Hauser Canyon Rescue

Our day started with a bit of excitement.  We were just beginning the climb out of Hauser Canyon when firetrucks came in on the dirt road.  They turned on their sirens when they saw us and we had a momentary panic thinking that we had accidentally pushed our "help" button on our rescue device. 

We found the intended patient a dehydrated person almost at the top of the 800 foot climb and there were firefighters that had hiked in from Lake Morena with him.  One helicopter landed while another, what we presume was the news, hovered nearby.  Hauser Canyon had swallowed up and spit out another  hiker.  We are glad it wasn't anything too serious and hope he wants to hike again.  We werea told he was a new hiker and not quite prepared for this endeavor.

At our pizza and beer lunch today at a little place along the way, compliments of Luckystrike, we realized we had hiked 20 miles in a little less than 24 hours.  We had a celebratory kiss.  Then tonight while eating our dinner we realized we hiked about 19 miles today.  Wow.  Those are big miles for us. My feet ache a little.  All together, since around lunch yesterday,  we've hiked just about 31 miles.

 The terrain is not Sierra steep, it is not too difficult, but there are many ups and downs. There are occasional Mary Poppins moments when a gust of wind sends me and my umbrella soaring.  Mark appears to have enough ballast to keep his feet solidly on the ground. 

We saw a rattlesnake on the trail, but it slithered quickly away. The wildflowers still posed gloriously alongside the trail, and I as a their dutiful paparazzi, took their photo.  The stars overhead tonight shine brighter than the casino lights a couple thousand feet below us and all is well in our world. 

I'm taking lots of pics on my camera, but am unable to upload them at this time.  At the end of our hike I'll do a photo montage of our hike.  For now, a photo a day taken by this phone will have to do.