How Hiking Has Changed Me: Videos and More

I admit that in the last few years, I oftentimes let the drudgery of suburban living get to me. Tract Home-Land can feel uninspiring, when we constantly dream of big city living or an off-the-grid-type of  dwelling (I know they are drastically different, but these are dreams here and the twins don't graduate from HS for a handful of years, so we don't have to decide just yet). Living in Southern California definitely has its perks, so don't get my wrong, I don't like to be a complainer. It's just that SOMETIMES in the sea of sameness you want to escape.
 
Well, for the last five out of six weekends, we have found our escape and I think it's becoming a bit of an addiction. The luring getaway that captivates our attention is hiking.
 
Oh hiking, where have you been all my life? I can't believe I am almost 39 years-old and I have never enjoyed all it had to offer with such vigor. But I have found it now and love it! I love the challenge of the trails, the beauty to behold throughout our time in nature, the excitement of hitting summits, and even the aches and pains that accompany the climbs.
 
We had done little bits of hiking here and there in the past, but a trip up Mount Baldy a few months back really hooked us, and now Steve and I can't wait for the weekends to attack each new journey.

I am already in the habit of doing one hour of strength training and Pilates, followed by a 16-mile ride on my bike each morning; but in preparation for surviving our hikes with extra fortitude, Steve and I have started getting up an hour earlier each day to squeeze in a 4-mile walk as well (we did it in the evenings before the time change, but it's just so dark now when he gets home from work, that we switched it to mornings and love it this way). My upswing in exercise time has me feeling stronger than I have in years and has brought about some lofty new goals, which I'll let you in on very soon.

In addition to taking on Baldy a second time a few weeks back, we have also discovered the gorgeous trails of Icehouse Canyon and are set out tomorrow on our third adventure there. Icehouse is a beautiful location in the Angeles National Forest.  The beginning of the canyon trail is a rocky wash that leads to a beautiful, flowing stream, sprinkled with oak, spruce, pine, fir and cedar trees along the way. There are rustic cabins near the start of the hike; some in working/living condition and others just the foundations left intact, due to a flood in 1938 that wreaked havoc and destroyed most of the dwellings.

Icehouse is a 7.5 mile round-trip hike from the base of the trail to Icehouse Saddle. From there, you can choose many options to increase the length, with additional trails ranging from less than a mile further, to 5+ miles that takes you to Baldy. On our last trip up, we continued onto Timber Mountain and took in some gorgeous views there. We also met a new friend - this little squirrel (in the video below) who chirped at us incessantly.

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