Hiking – Wildwood Canyon in Thousand Oaks

Unless you are lucky enough to live in the mountains, there are few places where you can drive for a maximum of ten minutes and reach a great hiking trail. We have our own hidden spot where we have hiked for years. From our house to the trail is about three good song lengths at most. (Or two back to backs of Meatloaf’s, Paradise by the Dashboard Light.) Last weekend my husband, the wild and crazy pup, and I hiked Wildwood Canyon in Thousand Oaks. I haven’t laughed that powerfully in months.

To start at the beginning, we decided to hike one of the trails we like most, backwards, which for me entails having no idea where I am, because I’ve never done it that way before and even if I had, I still would have been confused. So I followed my husband down into the canyon that rims a waterfall. We were lucky enough that the slight drizzle we had last week made the waterfall bounce and spray over the rocks.

It was cool with soft clouds covering most of the sun’s glare. My husband was thrilled. He never, ever likes to be hot. The trail we chose had great leafy tree coverage, more than a trickle of running water, and birds filling the crisp air with their songs.

We reached a junction, that I’m sure I’ve been to hundreds of times so I confidently said, “This way,” only to not so quickly realize that nothing looked even slightly familiar. My husband’s theory was that we’d eventually land somewhere near our car. We hiked on.

We reached a crossing where the water rushed exuberantly over the rocks. The pup, who loves water, decided she wasn’t crossing. She sat down and looked expectantly at my husband. He crossed to show her how easy it was. She was less than impressed.

He crossed back over, heaved her up into his arms and carried her over. She landed on the ground and happily licked him to show that she was proud of him for figuring it out. We still can’t figure out who is training who in our whole puppy/human situation.

He reached an arm across to help me and the man who has perfect balance started to dance, and not on purpose. His feet spun. His arms waved. And I swear there was a cartoon bubble over his head that read, “Whoa!!!!!”

Have you ever watched a 6’8” man flail about trying not to fall on slippery rocks? Since he eventually righted himself without falling, I can say it was the funniest visual I’ve ever seen. I could hear Curly from the Three Stooges and all of his sound effects as my husband wobbled.

I can’t say that I saw much of the rest of the hike because my eyes were blurred with tears from laughing. Every time I looked at him, I laughed. I snorted. I even drooled. One of the best hikes I’ve taken in a long time. I was outside. I was with my husband. And we were laughing like kindergarteners.