What About Bob?! - December 15, 2018
Someone ought to warn our friend Bob about hiking with Laur and me on our “Yikes Hikes” or “Adventure Hikes.” Three of our confreres from last year are giving it a miss this year due to heart problems – palpitations, aneurysms, that sort of thing.
We love hiking with Bob. He is very funny and very patient. When Laur first met him, he said, “My name is Bob. When my parents had me, they said, ‘Not much is going to come of this one. Let’s name him Bob!’” (Of course, I disagree – given that my Dad’s name is Bob. But I digress.)
I didn’t think there was anyone crazier for lesser-known hikes than Laur and me – and then Bob comes along. He went with us on one of Laur’s “up and down and round and round” extra long hikes that ended with the charming scene of an outdoor toilet – and he didn’t complain once. In fact, when Laur strayed off the trail – and that happens a lot when there is hardly a trail to see – he helped him find it. Bob has a GPS on his phone! And he knows how to use it!
Hiking with us is not necessarily harmonious. Laur and I bicker a little. Quite a lot actually. What we consider a thoughtful exchange, others would consider as grounds for divorce. Bob just says, “Mom and Dad, it stresses us kids out when you fight…” Oops.
One of our funnier incidents happened the other day. We were climbing Vault Mine trail – one of the steepest hikes we do – and half way up it Laur decided he wanted to try out the new GPS system that he’d downloaded onto our new phone. (We have to have a second phone to be volunteer patrollers. A story in itself.)
Laur had paid a twenty dollar yearly fee and just about went wild when he turned on the phone and the “Gaia” program (Gaia means “earth”) had disappeared. He tried swinging the phone in a crazy eight pattern over his head, turning it off and on, scrolling through all the programs he’d downloaded, etc.
Bob just chuckled at the antics and noises coming out of Laur and said to me, “You have my sympathies.” He then offered to help and even Bob couldn’t find the Gaia program on our cell phone. Bob said, “This is not possible. You can’t accidentally delete a program…” I said, “How long have you known us?!”
And then Laur and I had a moment of realization. Laur had downloaded Gaia to our new phone, but he was trying to find it on our old phone. Of course it wasn’t there! I confess, Bob and I chuckled a little louder than Laur did. Said Bob, “Did he tell you about the time he asked me ‘How many pins are there in 10 pin bowling?’”
Tomorrow, Bob, Laur and I are going to do a “hike less travelled.” We’re going to attempt to climb up Josephine Peak. What you need to know is that this hike comes with some warnings - like “an extremely gnarly bushwhack” and “people getting ‘cliffed out’ while attempting this peak.” https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=20068 At the same time, we’ve talked to a hiker who is 75, and who led a group of seniors up and back without any difficulty. But then again, he’s not us…
I can see Bob and Laur bagging this peak. I can see me tying bright yellow ribbons to the bush as we go so I can find my way back when the big boys get to the bottom of the cliff! Sometimes the “road less travelled” is less travelled for a reason or two! 😊
We love hiking with Bob. He is very funny and very patient. When Laur first met him, he said, “My name is Bob. When my parents had me, they said, ‘Not much is going to come of this one. Let’s name him Bob!’” (Of course, I disagree – given that my Dad’s name is Bob. But I digress.)
I didn’t think there was anyone crazier for lesser-known hikes than Laur and me – and then Bob comes along. He went with us on one of Laur’s “up and down and round and round” extra long hikes that ended with the charming scene of an outdoor toilet – and he didn’t complain once. In fact, when Laur strayed off the trail – and that happens a lot when there is hardly a trail to see – he helped him find it. Bob has a GPS on his phone! And he knows how to use it!
Hiking with us is not necessarily harmonious. Laur and I bicker a little. Quite a lot actually. What we consider a thoughtful exchange, others would consider as grounds for divorce. Bob just says, “Mom and Dad, it stresses us kids out when you fight…” Oops.
One of our funnier incidents happened the other day. We were climbing Vault Mine trail – one of the steepest hikes we do – and half way up it Laur decided he wanted to try out the new GPS system that he’d downloaded onto our new phone. (We have to have a second phone to be volunteer patrollers. A story in itself.)
Laur had paid a twenty dollar yearly fee and just about went wild when he turned on the phone and the “Gaia” program (Gaia means “earth”) had disappeared. He tried swinging the phone in a crazy eight pattern over his head, turning it off and on, scrolling through all the programs he’d downloaded, etc.
Bob just chuckled at the antics and noises coming out of Laur and said to me, “You have my sympathies.” He then offered to help and even Bob couldn’t find the Gaia program on our cell phone. Bob said, “This is not possible. You can’t accidentally delete a program…” I said, “How long have you known us?!”
And then Laur and I had a moment of realization. Laur had downloaded Gaia to our new phone, but he was trying to find it on our old phone. Of course it wasn’t there! I confess, Bob and I chuckled a little louder than Laur did. Said Bob, “Did he tell you about the time he asked me ‘How many pins are there in 10 pin bowling?’”
Tomorrow, Bob, Laur and I are going to do a “hike less travelled.” We’re going to attempt to climb up Josephine Peak. What you need to know is that this hike comes with some warnings - like “an extremely gnarly bushwhack” and “people getting ‘cliffed out’ while attempting this peak.” https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=20068 At the same time, we’ve talked to a hiker who is 75, and who led a group of seniors up and back without any difficulty. But then again, he’s not us…
I can see Bob and Laur bagging this peak. I can see me tying bright yellow ribbons to the bush as we go so I can find my way back when the big boys get to the bottom of the cliff! Sometimes the “road less travelled” is less travelled for a reason or two! 😊