Are we there yet?

So this morning marked another weekend that was spent up early, moving and shaking. Stacey and I got out my door around 8:13ish, which was a lil later than I wanted but I did spend a good 20 minutes blogging about my crack addiction. After a stop at Donut Country and Subway (breakfast and lunch, respectively), we headed southbound on I-5 for the Castella exit. Oh California.

Our mission: hike Castle Crag, to the Dome. 2.7 miles deemed "strenuous." Oh, yay!

This was probably a half mile into our trip. For the record, it was rougher than I expected. a.) I'm no longer in fire shape. I'm used to bounding up a mountain, cutting line, and getting out with charring. I'm now in yoga shape (and I admit I haven't been in a bit), and unfortunately my cardio could use some work. (Ya, I hear the gym really calling my name now. Plus I need to improve before McLoughlin). b.) The trail rose over 2,000 feet in elevation in a lil over 2 miles. That's some serious uphill action. And that, my friends, is some wind sucking information.

OH NO! DON'T LET GO! Ya, we decided to goof around a lil before we got super tired, like we did on the way out (which was practically running the level parts. We just wanted to sit down!). And unfortunately Stacey still looks like she's laughing, which was the story of most of the day. That and our back sweat. Ya, it was sexy. Very lesbian.

Didn't I ever tell you I perfected the yoga pose, "boulder hold." Oh wait, those are my bras. Zing!

And good golly, I don't think I've ever been more hungry than when we still had like a mile to go. "I just wanna eat my sandwich." I was looking forward to it. We asked people how far we had to go. "A couple switchbacks, so like 3/4 of a mile." Nice, keep going. "You're almost there." Alright, still moving. What, wait...we're still a mile plus out? Where did you dipshits learn your numbers? I was soo famished I plopped by ass down in the shade somewhere 50 yards of what we would later find as the "Dome Trail End." There Stacey and I admired our complete back sweat from our Camelbaks, and the fact that we should have gotten a foot long each at Subway. (Yes, that's what she said).

I was soo excited there was an actual marker to symbolize completion. I had an idea where they should put a guy with his hand out at the end of each trail so you can high five it when you get to him. But I'll settle for a metal marker held up by lil rocks. It was intense to be up that far. The wind, the possibility of sliding off to your death, the other lesbians who didn't wear bras but needed ones.

I think this is the best picture of the actual formations, which I think look more like Cathedral spires than a Castle tower. Just me. And Stacey. But who are we to change California. If that were the case, I'd make the Governator live in Sacremento and not fly his lazy ass to work everyday. Bitch.

This is a video from atop the darn rock formation. It was slightly unnerving knowing that one side was our trail down, the other...just down. Definitely got some butterflies knowing that I have the balance of a newborn giraffe. But don't worry. I didn't die. Neither did my camera mid-film. So enjoy the panoramic view of a very intense place, one the Hindus would revere.