I turned 28 on a quiet evening in the Sierra Club Hiker’s Hut. The next morning, we woke up to fog and the slow pitter patter of rain on the wooden hut. Josh had class in the afternoon and I had plans to curl up in bed for a lazy birthday. We packed up all our things to head back home.
Instead of retracing our steps, we opted for the Heritage Grove trail instead.
I’ve been winging it on plans lately. I seriously just don’t feel like planning anything. I realized a few weeks ago that my birthday was coming up. Last year, I backpacked in Zion. I’d taken the day off work, but aside from that there was nothing on the schedule.
The Sierra Club Hiker’s Hut in Sam McDonald County Park is a spot I’ve been meaning to check out for a while. It’s close enough for me to not want to spend a weekend there when I could be elsewhere. But for a quick overnighter for my birthday, it was perfect and did not disappoint.
As I grow older, I realize that giving presents is something I’ve really grown to dislike. I don’t want to give stuff anymore. We all have too much stuff. My parents have too much stuff. I have too much stuff. Stuff doesn’t last. Stuff breaks. Stuff gets thrown away. Experiences are better.
Get out there and make some unforgettable memories with this list of five awesome Bay Area experiences to gift your friend, your mother, or whomever.
I will always take dirt trails over concrete sidewalks and the mountains over the city. There are just some times that you can’t escape that hustle and bustle.
Hiking the original Seven Summits of San Francisco is an idea I’ve had in my pocket for a while. I mentioned the idea to my friend, Peter, and he rallied together a group to tackle hiking across San Francisco.
Estimated walking distance for hiking San Francisco? 18 miles.
I grew up in a household where it was bad to speak up. I was raised to accept things as they are. To never question authority. To never get involved.…