My last weekend in California, my lovely host, Evie Treen took me to the Santa Cruz country in a small country town called Boulder Creek on the northern side of California.
One of the most interesting activities during this weekend was my first hiking experience. After staying for almost a month in Santa Barbara and with a very busy schedule, I looked forward to any outdoor activity and when our host in Boulder Creek asked me whether I have ever done mountain hiking, I responded with “Is it something like climbing hills”? When he said that it was something similar, I told him that in Kenya, and more so in the district I was born which is Machakos on the eastern side of Kenya, “we climb hills not to exercise but as a means of reaching our destination”. In my mind, was the Kalanzoni hills which we dread climbing but have little choice especially when using public means of transport.
We drove to this 900 acres of private property which also houses a water company whose source of water was from the mountains we were going to climb. Jeff informed me that we were going to use a less steep mountain as he could not climb the tougher one as he had earlier on strained his foot. We started off doing more talking than walking as I was very curious to learn more from Jeff on various topics of our small world, the major one being world of religion and of course business. Just before reaching the steep side of the mountain, a jogger passed us and Jeff stopped him for introduction and surprise of surprises, when he heard that I was from Kenya, it was jambo and habari gani? and the rest is a long story. Jeff was very interested to see the man run up the mountain and at that point I did not know what was in store for me.
Earlier on, before leaving the house, Jeff had asked me whether I needed some climbing sticks and I said no as I did not understand why I would want some climbing sticks. When we started climbing this steep mountain, I understood then what the climbing sticks were for as I was almost now using my hands to climb up and looking at Jeff I saw how the walking sticks came into handy. And to imagine that this was a lesser steep mountain. I thanked God that we had not taken the tougher one because I doubt if I would ever have made it.
We reached the top after stopping severally times to take our breath. By this time I had removed my sweater and pullover which I had worn before leaving the house as it had been cold. We started going down stream and my mind was busy thinking “how am going back and the images of my rolling down in to the mountain kept crippling in my mind. My fear of going back was temporary forgotten when we reached this beautifully stream which is one of the sources of water for the water company. So clean and so natural. No pollution, no plastic papers and it looked so unreal as if it is a scene in the movies. This stream reminded me of one in our village back in 1960’s which was then our source of water which is no more now. Jeff told me that the water was clean and pure and I did not need any more prompting as I went ahead, scooping water with my hands and drinking this cool water from these precious mountains far away from home which were so reserved that it was unbelievable in this world of pollution.
When I had my feel of the water, I sat down on a log and Jeff sat opposite. We started sharing our own experiences of the beauty of nature but this was short lived as I had sat near a nest of some yellow junks who need not like their territory being invented by some excited humans beings talking on top of their excited voices. Before I realized, two stung me and boy, was it painfully. I washed off the pain with the cold spring water and it felt much better after a while. This did not go without Jeff scaring me by asking me whether I was allergy to yellow junks and I told him that I wouldn’t know as we do not have them in Africa but if there are in the family of bees, then I am not allergic. He told me I better not be as with his bad foot, he could not be able to carry me back and I would definitely die. He does have a sense of humor even in scaring circumstance.
The yellow junks ended our enjoyment of nature and we started our journey back which was about time as we had overstayed without noticing it. My luck going down hill came due to the fact that it had rained the previous day so the grounds were more firm and the soil not lose. All the same it was not easy and again I saw the main use of the climbing sticks. Jeff pointed out to me some poisonous plants which I can not remember the names now but he told me that they all had some three leaves on the them but he warned me that touching me could lead to instant death.He gave me the saying of “three leaves, leave thee”. I then remembered that I had been informed that in these part of California, there were mountain lions and I asked Jeff whether one or more was likely to bounce on us. He told me that they are rarely seen. Still I was very happy and relieved when we reached where we had parked the car and when Jeff told how they usually hug the car with his daughter Sarah after coming down the mountains, I went ahead and did the same.
