Christmas2001

Dear friends,
It is raining outside right now (10:30 AM 12/20/01) and 10 minutes ago a bolt of lightening followed by an extremely strong thunder roared through the neighborhood. The apartment shook and the floor shuddered as if about to give way but all was allright. Looking outside, I see the rain drops falling through the sky, some catching hold of the redwood leaves and branches. The sparkle of the rain drops is lovely and life-giving. I welcome the rain and thunder and lightening for without them, we would not be here. Although we rarely think about it, but all of life stems from the sun and water and plants, nature in short.

It is on that note that I would like to thank each and every one of you for joining others and myself on our 20+ hiking trips in the past 7 months. Prior to this hiking 'club', I had always gone hiking by myself. Some of you have asked me how I came to know all these places and the answer is the following. Half the time, I just get in my car (I have to give her all the credit for she has been so good to me over the past 5+ years) and head out somewhere, usually up the Santa Cruz mountains. If I see a road I hadn't been on, especially if it seems curvy (I know, I know... those of you who have sat in my car en route to Big Basin and other places are probably shivering from memories of the tight turns and rollercoaster-like ups and downs), I would turn into it and stop at wherever there seems to be parking for a trail. I've found some terrific places this way, and little do you know, I still do that, hehe :) The other half of the time, it is through books and suggestions from others like yourself. Nature is a big part of my life, it is one of the primary reasons I moved to CA. I want to thank you for giving me a chance to share with you something I love so much.

As the number of hikes increased, something unexpected, though natural, happened. Notwistanding the plentiful exercises from trails such as Mission Peak and Big Basin, and increased appreciation of nature, friendships developed and/or were deepened. In a span of just a few months, we've gotten to know one another quite well. I certainly look forward to getting to know you gals and guys more. It is heartwarming to see how considerate and generous this group of people is. Potlucks or helping out with some volunteer events, you can reliably count on the group to put in their most sincere efforts. Even getting to Bijan on time has disproved that Vietnamese time is always 30-45 minutes late! I was slightly shocked on one hike (Forest of Nisene Marks) when every person (14 in all) showed up 10 minutes to 8AM. I dont know if that'll happen again but you guys sure made my day that time!

In the beginning, we were a small group, consisting of around five people. But the number of interested hikers grew quickly and now, the email list has some 40+ names. A Big Basin hike in August brought out 26 people, and at 11.5 miles, that's 300 people-miles! In the mid-autum festival hike to Mission Peak, teaming up with another group, we had 42 people. But typically we have on average 10 or so hikers on any given hike. New hikers are welcomed and are entitled to lots of complaining and moaning :) If you still feel you are a beginner, don't give up, it gets better after a few hikes. If you had joined us for all 21 hikes so far, you would've gotten 134 miles worth of exercise, friendship, and best of all, nature. If you haven't joined us for a hike lately, come on back, especially in the spring. Close your eyes and imagine all the wild flowers on a lush green hill. Imagine the deer and coyote skirting along, the birds building nests, and dragonflies darting about. Just imagine.

Didn't mean to ramble on but those of you that know me know that I can get long-winded, esp. in writing :) Anyhow, I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season. It has truly been a pleasure knowing you all the last few months. Please take care and I'll see you all on future hikes (and other events).

Your sometimes stubborn, nutty, spiritual, tree-hugging friend,
paul