I like the idea of throwback Thursday. Since a lot of my memories are foggy at best, it helps to take a look back, see and reflect. I understand most of our memories are hijinks based, and you might be a part of them. Worry not, I know we're older and have lives blah, blah, blah. These memories are about laughs, with just a hint of fun-comfortable at worst.

Hike to Echo Mountain.

In late summer of 2009 our friends at the time suggested going on a hike. Sounded lovely, except it was approximately two-hundred degrees that day. As I've mentioned before, I was somewhat of a lush, so while I can't recall the circumstances, for one reason or another I was not feeling the best that morning. I didn't want to tell everyone I was sick or something, cause they'd know it's something. We took liquids, hydrating and otherwise (me hoping some combination could see me through.)

I slapped on a backpack and a brave face, and we headed out. The idea was simple enough. Hike to Echo Mountain. A winding switchbacking trail up a mountain in Pasadena California to the site of an old hotel and observatory. It's tough but manageable on most days. Somewhere in the beginning of the trail, we veered off course somehow and must have begun scaling a sheer fire road or something. 

Did I mention it was hot? Buzzards began to circle the extremely steep trail and I started to get dizzy. My previous night imbibing left me dehydrated and not well. The fit ones among us carried on, and we turned around. After a break, some water, and a miraculous recovery, Crystal and I decided to carry forward on the actual marked trail. 

With breaks and persistence, we made it to Echo Mountain. We had some lunch enjoying the view, when suddenly we heard the faint traces of laughter stirring in the air. It sounded very distant. We discovered a megaphone on a post that demonstrates the acoustic properties that provide the mountain's name. We screamed greetings and waited. The voices responded. Could it be?!

It was our friends that forged ahead! They were clear up on Look Out point near the summit of the mountain. They scaled down looking a bit worse for wear, and joined us in a joyous reunion. 
They told us of their adventures with perilous climbs, bumps and falls. After a time to enjoy the view, we headed down the trail together. 

That is except one rabble-rouser in our the group who ran ahead around a bend out of sight in an attempt to scare us. He indeed popped out and scared us, but not as intended. As this person slid out to scare us, he did so on a pile of gravel and kept right on sliding, and almost slid right off the side of the mountain! He righted himself in the nick of time! We safely made it down the mountain and home to celebrate. 

That was our journey to Echo Mountain adventure. Life is little moments like these. Little adventures with those in one's life at the moment. Little moments when you can say yeah it was hot and uncomfortable and we almost gave up, but tried anyway and enjoyed a moment on a mountain.