Mt Baldy Summit

location: Mount San Antonio, San Gabriel Mountains
distance: 8.75 miles

details: we kicked off training for our next hiking adventure (to New Zealand this fall) with a recommendation from one of Andy's co-workers - the highest peak in the San Gabriel mountains. officially, it's Mount San Antonio (probably named by a rancher in the 1840s for his patron saint, Anthony of Padua) but everyone refers to it as Mt. Baldy.

lots of hikers start off from Manker Flats, once home to a gold-rush era store, following a 13 mile loop with a 4,300 ft elevation gain. however, not sure of our hiking readiness, we opted to take a ski lift up to Baldy Notch, which cuts some 2,000 vertical feet off the ascent (along with several miles on foot). this set us up for the more strenuous ascent (the climb up from Manker Flats is more gradual) along a trail called the Devil's Backbone. there are portions of the trail that snake along the top of vertiginous ridges, or cling desperately to the mountainside with a gut-clenching drop to one side. normally, I have no problem with heights, but there were moments when the 18 inches directly in front of my dusty boots became fascinating.

we were on the trail by 9 a.m., which made the temperature warm but tolerable throughout the hike. as a person who prefers having extra water on-hand at all times, we budgeted a bit short -- or thought we did until I found an extra bottle of water at the bottom of our pack upon returning home. all the same, there was plenty of shade, opportunities to rest, and fellow-hikers to leapfrog and hike-chat with. one pair in particular were a dad and son wearing kinesio tape and a hoodie, respectively.

from the outset the views were stunning - north to Victorville and beyond; south to the rest of Los Angeles county. because of haze we couldn't see much to the south beyond the great blue sky, though on a clear day I'm told you can see Catalina (and vice versa). on most days, you can see Mt. Baldy from near where we are staying. it'll take some adjusting to the drier, warmer climate while we're prepping for NZ, to make sure we have adequate hydration and fuel on these hikes, but it seems pretty reasonable that we'll be better prepared for the Routeburn Track than for the Camino or Dingle!

Berry Creek Falls

location: Big Basin State Park, California
distance: 11.89 miles

a fortuitously-timed search for plane tickets allowed me to escape the frigid wintery Wisconsin weather for a nice long weekend in San Francisco in mid-February. Andy had never been, though his only requested activity for the weekend, beyond relaxing, was to see "big trees." initially, I figured we'd head over the Golden Gate Bridge for Muir Woods and a leisurely walk throughout the national monument. being February, I figured the crowds wouldn't be too overwhelming.

as planning progressed, however, it seemed less convenient to head north to Muir to see redwoods - not the least because off-peak season public transit is understandably limited. we were heading south to Santa Cruz for dinner with a good friend of mine from college, for one thing, and for another a quick search for "good hikes near San Francisco" turned up a great list of options that did not include Muir Woods.

ultimately, we headed out for Big Basin State Park located northwest of Santa Cruz (a destination heartily endorsed by my Santa Cruz friend) on a twisty country road that kept getting narrower and narrower until the hairpin turns only left room for one very slow-moving compact-sized car at a time. I only half-remembered the name of the recommended trail, but a ranger was able to help us out when given our parameters of "afternoon hike of about 10 miles." he gave us an appraising look, glanced at the clock, and pointed out the Berry Creek Falls loop - a strenuous 10 mile hike that would take us past 3 waterfalls.

we got out of civilization somewhat faster than I anticipated and, consequently, were somewhat underprepared fuel-wise for a strenuous 10 mile hike. we picked up sandwiches (and a bag of what proved the best-tasting peanut butter M&Ms of my life) from the camp store before heading out on the trail.

as promised, there were redwoods - and lots of them. not the giant sequoias of farther north but impressive all the same, and many sporting blackened trunks or limbs from long-ago fires. the path roughly followed creekbeds, and had us climbing up and down slopes with regularity -- easy to believe the "strenuous" classification -- taking us from muggy, verdant, with thick undergrowth, to nearly arid ridgetops with exposed bedrock and sandy soil.

we took a break just shy of the midway point on a bench overlooking the namesake falls -- the first of the three we'd see. refueling helped a lot, as did the promise of more waterfalls and the hush of the redwoods and quieter trails as we returned back on what seemed slightly less-traveled trail -- or perhaps everyone else had gotten an earlier start and beat us out of the woods!

as incredible as the views, the hike took plenty out of us and we were both ready to take a breather once we returned to the car, and ready for a hearty dinner by the time we reached the wharf in Santa Cruz. but, as Andy put it, if we'd only done an 8 mile hike (which was probably about the distance where we decided we were about ready to be done) we wouldn't ever push ourselves to a point of exhaustion. and if we have any hope of keeping up with hiking, we've definitely got to keep pushing ourselves.

day 12: Bru na Boinne & Guinness

location: Bru na Boinne, St. James' Gate
transportation: passenger van to Bru na Boinne and back; back on foot in Dublin
distance: 7.78 miles
sights: Knowth, Dowth (from a distance), Newgrange, Guinness Experience
dining: giant eclair in the cafeteria of the visitor's center for "lunch" and tasty Mexican back in Dublin.

details: Bru na Boinne is one of my favorite tourist sights in Ireland. like Stonehenge but older and at least as impressive. there are three monuments at Bru na Boinne, situated in a bend of the River Boyne to the north of Dublin and west of Drogheda -- Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. on my first visit I opted for the Newgrange-only ticket, it being the most elaborately-restored of the sites. this time, however, we started with Knowth and were not disappointed.

after the guide showed us around the site, explaining the evolution of the sites usage and inhabitants, we had time to investigate on our, climbing to the top of the mound to survey the country with views to Dowth (the smallest of the mounds, which isn't currently open to the public), the Hill of Tara, and Slane Castle. Knowth itself is also surrounded by some 17 smaller mounds, as well as an impressive array of intricately carved kerb stones, which depict some of the best-preserved megalithic art in Europe.

while we could climb atop the mound, we weren't permitted down the passage at Knowth - over time, the top of the mound slid down the sides, which made the interior unstable. the entire mound was painstakingly dismantled in the mid-to-late 20th century for research purposes before being restored, but the structural integrity cannot be guaranteed and, thus, visitors are not allowed into the central chambers.

the opposite is the case at Newgrange. the mound has remained structurally sound since it was constructed and, while visitors aren't allowed to climb atop it, they are able to venture into the central chamber, where the guide offers a simulation of being inside the chamber at sunrise on the winter solstice, when sunlight comes over the top of the hill across the valley, enters through a small space above the passage entrance, climbs the passage and illuminates the room for some handful of minutes before disappearing nearly as quickly.

back in Dublin, the Guinness Experience is truly unique. it is unquestionably the most elaborate brewery "tour" I've ever encountered, with elaborate graphics to help explain the brewing process, and carefully plotted routes to keep the huge number of visitors moving to their ultimate goal -- a pint at the top of the building, probably with panoramic views out over Dublin. as we've both been through numerous breweries, the most interesting piece of the "educational" experience was that detailing the work and lives of coopers at St. James' Gate during the early 20th century. the skill and speed of the men who cranked out the hundreds and thousands of barrels necessary to distribute Guinness was astounding. and almost as interesting was the speed with the profession declined with the advent of stainless steel kegs - that such a valued, well-paid profession disappeared in the space of a few years is staggering to contemplate.

finally we reached the top of the building, turned in our ticket stubs for pints to enjoy while trying to find space along the windows to enjoy the aforementioned panoramic views. a fitting way to toast our time in Ireland.

day 11: back to Dublin for a walk around

location: Tralee to Dublin
transportation: train from Tralee to Heuston Station via Mallow
distance on foot: 7.94 miles
distance by rail: approximately 200 miles
entertainment: Kindle books and whatever the free WiFi afforded us on the train; people watching in St. Stephen's Green; live music at a pub after dinner
sights: Book of Kells at Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green
lodging: Townhouse Hotel
dining: tasty Italian joint in Talbot Street for lunch; tolerable but underwhelming traditional pub food at a hotel in Gardiner Street for dinner

route: up early to catch a train to Dublin and make the most of our one full day in the big city. lost a contact down the drain in the B&B but clouds made sunglasses unnecessary for the first time on the trip. after sitting for 200 miles, we opted to walk from the train station to our hotel in Gardiner Street Lower a few blocks up from the Liffey and the Customs House. arriving so early in the day, our room wasn't prepped yet so we went in search of a hearty lunch. took some getting used to Dublin prices and Dublin options. ended up with a pleasant Italian place around the corner.

reinvigorated, we headed off for Trinity College and the Book of Kells, something I'd eschewed on my previous visit to Dublin to my eventual chagrin. we managed to take a left when right would have proved more useful and walked the perimeter of the campus before finding an entry pointing towards the library and exhibit. the presentation on the lower level was fascinating - about the manuscript, possible authors, history surrounding the book and monasteries: everything you could think to ask about the Book. however, there wasn't much in the way of climate control and with the unseasonable weather, sizable number of bodies exploring the exhibit, and heat-radiating incandescent lights, I wasn't inclined to linger. (especially when it turned out the room housing the Book was climate controlled.) if you're ever in Dublin, I recommend taking the time to visit.

from Trinity we wound our way up Grafton Street to St. Stephen's Green, where we rested a spell while rehydrating, watching all manner of pedestrians, and (in Andy's case) catching up on the Cromwellian plantation period of Irish history. recovered sufficiently, we walked back to the hotel to find ourselves booked into what must have once been a linen/storage closet or servants quarters, situated in the stairwell between two floors. turned out fine enough in the end. the likelihood we'll lodge in Dublin again, much less that place, is slim.

found a passable dinner at a touristy hotel up the road - one that advertised live music starting at a certain time and was staffed mostly with immigrants (another thing to adjust to in Dublin, compared to all the family-run places we'd eaten and slept on our hike). the food was tolerable but service slow and we decided to give up on trying to get another pint while waiting for the promise of music. and in the end, we found ourselves at a different hole-in-the-wall place around the corner, taking a seat right next to where the musician set up a few minutes after our arrival. it was exactly the craic you'd hope for on your penultimate night in Ireland after more than a week tramping around the hills of a far corner of one of the peninsulas. absolutely smashing (and right up there with the time a couple of us went out to an unmarked pub in Drogheda and the old ones got round to singing unaccompanied later in the night. stuff to give you chills.)

day 10: Castlegregory to Tralee

location: Castlegregory to Tralee
distance: 9.55 miles
entertainment: A Wise Man's Fear, watching parishioners leave Sunday Mass in Camp while waiting for the bus
sights: a monastery, lots of caravan parks, dogs and beach goers enjoying the weather and water
lodging: Greenview House B&B
dining: blood orange and blue sports drinks from the petrol station while waiting for the bus; underwhelming dinner in the front dining room of a once noble inn located in the high street of Tralee

route: after another day of less-scenic hiking past caravan parks, along busy roads and well-traveled side roads (as well as more beach), we opted to take advantage of the fortuitously-timed bus traveling through Camp back to Tralee, rather than spending an extra several hours covering track we'd already hiked, but in reverse. we spent our time waiting along side another backpacking couple (one of whom had an identical backpack to one of us) and watching Mass conclude at the Camp church and parishioners file out and head off to Sunday lunch.

the bus was nearly full when we boarded, with us taking the last two seats available -- one a few rows behind the diver and the other a few rows from the back of the bus. this day's adventure began as we arrived in Tralee. locals asked the driver to stop near the center of town so they wouldn't have to retrace the route back from the station. Andy, near the front of the bus, figured it would be a great opportunity to avoid extra hiking with packs, as the bus stopped about two blocks up from our B&B. sitting at the back of the bus, I didn't realize he'd gotten off the bus until I saw him standing on the side of the road with our packs as we pulled away -- waaaaay to late to rush to the front of the bus and have the driver stop for me to get off. instead, I went on my merry way to the station, hoping that Andy would either stay put or go someplace that he would know that I would know to look for him. and hoping that he'd grabbed both our bags out from under the bus after I got off and my bag wasn't waiting for me.

to be safe, I retraced the bus' route which skirted the (unnavigably) narrow streets of the center of town and took the longer walk back to where Andy got off. initially I thought he might try to follow the bus, but as we got farther and farther away, it seemed a preposterous idea. but all the same, I made my way past Debenhams, narrow townhouses and local businesses, the police station, the backside of a pub that also faced the narrow streets of the center of town and advertised live music every evening, and finally past where Andy got off to the B&B where we'd stayed at the start of our hike.


a much relieved Andy & I booked into our room, thanks to the proprietor's husband who was on duty at the time. got to enjoy the room on the first floor (one up from the ground floor), cleaned up and rested a bit before heading out in search of food. the food was fine enough, eaten in the front parlor/cafe of a high street hotel with impressive history, but not much to recommend itself today. would have been better off farther from the heart of town. even a block or two. but there were scoops of ice cream from a corner shop on the walk back to make up for any other failings. particularly in light of the bustle of Dublin the following day, Tralee was a pleasant reentry point from 10 days all but off the map.