Laura's favorite strenuous hike is up Mission Peak and back. Sometimes when she visits the bay area we end up in a group doing a hike. Sometimes she organizes it, sometimes Jason organizes it. This is what a typical trip up there looks like.

  

It always starts with waiting for the rest of us to show up. Then we pose for a group shot or two before heading up the hill.

  

     

Hiking up that hill is a popular activity in the south bay. There was a time when we'd feel like the only group on the mountain, but that's not the way it is nowadays. Lots of fit enough hikers around here.

Usually we have interactions with the wildlife.

  

After this it gets quite a bit steeper.

  

That pole everybody is waiting in line to pose with is famous. Likely you've seen pictures of others there. Everybody takes a turn with it. It's proof you've been to the top of Mission Peak.

  

It's not that hard to find a reasonably quiet place to sit and enjoy the views you worked so hard for the opportunity to see.

When we do a full moon night hike it's harder to get good pictures of what's happening.

  

In Jason's pictures from that hike there's one of my flash glowing when he was trying to take a picture, so I thought I'd include his range finder's orange blob on my moonlight silhouettes picture here.

Usually after the rest at the top there is a mad scramble to get back to the bottom. Sometimes we go out to eat afterward. That often makes the whole event much more memorable.