The Hike

On Saturday, I hiked Runyon Canyon, which has a particular reputation in Los Angeles as a fashionable place to see the good-looking and famous, as well as to be seen. I've been here a little while, but had not yet done any hiking. I had done a whole lot of that back home both in and out of Boy Scouts, and I find the comparison interesting.

The two things that makes Runyon Canyon the least bit challenging are the steep grade and the intimidation brought on by close proximity with some of the most fit people in one of America's most body image-conscious cities. The latter thing isn't such a big deal for me, as I don't see myself in competition with such people. I'm content to have a body that won't drive me into an early grave. Beyond that, I prefer to spend my time in other ways. I went on this hike as a hiker, not an exerciser.

As I said, it's a relatively steep trail overall, but not a really difficult one. When I got to the main finishing point, I couldn't believe it- we had really just gotten up to full steam. That's a far cry from what I'm used to, when one can't believe it's NOT over yet before very long. Now, the Runyon Canyon trail is mostly paved, explaining why it should be no real trouble to negotiate compared to the congestion brought on by such crowds. On the other hand, the only thing on the trail apart from people walking was dogs walking- no horses and no bicycles. That adds to the ease and pleasure of the thing as much as anything.

What I enjoyed that can be repeated is the companionship of the physically active. I like that about ultimate frisbee, but this leaves me less beaten up- not entirely free of hurt, but enough to do my business the following day instead of groaning in pain while confined to my bed. I expect I'll do it again.