The church of girlfriends hiking

I have found my religion. I know it will sound strange and kooky and down right crystal-esque but the mountains are my sanctuary. I went to Yosemite this weekend with my girlfriends and I found God.

There is no other explanation for climbing a granite monolith in 5 hours with 3 of your best friends than divine intervention. There is no description worthy for looking out over the valley floor, from the top of Half Dome, and realizing how minute my problems and complaints really are. PTA? The hell with them, I just climbed a granite staircase that someone carved out about 150 years ago. Junior League? Who cares, I just scaled a rock that is 8,842 feet above most of my thoughts. How could one not be grateful for a body, and mind, that can do that?

high points?: my 3 friends laughing, Denise's bear bell (it worked, we weren't eaten), a group of, my now favorite, flamboyent boys who sang "happy birthday" to me and it being captured on video! Diving into an icy lake above the falls in my clothes(my motherly disclaimer: do not try this at home or in spring...) peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the crazy looks i got for running on the way down and definitely the pizza and beer at the end.

low points: Getting busted by Edie our friendly (?) chainsmoking chambermaid for leaving the food storage locker open for 3.5 seconds, exercise induced asthma, the feeling in my legs after hiking 18 miles in record time, and leaving...

You know, come to think of it, there really were no low points. Edie turned out to be a wealth of information and one hell of a photographer. The asthma came under control and we all made it to the top together. The feeling in my legs just goes to prove I am still alive, and gratefully so! Even coming home meant I got to see the kids, and those hugs just have to be the best.

Thank you Christi, Denise and Mari for keeping me laughing and finding my religion, maybe it's not in the mountains, maybe it is in my friends...