There are times when one is offered a name, a title or description that is irresistible. Who would not wish to take the name of this mountain, Mollie's Nipple, it's official name, and not want to run with...write about it? Some people (guess who?) wish to show a modicum of both respect and decorum and let temptation pass by. Unfortunately, it does not happen frequently, but in this case, Mollie's nipple should be treated gently and guardedly. Other than stand on it, admire it and having pursued, we (I) decided to avoid temptation and let it be. (Yeah, right!)
A tough start and it got steeper.
Pretty indeed.
We have stayed in some pretty slick places lately—something’s changing or we’ve struck it lucky. We’ve been to Hurricane a number of times, although we usually rush through on the way to other places in Utah or use it as a base. This time we were blown away when we came across the highest structure in the town, The Wyndham Wingate. It has only been erected a year. We knew it was new because we hadn’t seen it before—something one would notice in passing. Another interesting tidbit is that when we looked through our room window, we observed, some two miles away, an extraordinary mountain. Somehow we knew we had to climb it. It turned out that it was nearly 1,500 feet high but sharp. Short and steep. A person goes directly up and as they say locally, from ‘the get-go'. Anyway that’s a bit of a diversion because the point of this anecdote is about the hotel. More about this hike and its name in the future...(continued at end)
Witnessing some stunning sights from the top.
The editor makes her way through a harsh and most attractive land—the remnants of a volcanic eruption.
Feeling on top of the nipple...maybe, the world instead.
Serene and tranquil—now to get down safely.
Jenni reaches the top of a remarkable hike.
A favorite.
A development at the trailhead, 'military design'. An airport beyond. Notice the stroke of genius by including a curve in the road.
I can't say why but this scene resonated highly.
"You have two minutes to get down or I'm outta here, big boy". Guess who?
Watching a simultaneous landing from the top, (bi-planes?)...or maybe it's a shadow.
Illustrates how little horizontal distance covered relative to vertical gain. Notice our car close by.
Reaching a minor nip...um top.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
(Continued from earlier...)
The modern structure was clean and chic. It conforms with requirements of modern day, especially the younger generations needs and it appears, some of ours, too. I think it’s what I’d term a fully charged hotel. Firstly, as in almost every establishment, one enters through the front door and pulls out a credit card and charges. We were on the 4th floor which was the top. We mentioned it’s the highest structure in the town. Upon reaching the door to the room, one places the card somewhere on the door, as if showing this piece of plastic to the door rather than inserting it in the old way which of course superseded the old-fashioned key. There’s usually a sick buzz, a green light flashes and then one enters. A red light indicates you need to revisit the receptionist and receive a re-charge, keycard not credit.
Upon entering the room, first things first. Find the electrical plug points so that the rest of your items can be charged, too. Our room had sockets all over the place including in the lamps, walls, floor although I forgot to check the ceilings and bed. In addition, at the desk were three USB ports. Let’s start charging. Computers plugged in, Jenni’s Kindle takes a spot, cameras need a socket each, iPhone required juice and if I think about it, there’s probably a few other gadgets with electrical needs, too. Talk about going green. It seems we are using so much power that the world will run out of resources, even the solar power will dry up as the sun struggles to send its rays all the way from outer space. We see many people walking around with wires going into their ears or is that coming out. Where is that power going to or coming from. Oh, yes. In the bed there are wires attached to the blankets and plugged in. Sometimes we wonder whether we should plug something into our rears to get a boost while we sleep. I’m starting to wonder if I should be a Chevy Vault or a Tesla. I used to read about the potential of suffering either heart attacks or strokes overnight. Now I fear being electrocuted. My biggest fear or perhaps future source of amusement will be when the power blinks for a while and we all freeze (figuratively) as we are so connected. It’s going to be an occasion.
In Solana Beach, we stayed at a resort type of hotel where we enjoyed a wonderful and comfortable period. It proved to us how complicated the world has become and yet in our opinion, less meaningful. Each day we began with our morning workout at the gym. Thereafter, we’d pop into reception to pick up a cup of tea or coffee, on the way to the room. One morning, we bumped into a receptionist at the urn. He looked disheveled and a little tired. He began explaining to us the various needs he had which was provided by different blends of coffee. He used terms, in our ignorance, we had never heard before, explaining what each did for his bodily functions including bowel movements. Remember, it was a coffee explanation and his ritual, only. We received far too much information, most not serving much purpose neither enlightening us nor even entertaining. Strike that—in a way it was. Nevertheless, it proved how backward we are or perhaps, we live in a different space or world from many. For that, we feel grateful.
Anyway, the hike was remarkable, the climb steep and challenging, the views outstanding and the whole experience memorable. So much so that we basked in the winter sun for much longer than usual while keeping an eye on the small planes operating below. We also met a younger woman, Sharon Baker, who walked down the scree-covered trail with us. Listening to her was like an echo of ourselves—we enjoyed the short trip down immensely.
We are fascinated by signage we see all over the world. This was no exception. They experience strong winds in 'Hurricane' and so it's vital to keep the gates closed to avoid draughts.
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