Song inspiration of the day:
Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees, 1971)

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother
You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive…

Another day away from historic Route 66, my Las Vegas family is enamored with hiking, aka boulder climbing.  They possess ankles built without ligaments & 360 degree rotators, toes that fit into tiny boulder crevices, and fingers made of steel that grab onto a spit of rock deformity  calling it a handhold, leaping  between boulders because their 6′ statures resemble Andre The Giant, and are un-phased at stepping up to the ledge of a cliff because why not?  Meanwhile, The Sloth, at 5′ and small change, no Gumby DNA whatsoever, climbing boulders on all fours with ankles bending all the wrong ways, was busy focused on footwork, handholds and Stayin’ Alive.

The first few tenths of a mile, was tame with a wide trail of sand or small stone, no big climbs.  Sure, there was some elevation, in the 4000′ range, sure we were ascending,    surely the hike would not be this easy.  Soon, the mountain rock took on a red hue, and formations that could only be created by thousands of years of erosion, shifted the hike into the next gear.  Now footwork focused, the climb got underway, and the views were breathtaking if you dared to look.  Then, we reached the final ascent to the trail summit.  The granny gear.  The path to the summit IMHO is not a path, but a series of large rocks ready to transform into a rock slide, and boulders that have to be jumped to make it to the next foothold.  Despite much cursing from The Sloth, Team Family encouraged one step at a time, maybe grow wings and fly to the next boulder?, now that you made it come on out and sit on this ledge with us?

From the summit, the views were panoramic combos of red rock and sandstone, and the silence was profound.  Not a soul around.  No sounds of electricity, car traffic or winds.  Pure silence.  We spent time letting that soak in.

Eventually it was time to move on, and what goes up, must come down.  Somehow ankles bent into oblivion managed to hold on long enough to make it back to the base.  With many stops for photos, smiles and high-fives, somehow crazy talk suggested more hikes are being planned, after a game of Putt Putt!   Stay tuned for more adventures…while queuing up our next Route 66 travels.

Photo Journal: Hiking Calico Trail in Red Rock Canyon

Photo Journal: High Desert Foliage

Photo Journal;  Putt putt, wait, what???

Peace, luv, out
Jane -n- Jill