Day Four: Seeing fireworks from above

The high-light of this day came at night. We walked up the resort ruins on top of Echo Mountain to watch fireworks across the L. A. Basin, at least as many as we could see as the distance was quite obscured from the temperature inversion haze as well as all the wild fires in California. We even saw an air tanker drop a load on our way up. And up it was. A half a mile elevation rise over 2.8 miles. No, it wasn't steep but it was hot. I drank most of my three-liter Camelback's water.

I was quite impressed with all the illegal fireworks in Pacifica. But their little efforts are nothing compared to what goes on in the L. A. Metro area. Then, there were all the legal ones, several shows going on at the same time. It was neat looking down on them and quite a unique experience. Every once in a while the remote noise of one of the larger sustained bursts would reach us in some form of muted manner. But mostly it was quiet, well, at least from the fireworks. There was sufficient local noise from talking and oohing. There were also a lot of local flashes, from camera flashes.

Then we were walking down in the dark, except, we brought our own light. Unfortunately several people, including the person walking just in front of us, didn't have their own light. On the one person-wide trail they held the well lighted people up. They were even slower because of the shadows their bodies cast on the trail from the lights behind them. After following this person for about half the way, my daughter had the "bright" idea of getting in front of this person and lighting the trail for both of them.

It was neat looking down the trail and back up at the switchbacks and see the lines of lights. I couldn't help but wonder if any of the fireworks igniters were looking up at the mountain trail and seeing a different light show.

With all the hikers, the dust was being raised like a herd of cattle had gone through. I was cleaning my nose for quite a while after.

Well, after all that walking, my aching back lets me know I'm alive. After all, there is Life after Layoff.