3 Hikes, 3 Photos, 2 Diamonds

Today, Ben and I went to hike Sandstone Peak in Malibu, CA.  It was our first big hike together and to be honest, I'm so tired that I could go to bed right now and sleep until noon tomorrow. However, I here I am entertaining my beloved readers.  As I trudged along this brutal hike over 2,000 feet up, I remembered my true first hike. Diamond Head in Oahu, HI... with my 65 year old grandmother. It was awesome.  It took forever to get to the top and lots of crazy Japanese tourists wanted pictures with me because of my glowing blonde hair, but it was my grandma who really had the trip. She made a new boyfriend at the summit- a shirtless Hawaiian local. Gross.

Ah, 1999... 

My shirt reads "Surf Angel"...I'm terrified of the ocean.

Mom and I :)

  The next time I hiked was in Pinedale, Wyoming...12 years later, and there was still a diamond involved. Only, it was attached to a ring, weighs in at 1.1 carats. giggle.

Almost a year later, we're finally back in the "Introduce Girlfriend to Nature" quest... so we I took on Sandstone Peak today, located in Malibu, CA. The turnoff to get to the hiking trail is near a famous restaurant called Neptunes Net.  Yeah, it looks all fun and tame when you see people hiking and enjoying themselves in photos or commercials. HA! LIES! Yeah. Um, those people are in stupid crazy shape and make it look all fun and easy.  Me? Yeahhhhh, I am in what I now realize is moderate shape and do not make hiking look easy. Or pretty. At all.  In fact, I am pretty sure that some of the groups of young boys and other couples that passed me were certain that I was on the verge of dying as I slowly trudged behind Ben up the mountain.  The panting, sweating, and inhaling the water from my Camelbak must have given my condition away. Never the less, I conquered my fear of heights [and bugs] and made it to the summit at 3,111 feet. 

Even had time for a cartoon!!!

It's steeper than it looks.

While Ben might have thought that I was not having a good time because I wasn't smiling, and was really scared- I promise it was fun. It was that "I'm trying something new and am scared shitless" kind of fun.  Plus, from there it was all down hill. Literally.  It felt like we flew back down the mountain and before I knew it we were cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway with the top down, blaring 311...Yay! 

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Saturday!!!!!!!!!