Merino Wool

This was my first hike to lead since mid-August and it went very well. We hiked the 10-mile Sycamore Canyon Loop at Pt. Mugu State Park near Malibu and ended our beautiful day watching the sunset on the shores of the Pacific Ocean after a feast at Malibu Seafood.

I led this same hike three years ago for a team I organized to train to conquer Mt. Whitney. This was our inaugural hike in the training series. It’s a good hike for those who aren’t used to hiking long distances in that it begins at sea level and is pretty flat for the first few miles until is begins the 700-foot plus ascent to a breathtaking overlook of the ocean. For that reason, I knew it would be a good re-introduction to long distance hiking for me after my injury.

Our hike took us through a peaceful wooded canyon on relatively flat terrain initially, which provided a great warmup for us, as well as a chance to get to know some new friends. It was a pleasure having “Don Viejo” along on the journey. Now at 88 years young, he is quite a trooper and an inspiration to all of us.

After meandering through the canyon, we took a turn to the south, where the real hiking began as we ascended a fairly steep but well-graded path to a junction that provided access to nearby LaJolla Canyon, which is also a gem.

My friends, Danielle, Jeanette and I took our time on the steeper segment and just enjoyed the views around us. We were shocked when we saw Don (who had gone ahead) hiking downhill toward us and told him he was going the wrong way. He said he came to check on us to make sure we were alright. What a gentleman. He had already made it to the junction, backtracked downhill to check on us, and then went back uphill with us. They just don’t make them like that anymore.

Don told us that there was a bench up ahead from where he had just come, which motivated us to get up the hill. However, we didn’t see that bench until about 2 miles later. But when we did, it was a great opportunity for me to take my boot off and rest my foot, which still sometimes swells up due to the effects of the DVT in my calf that continues to heal.

My Low Rise Trail Socks from Minus 33 were an excellent choice for the day. Made of merino wool, these socks are comfortable, lightweight, and built to go the distance. Not only was there no swelling in my foot, but I also had no blisters or hot spots due to the full cushion of the socks. They were perfect for the 85-degree weather we experienced.

Minus 33 Low Rise Trail Sock

The Minus 33 Low Rise Trail Sock is thin and lightweight, but durable, providing me with great comfort over all 10 miles of this trek. Although there are other more expensive socks on the market, for half the cost, the Minus 33 Low Rise Trail Socks are solid performers. These will be my go-to socks from now on.

After taking in the beautiful ocean views at a popular overlook, we descended back down into the canyon and went to Malibu Seafood for a sunset dinner. After that, we followed a short path leading us through a tunnel that provided direct access to the beach. It was an unusually warm evening, so we were able to play in the waves a bit without freezing our little toes.

It was a fabulous day all around.

Happy Trails! 🙂

Last weekend, my friends and I hiked a 12-mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Bernardino Wilderness, on a section that was not touched by the Lake Fire. It was my first time hiking that segment of the PCT, so I was excited when my friend Paul began this series. We are doing a total of 12 hikes and accomplishing this feat by way of a car shuttle with each segment.

We started out at Onyx Summit at an elevation of 8,443 ft. On the drive up the winding road to the summit, we were a little surprised to see the temperature dipping below 40 degrees in the middle of summer. By the time we made it to the saddle, the outside temperature gauge on my friend’s SUV read a mere 37 degrees.

Before I left home that morning, I wondered if it was a good idea to use this outing as an opportunity to test a new piece of gear, the new Base Camp Hoodie from WoolX. I loved the hoodie the instant I removed it from the packaging, from the look and feel of the lightweight 100% merino wool fabric, to the Pomegranate Pop color, which happens to be one of my favorite. I tried it on immediately and did the mirror check and was pleased to see that the fitted design and color block made my waist appear smaller. That’s an important thing for us plus-sized women who venture into the outdoors. (The Base Camp Hoodie goes up to size XXL.)

Sporting the WoolX Base Camp Hoodie

Since the Base Camp Hoodie is intended to be worn in warmer temps, I thought this would be a good time to try it out. I didn’t check the weather before leaving, but figured it would be a warm day, even in the higher elevations. Nothing prepared us for 37 degrees, though, but when I got out of the car at Onyx Summit, I was grateful to be wearing a long sleeved top with a hood. I slipped my thumbs into the thumb holes and pulled the hood over my head as I made my way to a sunny spot as we waited for our friends to return from leaving a couple of cars at our destination for the shuttle back.

Hanging out in the Sun

37 degrees is a little cool for the Base Camp Hoodie, unless you’re exercising. For sitting or standing around, you might want to try something a little thicker, and WoolX also makes a midweight and a heavyweight base layer to keep you insulated in those conditions.

When we started hiking uphill, I began to warm up, but I never felt like I was overheating. There was lots of shade on this trail and much of the incline was gradual. For the most part, this section of the PCT was mainly downhill for us as we traveled in a northerly direction heading toward the desert. We even saw a care station for thru-hikers on the PCT, as well as a sofa and what appeared to be another care station perhaps filled with “trail magic” or supplies. We didn’t open it, so we weren’t sure. And then there were multiple water sightings as we traversed through a shaded canyon.

PCT Care Station

PCT Sofa and “Trail Magic”

Water crossing.

Enjoying the trees

The trees were gigantic and healthy, a very welcome sight after witnessing some of the devastation from the Lake Fire on the drive up Highway 38. As we approached increasingly exposed areas, we took the opportunity to stop and take shade breaks. It didn’t take long for the temperature to climb to a balmy 75 degrees. When I got too warm, I just lowered the 1/2 zip of the hoodie for a little more ventilation. Whenever the breeze picked up, I could feel it blowing through the superior wicking fabric and it kept me cool.

Admiring the tree

As we made our way closer to the end of our trail, we noticed several Joshua Trees, an indicator of where the forest ends and the desert begins. It was quite a strange and beautiful sight. With Big Bear Lake and Lake Baldwin to our left in the west, the expansive high desert plateau to our north and rolling hills and mountains in the east, we enjoyed quite a palette of views.

Where the forest ends and the desert begins

Looking towards Lake Baldwin and Big Bear Lake

The high desert ahead

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was “The Eye of God,” a little side trip we took at the end of our hike to a giant quartz rock that we could see glistening from the road. Of course, we seized the opportunity to do a little photo shoot and I took the opportunity to expand my rock collection.

The “Eye of God”

My loot

All in all, this was a great, peaceful journey on segment of the PCT that I probably would never have ventured to had I not been introduced to it. And my new piece of gear, the WoolX Base Camp Hoodie, is one that I will keep and wear over and over again. It’s lightweight, no itching or chafing and no “wooly” smell. It’s just a soft, yet durable, high quality product that rivals some of the other top brands of 100% merino wool on the market. It’s also very stylish and cute. I might just wear it again on the next segment of the PCT.