Thursday night at the poker party my friends George and Ravi and I planned to hike Little Si over the weekend. George could not join us today as he woke up with some weird eye infection and instinctively rubbed it making it worse. Even though it was overcast and sort of rainy, Ravi and I were still excited to get on the trail!
Starting Thursday I tapered on my steroids from 4 mg to 2mg. Friday was kind of ok but this morning my head really hurt and I had alot of head pressure. I did not have any tylenol as it does not seem to work for me. I have excedrin, advil, and I-B profen but I cannot take any of those with the medication I am on. So Ravi was kind enough to pick me up a bottle of tylenol extra strength on his way over to my place.
The tylenol did not seem to relieve my headache but I still wanted to hike and I was able to function with a dull pain. We came prepared with our rain gear and this was the first time I tried out my new rain gear on the trail. Harley and I bought rain gear at the labor day REI sale for the backpacking trip we were going to take during my birthday. But when Harley had the time off I got sick again and we could not go.
So it was really fun to put it to the test and I must say that I really enjoyed hiking in the rain. In fact, I liked hiking in the rain more than when it is not raining as the smells are fresh and enhanceded in the woods. Also, I find I get less parched in the rain. The whole experience reminded me of when I was a kid and liked to put on my raincoat and play in the puddles and ditch when the water was rushing through it after the spring thaw.
Ravi had some new equipment to test out too. He just purchased a pair of top quality hiking/climbing boots that he broke in for the first time. The boots accommodate cramp-ons which are metal claw type attachments for treking across glaciers and snow.
When we reached the summit the wind was something fierce but exhilirating. My dogs Katie and Jake did not like the wind and kept trying to find a place in the bushes to take cover. It appeared that on the bigger mountain (Mt. Si) that it may have been snowing. We were at an elevation of 1550 feet and Mt. Si is 3900-4000 feet.
Afterward I cooked the best indian food I have ever made! It is too bad that Ravi had to head home. I made bombay mango chicken with basmati rice. It was a perfect ending to the day!
Oh by the way.......I accomplished this hike without any falls this time. ;o)
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