Making out with Nature is the new awesome

I went to Tahoe this weekend with a bunch of outdoorsy people:

I know what you are thinking. I called that group outdoorsy and then showed a weird picture of them, exposing them as a group of people that also passes the time by trying to stack their heads on top of one another and then photograph it. Well. People often surprise you. Like this gentleman I saw at the 7-11 in Tahoe, eating a slurpee for breakfast. He probably looks all tough until he shows his tounge and it is blue.

Anyway. I went to Tahoe with a group of people that stacks their heads for fun, so imagine my surprise when they got up Saturday morning and announceed that we would be hiking. All I had on my feet were a pair of flip flops. No one told me to bring sturdy walking shoes (not that Brant's vans without socks is exactly hardcore hiking gear either) - but everyone I have ever come to Tahoe with in the past was mostly interested in sunning themselves by the lake with an occasional dip in the water, not hiking. I'm not complaining. I like hiking. I was just a little unprepared.

Is this my going to the beach outfit, or my going hiking outfit? Answer: they are the same thing.

As I prepared to flip flop my way along the trail, Brant and Matt made sure to stretch before this strenuous hike. Inadvertantly I think they did some sort of mating dance...

because after that, brant had to do most of the hike like this:

When we got to the lake part of the hike, everyone went swimming...

even though the water was just as cold as they told us it was going to be.

Since there were only signs about how cold the water was and not about feeding the wildlife, we shared our trail mix lunch with some of the natives.

Cindy. I am sorry to tell you this, but i sort of kissed your boyfriend's cousin, the chipmunk. One minute we were eating apples together, and the next minute? Well. It just sort of happened.

But seriously. When nature is this pretty, how can you not want to make out with it?