My Summer in Seven Hikes

I’ve continued my practice of putting one foot in front of the other, out in nature, since I returned from backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Every Thursday, I hike with a local group I found through MeetUp. I joined right before Covid and intended to train for the Grand Canyon trip with them, but meetings were shut down before I had a chance.

My motivations for continuing to hike are many. I fell in love with backpacking and would like to take another trip, so I want to stay in shape. My writing, editing, coaching, and community work glues me to the computer screen most weekdays (and often on weekends), so I wanted to designate a day away from electronics and work. My kids are out of the house, so I am no longer entangled in other people’s schedules. And now, with the sobering turn in the pandemic, getting out in nature and staying connected to a community in an outdoor setting seem more important than ever.

More than hiking

Hiking is not the only thing I’ve been working on this summer. I also

• Completed a draft of my current novel-in-progress and sent my previous novel to an editor.
• Began publishing “The Last Storyteller” in serial form for Kindle Vella.
• Continued working with the Brilliant Writer community and members of the Mindful Authors Accelerator program.
• Planned the next series of Birth Your Truest Story workshops with Jennifer Browdy, including a free intro class on September 12.

What have been the highlights of your summer?
Comment below and let me know.

Writing highlights

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Hike highlights: redwoods

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Hike highlights: vistas

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Hike highlights: ocean

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The seven hikes

The links lead to Alltrails maps. Thanks to the fantastic organizers of the Bay Area Midweek Women’s Hiking Group MeetUp for organizing, leading, and providing all the details.

• Gray Whale Cove 2-Peak option 8.0mi/1355’ elev
• Half Moon Bay Coastal Walk at Cowell Ranch Beach 7 mi/400′ elev
• Huddart/Phleger 8.6 mi/1600′ elev
• Pulgas Ridge Double Loop 5.8 mi/1040′ elev
• Sweeney Ridge from Sneath 7.4mi 1037′ elev
• Towne Fire Rd to Brook Trail Loop, Sam McDonald Park 8.8 mile/1800′ elev (X2)

P.S. if you made it this far

You can be the first to know that I’m experimenting with turning my blog posts into podcasts. You can listen to the first one here.