Hiking with Christopher

Posted on August 14th, 2007 by Christine.
Categories: True Story.

Last weekend, I told Christopher I wanted to go on a hike we’d done before in Palos Verdes. I hadn’t been out of the house all weekend and needed some fresh air so I called him up, told him I was going, and asked if he’d like to join me. He agreed.

Now let me explain a little about this hike. Basically, you drive to a paid parking lot where you leave your car and there is a picnic area that overlooks the scenic rocky cliff of Palos Verdes and the ocean below. From the edge of the picnic area, there are two paths that take you down that rocky embankment to more rocks that jut out into the ocean where there are lots of tide pools and an underwater cavern. People make the trek down there to fish, collect shells, snorkel, swim, or like Christopher and I did last summer– see if we could make out without getting caught.

One path is short, and one is much longer. The short path is actually physically easier, but it brings you to an area where you actually have to cross a very steep, wet area to get to the tide pools. The longer path drops you off right at the tide pools, but it adds about an additional mile each way.

So we get to the edge of the picnic area. Christopher has his backpack on, stuffed with water bottles, etc. (he is always very prepared except for when it comes to sunscreen as he’s already had three sunburns this summer). Here was the conversation… and the reason it’s funny is because you all know my boy Christopher works in marketing. So he’s very good at selling people on stuff. I’ve known him long enough to see through it most of the time, but it doesn’t stop him from trying.

Christopher: Which path do you want to take?

Me: Remind me again… what’s the difference?

Christopher: Well… the one that goes down this side is shorter and the one on the other side is longer but it takes us right to the tide pools without having to climb the side over that water.

Me: Oh yeah… let’s go the way that takes us to the tide pools.

Now I could see from the look on his face, he wanted to go the other way.

Christopher: So you want to go the long way?

Me: Yeah, sure, why not?

Christopher: Well… because it’s gonna add like 2 miles to the hike.

Me: I’m down for that. You aren’t?

Christopher: I am, I am. We can go that way.

Me: Okay. Let’s go.

Christopher: Hang on a sec. Let’s think about this…

I stop and look at him, wondering what else there is to think about.

Me: Hon… if you want to go the short way, we can.

Christopher: Just wait…

He kneels down and uses the palm of his hand to smooth out the dirt. I know right away what’s about to happen next…

Me: Are you going to draw me a map?

He loves to draw maps in dirt.

Christopher: Yes. Okay…

He takes his finger and draws a curved line meant to represent the edge of the cliff. It’s rustic, simplistic. I could envision it without a map, but he seemed to be enjoying running his fingers through the dirt, so I just stood there and paid attention.

Christopher: Alright… here’s the cliff. If we go this way, it takes us right down to the beach area below us. If we go the other way… we have to walk all the way down that little road before– it’s like a mile– then we have to go down that windy part where there’s all kinds of rattle snakes and shit and then we have to–

Me: Okay, okay. Let’s just go the short way.

Christopher: We don’t have to, I’m just telling you what to expect if we go the other way…

Me: Babe, you obviously want to go the short way or you wouldn’t have brought up the rattle snakes “and shit.”

Christopher: Well, we’re wearing shorts.

Me: I don’t really think we’re gonna get bit by a rattle snake if we go that way, but if you’re worried about it, we can go the short way.

Christopher: Christine. Palos Verdes has the highest concentration of rattle snakes in California.

I wait for him to crack a smile, but he’s serious.

Me: No, it doesn’t.

Christopher: It does.

Me: The highest concentration? I’m sure that’s probably Big Bear or Calabasas or something.

Christopher: Didn’t you see the rattle snake sign the last time we did this hike?

Me; Probably… but I don’t remember it. Let’s just go the short way.

Christopher: Nope. Let’s go the way you want to go… I just hope you don’t get bit by a rattlesnake.

Me: Really. I’m fine with the short way.

Christopher: Are you sure? Because we can go the long way… but there’s also that area where you have to use your hands to climb.

I start to laugh. He’s lucky he’s so damn good-looking.

Me: No, I want to go the short way. Come on…

I start to walk down the shorter path and Christopher falls into step beside me. I think he was happy he’d convinced me to go the short way.

We make it down to the tide pools and it was well worth the trip. They were full of sea plants and baby crabs. So we walked around the tide pools discovering starfish and sea anenomes and conch. And then we made the hike back to the top. We headed back to Redondo Beach for dinner. Our little adventure only lasted a couple hours but there’s no place I would rather have been on a Sunday afternoon. And I can’t think of a person who would have made it more fun than Christopher.

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