Cuatro Cuatro

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away

BEST.BDAY.EVAH!!

at least thus far, i hope.

Started with a Windgate\Bell double bypass, then we all hiked Elephant Mtn at  Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. G did great, and Alana not so bad.

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i *heart* spring in the desert
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please, come fuck me!
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trail crosses behind the nose and before the sad elephant eyes
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7 miles, much of it hard, and 1200 vf was a little more than i planned for them.

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there was a lb of strawberries amidst my backpack’s 30lbs of water and magic. It turned into a container for tp, after they pooped back out of G in a dusty wash 3hrs later. Dad, did you know that strawberries are the only fruit with seeds in their skin? Beckie heckles her cruelly.

the 1.5 mile approach to the saddle is not easy, was so proud of G for hiking all of it, and Alana did a respectable .25 mile push to the top.

there is a sketchy path to the top of the nose. Beckie and I took turns shooting up it.
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looking down to the saddle, where the kids are feasting on oreos and Crush
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Tom’s Thumb and the McDs ~20 miles south
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I wish I took pics of the previous 90 min, the trail was bigbluesquare awesome, i was too busy not abrasing my kids or slipping them into cactus to photograph. Steps and slots, washes and wayfinding, needle-narrowed switchbacks over slickrock.

Some conversations:

Beckie: Do you like going up or down better?
G: well, i like and dont like some about both of them

Me: it looks really easy, if you don’t look at the cliff
Beckie: just look at your feet
Me: you wanna ride this? we could totally ride this

Me: the secret is, you have to not like it to get to the best spots
G: will you show me some pictures?

Me: grab my fucking hand already!

shade, finally, only a few hundred yards at a time. Maybe hiking from 12-5 was not the best of ideas, but it was only 82, we’re acclimated and i had 2 gallons water
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and candy canes. i know how to incentivize
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also had chocolate stout for Beckie, never leave a man behind
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Dinner at Cafe Laredo, then we came home and planted seeds for Alana’s school project. Cause, daddy you’re a great gardener!

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Its true. I grew these mutant pepper leaves in my closet. When the Zombie Apocalypse comes, I will serve my species as a microfarmer (or a jr bike mechanic, i haven’t decided) before i can again serve as a programmer.

Despite the general bonhomie, everyone passed out before the candle ceremony proper. While, personally, i was fine with it, the collective guilt was overwhelming. Who was i to deny 3 beautiful blondes? I got an extra Bday on Sunday!!! I reciprocated by cooking banana ice-cream pancakes, did pilates and free weights for 2 hours, then took the kids to the pool. Alana learned how to use a torque wrench. The Bird flew again on a ride with G. cooking children and beer. Couldn’t get much better, unless the Chili Peppers played it.

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