Bishop Peak is a pretty standard hike in these parts, yet I hadn’t done it in about two years. Two years. How does that happen? By letting days slip away doing the daily grind of whatever-it-is. It’s one of the reasons I’m doing the Peak a Week, Beach a Week and Sur a Month pledges. I want to remember this year as one where I made the most of it. Hiking is one of the ways I hope to do that.

According to Wikipedia, chaparrel is only found in California and Baja California.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the California Thrasher is also only found in California and Baja California. I was so transfixed by this guy that I stayed in a lower spot at the top of the hike instead of following the others up to the top of the rocks. Too many people were hiking today for the Thrasher to stay out in the open for too long. I recorded his song, but it’s hard to see him (in this video he’s in the middle of the screen, on top of the big rock in the center).

Hiking companions today: Steve, Shane, Corinna and Niels. I’m a total sap. Sometimes just walking around and hearing them tell stories and laugh puts a lump in my throat; we’ve all been friends for so long. I love them a lot. Sometimes it gets me in the heart.