"I love seeing so many people out enjoying the trails," I overheard a woman say as she rode by on a bike with her friends through Santa Rosa Plateau. As much as I'd like to say I agree with her sentiment, I'm too selfish to feel the same way.
This weekend was a busy one, so the first attempt at exploring more of southern California took us just down the road a few miles to Santa Rosa Plateau for a Sunday morning hike with the family. Lately, the city has felt a bit claustrophobic, so getting out to nature for a while was a much needed break.
Despite the lack of rain and being several years into an epic drought, there was still a few pockets of nature that allowed for a temporary escape from the dry, brown landscape that has become the norm. The stream beds were still dry, but there were groves of trees with green leaves and views unobstructed by buildings or other signs of civilization.
Civilization is exactly what I am trying to get a way from when I go for hikes, so I always search out "the road less traveled" where there is room to breathe. Even if it's a short hike, the time away from people, buildings, technology, and the modern world helps me to regain my energy to face all of that again. So as much as I wish I could be so selfless as to say that I love seeing so many people out enjoying the trails, I can only agree as long as they don't enjoy them at the same time I do. I know it's selfish, but I spend the majority of my time sharing my space with way too many people, so when I hit the trails, I will continue to search out the ones least likely to attract the masses.
