Sometimes a day off can be a very good thing. It’s a day to get errands done and the like but should also be a day to incorporate some fun. And that is just what I did on my day off.

Yes, I did have a couple of those pesky, little errands too. I had a little shopping to do. I went to two different stores but got everything I needed. It’s usually a fairly short drive to get to Gilroy where all the shopping is. And fortunately, traffic was normal today. So with all the day’s business done, I headed to Henry W. Coe State Park. I wanted to go hiking.

I had not been to the park access in Gilroy yet so wanted to take a hike from there. And that is just what I did. A short 20 minute drive and I was there. The large dirt parking lot was fuller than I expected. I saw the real backpackers coming back from their hike. I am guessing they had been on the trail all weekend. Then there were the mountain bikers getting their bikes all ready to go. Several trails take off from here. I found a paper copy of the park map. After careful study, I picked a trail and away I went.

It’s called the Steer Ridge Trail. It had elevation lines on my map so I knew this trail had a pretty steep altitude gain. I wasn’t prepared for how the altitude was gained. The trail went up. Yes, straight up the hillside. Just when it looked like you were at the top, there was more trail going up. Up I hiked. I had to stop now and then because I am working at getting back into shape. I am not there yet. After about an hour I got to the top. There were some beautiful views.

I took some pictures, drank some water and rested while at the top. Then I started back down the trail. It seems down is harder on a body. Maybe it’s just my body its harder on. The hike was quicker too. It took only fifteen minutes to get down the hill. I made it back to the trailhead and then out to the car. It had been a good hike.

God is with us wherever we go in life. Whether that’s on the trail or anywhere else, He is beside us. The trail is like our journey of life. We strive to get to heaven and to be with God. Sometimes we stop because we need to rest. But God leads our lives in the direction He wants us to go. And soon we find we are going up again. Putting all our trust in God who will not fail and letting Him lead us home to heaven! It’s a life worth living. Let God into your heart and life and start going up!