generous and inarticulate

I took a ride down to Big Sur in Smiling M___ H____'s little red truck. He keeps all manner of tools in the back and on his back. We stopped short of the avalanche shed at Rain Rocks and pointed our feet straight up Twitchel (as it changes from Road to Trail to Elevator) until we reached Stone Ridge Trail. It was the 1st time on either of them for myself, and while Twitchel was an idyllic wonderland in that valley with the glossy fire-blacked Redwoods and the generous flooring of Redwood Sorrel (oxalis oregana), the rest of it was a steep and brutal march up the face. Elevator for real.

I carried the 4' crosscut saw and my daypack containing only a small pullsaw, a jacket, some lunch, and a water bladder. Smiling M carried a shovel, a pulaski and his pack containing a lot, including but not limited to: a single jack (hammer) to drive wedges, several aluminum wedges, loppers, water bottles, and lunch. His radio pack had handset, notebook, pocketwatch, and a dangling pair of hand pruners. He was also strapped with a plastic sheathed pullsaw. Our loads were very different. He would not share the burden, but did allow use of his tools.

note: the blue background is the Pacific, not the sky...

A day off from work consisted of riding an hour in the car to hike 3 1/2 hours straight up, spending 4 hours wrassling with a laid over California Bay Laurel (umbellularia) and doing light treadwork/maintenance, then hiking 3 hours back down (the elevator shaft) to pay $4 for a bottle of Coke at Lucia Lodge.

I'd do it again.