A Rainy Castle Rock Adventure

This past weekend, I went for a hike with two of my friends: Arif and Naireen. It was my first hike in four years. I used to dread them but when I found out it was raining, I had a change of heart. As soon as the three of us reached and got out of the car, I could feel the breeze on my face. I laughed and Naireen laughed with me when I saw her spread out her red umbrella, shielding herself from the mist. Like who brings an umbrella to a rainy hike anyway?! Clearly Naireen does and she owned it! 

Out of the three of us, Arif was the most prepared. Dressed in waterproof pants and a rain jacket, with a black beanie to protect his hair from getting wet and a backpack slung over his shoulders, he was all ready to go. And unlike me, both

Naireen and Arif were wearing the proper hiking shoes. I wore what I thought was my version of a rain jacket, along with a pair of tights and sneakers. Clearly, I wasn’t prepared at all.

Nestled in the heart of the Los Gatos Hills, Castle Rock State Park’s hiking trail felt so dreamy — narrow pathways, tall redwood trees, lush and green moss and of course, my personal favorite…rain. As the three of us continued to walk, we came across rocks that were the size of glaciers. As we climbed up on them, we felt the gust of wind right across our faces and Naireen’s red umbrella turned upside down along with the cold breeze. It was a sight to see. As the rain picked up, we walked on rocks, sometimes jumping and other times hopping from one rock to the next, while also, using our hands for that extra support. All three of us were on a mission to bring out our inner Tarzan with the exception of Arif, who was Mowgli. With arms spread out wide, he was moving across the hills almost like an airplane. At that moment, I really wished I had some popcorn because it was a sight to see lol.

During our roughly five mile hike, we stopped at a corner to drink some hot ginger, lemon and honey chai. Against the rain, the steamy tea warmed me up like a nice blanket. It was exactly what I needed at that time. After resuming our hike, we came across a long set of staircases that led us to a short detour. The three of us found ourselves climbing a very steep and muddy hill. There weren't rocks but mainly plants and we used the roots to climb up. We made it up and found our way back to the trail. By the time we were finished, my hair was drenched, my tights felt so damp and my glasses were covered in too many water droplets which I managed to wipe away using my stiff hands. As we walked back to our car, I stepped on a large puddle and my socks felt like a wet towel against my skin. Yes, I was a soaking mess. But all in all, I enjoyed every second of our hike and I know my friends did too. I mean how couldn't we?! The rain makes everything all the more exciting. So yes, I definitely plan to go on another hike in the rain because let’s be real, it’s never fun to stay dry. The real adventure always begins in the rain.