Fullerton Hike: A Good Time With Friends

This, and all photos in this post, taken with my Nikon D300 and an AF-S Nikkor 50mm lens on 20 January 2013.
This past weekend, I went on a hike with my roommate, some of his family, and several mutual friends. We even met some new friends of friends who are also interested in hiking and in getting outdoors for more exercise. The picture to the right is of the beginning of the trail in the hills around Fullerton, near the nature preserve and the Top of the World running and bike path. We parked nearby at a local park, and then walked a short distance to where the trail began. Our friend, R had been then before, and she led the way. My roommate told me that she wants to make this a monthly thing, if possible (which would be awesome!), so that we as a group, or whoever wanted to, could train for more arduous, yet rewarding hikes, without killing ourselves.
It was in the late afternoon when we started, and the weather was absolutely lovely. It was a comfortable heat, with a nice breeze to keep us cool. It was the perfect kind of easy hike, where old and new friends migrate forward and backward through the line of hikers as conversations sprout up and die down between people, or as an overheard snatch of talk makes you want to join a different conversation. Conversations included organic farming and produce, cooking, the history of China and of Asia, heavy metal music, historical re-enactments, camping, medieval armour, and that’s just what I overheard; I am sure there was more.
As the sun began to set, we neared the park where our hike had begun after 3-4 miles of walking. None of the hills were too steep or treacherous, and there was plenty of good conversation; we all had a great time, and if we had not all had plans, we would have gone out for food drinks afterwards. Even after finishing the hike and having plans for afterwards, several of us continued to talk in the park past sunset and the onset of night. It was a great day.