Temescal Canyon

I'm known for taking people on the equivalent of Bataan Death March when a goal is in mind. For example: 1. I got Lulu and her Mom to walk from the East Side of NYC to my apartment by telling them it wasn't much further. In my mind and experience it wasn't far but to them it was incredibly far (okay so it was over a mile on concrete). I rewarded them with a yummy glass of wine and a slice of pizza when we got to my place. 2. I made Wyatt walk with me all over Paris on our honeymoon. I'd entice him with a croissant or bagette sandwich but for the most part we walked a lot. One day we estimated we had walked about 15 miles in the city. Each night he was rewarded with a very yummy dinner and crepe. 3. Nora and I happened to be in Paris when several of the closest metro stations were closed so we walked. I always forget to stop and eat when I'm walking somewhere. Nora is somewhat the same until she just stopped me and said "I need coffee!" Of course I felt horrible then but the reward was a trip to find the best most expensive bottle of brandy for Wyatt's dad! :) So that leads me to this morning when Wylie and I went waterfall hunting in Temescal Canyon. I had read that there was a waterfall in the canyon with a relatively easy 1 mile walk to it. Several weeks ago Wylie did very well on a 1 mile hike in Paramount Ranch so I thought we would try it again. I packed my Nalgene bottle of water and a Cliff bar for Wylie just in case he needed something. It wasn't a 1 mile easy trail. It was a 1.4 mile rocky incline path that was very close to the edge of the mountain at times. Oh the 1.4 miles was ONE WAY! So this Sunday morning I took my son on the first of many Bataan Death March walks in his lifetime. He handled it like a champ. Asking for a bite of the snack (Cliff Bar) only when we were about .2 miles away from the reward of a waterfall. He did stop and take a small sip of water every so often. But he walked the entire way up to the waterfall. We saw a woodpecker in a tree pecking wood. We saw a California Kingsnake sunning itself and then slithering away . We also walked under many "tree tunnels" and found a really cool tree hideaway. Thankfully another hiker warned us of the poison oak I did not notice at first when Wylie started fighting his way into the tree hideaway. We hung out at the waterfall splunking rocks and leaves into the water. I decided it was time to make our descent knowing it was getting close to lunch time and nap time. Wylie didn't want to go so I forced him into the second half of his Bataan Death March. We made an agreement, I carried him for the rocky parts and he walked on the smooth wide parts. This means at the end of the hike Wylie had hiked almost 2.5 miles! Without anything except parts of a cliff bar and some water. He proudly told a ranger at the end that he had walked up to the waterfall but it didn't have any water. The ranger confirmed with me (a bit astounded) that Wylie had indeed done it without being carried up. It took less than five seconds for the ranger to give Wylie his reward. A Junior Ranger Gold Star Sticker. I rewarded Wylie with chicken nuggets and fries. So if you ever agree to walk somewhere with me keep in mind you will need to pack a lunch because there is a good chance I'll forget to eat and take you on a Bataan Death March. Photos to be posted soon.