On Saturday last weekend, Danny and I hiked 13 miles from the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center to the summit of Mount Diablo (previously), and then jogged all the way back down. My quadriceps complained all week. I did this (in part) because I’m “training” for a “race” on March 18th called the 4MPH Challenge, taking place just west of Redding. It’s a kind of ultramarathon, with no set distance, that you walk, briskly. The only requirement is that you complete each leg of the 6-mile course in 90 minutes or less. Hence 4MPH. The “winner” is the person who walks the farthest. Wish me luck.

The pain did not stop me from hiking on Sunday with Jonathan and his son Theo most of the way up Mission Peak (previously). It was a shorter hike, just over 5 miles, but the steep trail was caked with mud which made the going slow. At the restrooms near the top we stopped for a bathroom break when it started snowing. Full on blizzard conditions for 5 minutes. I’ve seen hail many times, but I’ve never experienced, nor hoped to experience, snow in the Bay Area. Nothing stuck to the ground, and when it passed, the sky was bright and blue. Surreal.