the black dot just on the other side of the big rocks. looks like a little rock right? bleh.

We had no idea what to do. At this point the trail is such that you can't walk around it. Plus we didn't know if there would be snakes that we couldn't see in the brush. So we start throwing rocks at it. We were scared to get anywhere near it so it was hard to hit it from such a long distance. We get close but never get it, and it NEVER moves. We were getting worried because it was quickly getting darker and there may be other snakes further on down the trail. CRAP. What do we do? CALL DAD! DAD, HELP. There is a snake in our way and we can't get home.

Well girls, you are in quite the predicament. Did you throw rocks at it?

Yes, but we are girls remember... we didn't hit it and it won't move.

Well jump over it I guess.

Oh, yeah. Right.

Well just about this time the snake slides off and we take of RUNNING down the hill screaming with dad on the phone. He reminds us to NOT RUN. If there are other snakes on the path we won't give them enough time to warn us and they may strike. So we walk, kicking dirt in front of us to warn future snakes that we are coming and we don't want trouble.

WE SURVIVED.

At home Lindsey was waiting with Dinner. How nice!!

While cleaning up dinner I decide to sweep. What do I come across? A SCORPION hiding in the corner!! JULIE! WE NEED THE PEST PEOPLES NUMER pronto. Watching trisha step on the scorpion is something I will never forget. It was a mix between a seizure, dance of the sugar plum fairies, and Michael Jackson. Just fantastic.