January 14: I am adding to this post today’s hiking experience.
It has rained over the past few weeks. The mountains are green. The rain forecast changed, and we got a couple of hours of the window today morning to go hiking. We went to the Santiago Oaks Regional Park and Robbers Roost: it is our go-to mountain for hiking being close to home and having so many options for the hiking trails. The sky was overcast, with sunrays sneaking through a few cracks in the clouds showing up sparingly. The hills had unique layers and hues of green from variations in distance, sun angles on the mountainsides, and shadow effects.
The hiking trails stood out crisply as if chiseled on the mountains. There is a water reservoir full now from the precipitation, and it looked so serene with green mountains and houses all around it. We saw three horses on the trail. A few bikers popped in the distance once in a while.
I captured several moments on my phone camera – my gratitude for a healing, nurturing, and rejuvenating shift in perspective today morning.
December 27, 2022
The Santiago Oaks Regional Park is only a few miles from home, and we always go there for hiking. Last week’s experience brought surprise and welcome change in the landscape. The mountains are turning green thanks to the recent rain. We started late in the morning after sleeping a bit longer than usual. The temperature was close to 70 degrees, and the air was stunningly crisp and clean.
Morning Sun rays on the hillsides created shadows adding nuances to the layers of mountains. The depth and range of shades of green gave it a fresh outlook and richness to the perception. The ambiance soaked in through all of my senses. The winter holidays and break from work for a couple of weeks also probably helped me slow down and connect.
The hills create a valley in the middle, forming a giant bowl spanning probably 2-4 miles in diameter. There are trails connecting the mountains in any direction that I see.
As we circled the hills, the sun came up, showering brightness on the hillsides and the valley floor. The trails among the brown and green floor looked incredibly clear. We paused to catch our breath, and the ambiance took me in completely for a few minutes. There were a few bikers and hikers on the trails. Everyone appeared to seep into the healing energies of the mountain and dissolve with the experience. The harmony with mother nature connected me with the soothing, nurturing, and relaxing flow from inside and all around me.
I am always in awe of mountain bikers with incredible drive, agility, and stamina to brave the steep inclines and enjoy the thrill of going down the hills. As we started the last ascent, it gave me an extra oomph to speed it up.
