Ocean to Mountains to Ocean—Quickly

After helping some open water swimmers get psyched about the ocean on Saturday, I headed up for a quick/big hike in Yosemite. Leaving the Valley early morning I headed up the John Muir Trail to top out in the afternoon in Tuolumne Meadows. I loved the huge/tough push, the heady granite visuals and pristine mountain lakes.

Rugged hiking up high never gets easier—given that I have not been doing much hiking specifically, I could really feel the effort in my feet about 6 hours in. Yet the allure for it all just seems to continually deepen. From the ocean, then in close to triple digit heat in the mountains while pushing hard amidst the granite waves, it was sweetly pleasurable to step out of the car once home again, to feel that cool coastal air. California—the diverse state—in many more ways than one!