Family Hike Atop Torrey Pines

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The way it works each Thanksgiving is I select a place for our annual "Black Friday" family hike, only I don't announce it until that morning, or maybe the night before. Then I grab my camera and watch as the walk unfolds. At least one child will complain profusely the entire time. Two, if both of them go.

But this year was different in a few respects. I let everyone sleep in until 10. Normally, we'd be done and already at brunch by then. My first two choices were ravaged by the wildfires. So I picked a place I knew would be open and would impress a nephew visiting us from landlocked Arizona. I could already 'picture' the snapshots of everyone walking along the cliffs just as the last vestiges of marine mist released their grip along the rocky coastline at high noon. Then someone "misplaced" my camera while I was making one last trip to the bathroom. They thought it was really funny to watch me freak, then pout. So, what you have are an opening shot from the Torrey Pines State Reserve Web site, followed by really low-res pictures from my camera phone.

Once we arrived and finally found a parking spot, I asked who was ready to climb the cliffs. No one answered. So then I asked who wanted to walk along the beach. It was low tide and gorgeous and everyone seemed in agreement. We walked to the spot in the top picture, which has a set of stairs that you can't see. But I could, in real life, and I suggested we take them to, you know, see where they led. We got pretty far up the sandy trail before the camera-hiders realized they'd been duped. So climb we did, and it felt terrific. To me.

Then we took in the views of the ocean, the lagoon and the Coaster train passing through while we headed back down by way of a steep access road -- the same one runners climb during the La Jolla Half Marathon. I'd never walked down this hill before and suddenly realized what a huge feat it is to run the other way. I mean, I was winded just walking down and I kept remarking to everyone just how hard it is to run -- did you hear me, I said fullout run -- up the hill and how I used to be in such good shape and, for chrissakes, is anybody even listening to me around here?

Upon reaching the beach again, I kept the second half of my promise and we headed to a nearby Pat & Oscars for lunch. My children continued to make fun of me now that there was nothing left to gripe about, and my husband got aggravated at me for not telling him where to turn soon enough. My nephew just kinda kept to himself.

All in all, another fabulous hike in the books.



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