Wind? Cave?

In January, I thought I would combine exercise and sightseeing. I planned to climb all the local peaks around the valley before it got too hot. Too hot is when you see the lizards walking around on stilts. Murphy's law states that every man has at least one plan that will not work. Murphy may be right since I've only made one hike and it's already over 90 degrees. I choose the Wind Cave as my first heart building challenge. Not too hard, only an 800 foot rise over a mile and a half.

Not much rise in the first half of the trail but the second half made up for it. Although I brought water with me, I left it in the car thinking I wouldn't need it. That was a big mistake. Although I left the water, I did take my radio so that if I did go down from heart attack, heat stroke, or dehydration, I could at least keep tabs on efforts to rescue me.

Getting tough now

Tough climb, nice views

I finally arrived at the Wind Cave after close to an hour. Although they call it the "wind cave" I found no cave and no wind. A rock overhang providing scant shade is all that lies at the end of the trail.

The Wind Cave

Fortunately, the Park Service placed a sign saying "You have reached Wind Cave" so people won't wander all over the mountain looking for a cave and some wind.

The climb down proved much easier than up, duh. I got a good workout and since the rescue helicopter wasn't dispatched, I guess no water was enough water. I also gained insight into the naming of this landmark. It's called the wind cave because people get winded looking for a cave.