5am Bump and Grind hike

Up at 3:45am so I'd have enough time for a coffee, morning poo, shower and be on time. Raced over to pick up Sandi before realizing I'd forgotten my running shoes. On the one mile drive back home I called Katie to let her know we'd be 10 minutes late for our meeting to do the Bump 'n Grind, an hour and a half long hike.

At the pace Katie and I were hiking, it took us 46 minutes to get to the top turnaround point. Not long after we headed back down the hill, still in the dark, we met Sandi. The sun was 10 to 15 minutes away from rising over the Coachella Valley. I asked Katie and Sandi to pose for this photo. I hand held this shot at a shutter speed of 1 second. Way too long an exposure for a crisp shot, but I wanted to capture Katie's first hike up Bump and Grind.

Sandi and Katie

As much as I dislike getting up so early, hiking in the calm and beauty of a dark morning has always been very special. I hope I remember how special this morning was the next time my head tells me that I don't want to get up and go hiking so early. I am a fast forgetter. Hopefully this pictured visual image will bring back the specialness of being up and out "there" before the day really starts for most people.