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| Deep Creek in winter |
Ugh. I think tomorrow my whole body will be sore. I’m already sore from kick boxing yesterday so what do I do today? Get up at dawn for a challenging hike to the creek. Okay well actually I got up at 6a.m. But I didn’t get home from work until midnight. After a busy morning of making breakfast, wrangling the cats and checking email I was ready to go at 8, almost dawn anyways.
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| The forest first thing in the morning. |
I’ve been trying to eat healthy and get more exercise for awhile now, but especially since I was diagnosed with a degenerative disk in my back. The specialist said the best thing for my lower back is to stay slim and work on my core muscle. I’ve been trying, it’s not easy. Not when you love to cook and eat. I started doing P90X last summer, off and on. I’m lucky if I do it for four days. Then I end up making Tiramisu or a banana chocolate cake and why even bother with Kenpo X? My friend Chip says I actually do P90A, because I do it the Amber way. I do the exercises I like, while watching TVG, satellite horse racing on TV. I like to call it P90OW, because if you have ever done Ab Ripper X While Tony Horton urges you on, I’m sure you would understand. I’m also trying to get in shape for the 16 mile Mt Baldy hike were planning to do in the spring.
So on a pleasantly warm January day Alicia and I set off for the creek. It’s been in the 50’s in the mountains all week. We did get a couple feet of snow weeks ago so we have been hiking in snow off and on but it’s been a very warm January. It was 90 in the valley the other day! I went to the beach that same day and it was 78 degrees in January in Corona Del Mar! Then I go home and watch simulcast racing at Aqueduct New York and its 26 degrees there in the daytime. It’s astonishing we can do all this hiking without snow shoes in our local mountains in January.
Alicia lives about a mile from me in Running Springs right where all the houses burned in the last fire. I mean 90 percent of the houses are gone in her neighborhood and the ones that are standing are rebuilt. It’s really heartbreaking.
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| Burnt Stumb I grabbed on to so I wouldnt tumble down the hillside |
We can pretty much hike straight down from her house to Deep Creek it’s kind of near a part of the creek locals know as the narrows. This hike got to be way harder because the trail was gone after the fire and all we really had to follow was a coyote path. Oh and the ground was frozen. I imagine this is what perma frost is like to hike on. Oh and to get to the creek you have to hike straight down, which means coming back is straight up. Yes, this is hiking in the mountains. Pretty much a controlled fall down a hill, letting burnt trees stop you’re decent. We could hear the creek way before we saw it. We had a ton of rain in early December when A Pineapple Express tore through the region, raining for like 6 days. I loved it! I love the rain! I love splashing through poodles in my Wellies and driving my Subaru fast through deep puddles. So our lakes and creeks are very full, sometimes still rushing over the roads in spots.
This area of the creek we went to had no one around, as I said the trail washed out, and it was hard to get. And the ground was frozen solid, making hiking difficult. That means no trash for me to pick up going back, yea! But man, the hike back. SO HARD! I’m going to hurt for days, I’m sure. Half way up the hill my calves started to cramp up. I really didn’t think I was going to make it, but somehow we managed to reach the summit and had a nice break enjoying the snow covered peaks of Snow Valley Ski Resort. I’m going to hurt for days I’m sure of it, but it was worth it. What an invigorating early morning hike!
Now I’m off to make BBQ Turkey tacos. So good, Gluten free and full of protein, yum! Oh yeah I’m also trying to cut most of the gluten out of my diet. Hers the taco recipe, enjoy!
1 package ground turkey
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 can corn
½ cup shredded cheese, sharp cheddar or pepper jack
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 package corn tortillas
4 tab coconut oil
Brown the turkey in 1 tab coconut oil. Add the corn and the BBQ Sauce until warm. In a skillet, melt the coconut oil. Brush the tortillas lightly with the remaining oil, then toast in the same skillet. Sprinkle with cheese and the turkey, cabbage and some fresh cilantro if you have it on hand.
Comments
Those blue corn tortillas worked in a gluten free panini qesadilla with swiss cheese turkey pesto n tomato. I wonder how the trail to the creek is meaning the one we used to hike by your parents house.
Looks better than when we were on our hands and knees.
Amber have you read the blog “A Year of Slow Cooking” ? It is great. She has an alphabetical list of recipes and all are 100% gluten free… just toss them in the crock pot and be done.
We are making the white bean chili for dinner tomorrow.
I havnt taken that trail since the fire Gretchen, but Alicia said its almost all burnt. 🙁
And I’m going to check out that blog right now Sue. 🙂