The Meadow

We went hiking today. It goes like this... I ask Annika if she wants to go on a walk. She says, "shoes, walk, raera." She wants us to know what she needs for the walk and in what order. Annika is very insistent that we don't forget Sierra if we are going for a walk. She enjoys getting into the backpack carrier and wants to make sure she has her "pa fa." She jabbered non-stop the entire time. I am not sure what she said but she kept saying it over and over again. She was concerned if I ever got more than 15 feet away and then would say, "ma ma". (I am not carrying a backpack so I get to feel cool sometimes and take more of a lead over Cameron. I am also sure that in a few more hikes Cameron will be used to it and then he will out pace me like he usually does.)

We hiked up hill towards the "Little Green Valley." We were completely unsure of what this might be but there was a trail head and so we decided to try it out. We weren't even sure we would make it to the destination. I like to get a workout in the morning but I don't want it to take all day. I usually give it half an hour up or so and then allow the rest for making it back down. I really enjoyed this trail because the path was steep but doable and I could keep up my quick pace I use when I know we will only be going up for a half hour.

After a while we started hiking into the burn area from the 2007 fire. I was disappointed to see the trees disappear and hike through the ugly burned and cut down logs where the trail was mixed with too much ash. I don't like to go through those areas.

We were out of it sooner than I expected though and right when I was sure we had taken the wrong trail. The sign did not seem to offer confidence as to which way we should go. The meadow was amazing. I have never seen something like this in our mountains. I am pretty sure every part of it burned during the fire because there were marks of fire all around it. Even in areas not burned by fire, everything right now is dry and yellow. There hasn't been rain in about 4 months. But this meadow was completely green. The grass was very vibrant and about three feet long. It was so long it was falling all over itself. The meadow was almost at the top of the hills and there wasn't anything else above the meadow. We were mystified as to where the water source was from the meadow. We still are.

I like hiking each morning. It is a little peace from the outside world.