Mt. Judah / Pacific Crest Trail – Truckee, CA.

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When we woke up this morning, we really didn’t have a plan as to where we were going. After eating pancakes and hearing about the earthquake in Napa, we knew that we would not be heading in that direction for our Sunday trip. This, of course, ultimately led to last minute stress and crankiness on my part; it was Kennedy’s nap time and she wasn’t about to let that fact go unnoticed… and we still hadn’t a clue as to where we were going. With a quick google and a grumble, we loaded up two kids and two dogs for Mt. Judah with zero expectations. It really wasn’t until half way there that I realized we weren’t going to South Lake Tahoe, and that we might actually have a good time… and I needed to drink more coffee.

Kennedy snoozed the whole way. Phew. We arrived around noon and were immediately taken by how green and beautiful it all was. We parked just up the street from SugarBowl Resort, and walked back toward the Pacific Crest Trail. The beginning half of the hike was a long zigzag up the mountain. It really doesn’t take long before you want to pull out the camera. The views were beautiful, really. You would have no idea that the state was in droughtville. Kennedy spent most of the trip on my back, until Henry decided to poop out. Normally Huckleberry is the fatso of the group. This time Henry was panting heavily right off. I think the high altitude affected him more than the rest of us. As you can see, Matt ended up carrying a baby this time too. We wandered until about four when we decided to head back toward home.

Our trip ended with a few burgers from In-N-Out (and a grilled cheese). It was one of my more favorite hikes that we’ve had. Even though I wasn’t expecting much, I would really like to go again. Definitely recommend.

Harem Pants | Sweet Lucy Jack

Marin Headlands / Muir Beach, CA.

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I knew this was going to be a good hike, but I didn’t realize just how breathtaking it would be. It took a little less than 2 hours to arrive at Muir Beach from Sacramento. We parked, threw on some sweaters and headed across the bridge to the Coastal Trail. The first mile or so of the hike is uphill, so while we were initially a bit chilly, it really didn’t take long to warm up. Kennedy spent the first half of the trip on my back, and while it was cold outside, my back was a serious heater and she couldn’t have been more comfortable. Within the first hour she was cuddled up tight and snoring loudly. Of course, it could hurt that we put loud nature sounds on at nap and bedtime. The trail really was like one long scenic vista point. We walked until just after the giant “Dirty Dancing” staircase, and decided to turn around and climb down into Pirate’s Cove. After sitting on the little beach awhile we loaded up and headed back. Each way the trail was 2.3 miles and I can’t wait to go back. This was the most beautiful hike I’ve been on that I can remember.