Don't like bugs, but I LOVE this hike

I've become somewhat obsessed with a certain hike in our local mountains; it's not strenuous by any means, although the last 0.6 mile is tough because it's all uphill and usually in the sun.

It's more of a walk than a hike, but it has some amazing scenery. My parents first took me on the hike a few years ago, and I remembered how much I loved it when some high school girls I hang out with were telling me about a hike they loved in Deukmejian. One of the girls tried to explain how part of the hike looked like Scotland, and the other girl rolled her eyes. Then I remembered all about the hike at Chantry Flat that my parents had taken me to, and I figured that if they wanted pretty green scenery, then I should take them on this hike.

So I went and bought a day pass, but after day one of hiking, the girls and I decided that I should go back to Sport Chalet and buy the Adventure Pass so we could hike for a full year for only $30.

We got the pass, and I can't count the number of times we've used it this summer. Mostly we hiked to Sturtevant's Falls which is only about a 2 mile hike, but this last week we decided to hike down to the first water trail, which led us to this beautiful natural water-slide. 

(Above: Strangers on the slide;

Below: We take over the water)

The first water-slide fed into a small, waist-deep rock basin that spilled over into a larger and longer slide; it was much steeper and scarier, and it fed into a freezing, deep pool of water, but it was amazing fun!

Beautiful, right?

We had a blast, and I was glad that we finally made a trip to the "big water-slide" (something I'd been wanting to do for a while).

However, my favorite hike is still the one up to the falls, and I'm not even sure it's the hike so much as it is the conversations I get to have with my girls when we go.

I pack the basics when we hike: a towel for all of us to sit on, water for myself and a spare bottle for anyone else, a snack (almonds or a granola bar), and a book for devotion time.

We stop at a small little water-slide and pool that we have to hike off the trail to get to, and the girls and I set up camp for a bit, play in the water, and have a brief devotion.

 Sometimes we walk down to the bottom of our small waterfall, but we can also just slide down, too!

 After some play time, we pick our spots and sit and talk.

We talk about whatever needs talking about, and then we pack up our stuff and head on out to finish our hike. 

Cute pictures in front of the falls!

 The girls named these steps the "Stairs of Success" which I think is fitting since we're dead tired from the last half mile by the time we reach them.

Adventure Pass: $30 + Devotion book: $5.99 = best use of my money in a long time.

Even though I'm not a big nature person (it's the critters that give me the creeps!), I do love being in the outdoors, and I can't thank these girls enough for reminding me about this gem of a hike that practically in our own backyards.