Come a long way...

Today I went hiking with riley37 in the San Bruno Mountains. I think we must have covered about 4 miles, through pretty golden fields and green eucalyptus groves. A half-mile of the walk held some decent elevation change, which gave us spectacular views of cities and mountains and bay. We found 4 geocaches (2 of which were hidden by buckyd), admired tiny green brilliant metallic June bugs, and picked a thermos-full of blackberries fresh off the bramble.

Being able to handle this level of hike represents a radical change from a year ago, when the sciatic pain from my spondylolisthesis was so strong that I couldn't even walk a block on level ground without needing to stop and rest. Eating right and walking more has helped to limber me considerably. It is such a gift, to have my body functionality back - so many people who reach that consistency of pain and immobility never regain their full level of functioning. I wasn't sure that I would. I had been looking into electric scooters, back then.

And suddenly, now that I *can* do it, I find myself wanting to be out walking on trails and hillsides all the time. It's euphoric, the sense of body-well-being and the glories of nature combining all at once to dazzle and awe me. Being able to walk that distance... it feels like having some more competence in the world, being able to handle a wider range of things, to travel a further stretch under my own steam. As I drove down 280 afterwards, I wanted to climb every peak, and wander every lake shore. They all just seemed to beckon.