Days 177,178, 179: Outdoor Bars and Howell Mountain

Been busy.

So what have my outdoor activities been? A quiet walk around St. Helena one night. The next night (after work) I parked my car at a friend's house in Calistoga and walked to an outdoor patio/bar/brewery. The outdoor activity was seeing if I could drink a pint each of their six varieties of beer. Only made it through four. Then back to the friend's house where Springer joined me to sleep in the friend's backyard, under the stars, after building a fire and opening a couple more bottles of wine. (Yes, we were both tired the next day at work).

Time to get serious about this next backpacking trip.

So yesterday I took my still grubby backpack (it has Costa Rican Rain Forest mud on it) and filled it with books. Forty pounds worth. I then parked on Meadowwood Lane (next to the fancy resort that "Dubya" stayed at one night back in 2006). I remember that night well, as the skies were patrolled by jet fighters all night. And the Secret Service checked out our ER in order to make sure we had rattlesnake anti-venom on hand in case the mountain biking Bush the Second got bit by a Pacific rattler.

I walked up Howell Mountain Road with my backpack on. I only went 1 1/2 miles up, as it is quite deserted at the top, it was at sunset, I didn't have my walking stick---and I felt like a mountain lion was watching me. Honestly. I got spooked.

Tonight I shall pick another mountain road to walk up. This time I shall bring my hiking stick. It should be good practice, as the temperature is in the triple digits these past two days.