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| Hiking | 10.25 Miles |
3,313 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.25 Miles | 10 Hrs | | 1.03 mph |
| 3,313 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I'm going to keep this triplog uncharacteristically short, mostly because the majority of this hike is still something of a blur to me. There are these vague impressions of really tall, imposingly green trees which trapped me in a sort of green tunnel. Next is a painfully bright blue sky dotted with stunted trees and hot, dark rocks. Then there's this short blissful moment with a cooling breeze and the chatter of a crowd, followed quickly by a lot of pain, difficulty breathing, tumbling stones and games of leap-frog with teenagers. My time at the summit, however, is still crystal clear in my vision. Bright, cool, and incredible - I felt literally like I could see the future out there on the horizon (it could have been a migrane-induced mirage, but it was fun anyhow). The summit was crowded - it was insanely, insanely crowded. I think at one point like 50 people were simultaneously either throwing a Wendy or wondering what the pumpkin those other crazed, oxygen-starved hikers were doing. But there was a stillness and a peace there, even among the throng.
Just when I was about to face the thought of walking on those hot rolling rocks again, I was saved by Teva Joe, a Sasquach and a Lightning Pixie. They gave me an excuse to tarry longer on the summit, to enjoy just a few more moments of fun and levity, and then it was time to go.
If the hike up is a blur, the hike down is a motion-blur (sorry, a little photoshop humor there). I didn't take a single photo from just below the summit to the meadow at the trailhead. My head was pounding like a marching band was warming up in there, my nose was dripping enough to add to the rainfall average and I was seriously worried about losing track of that half a bagel I'd eaten for lunch. Not my finest hour - not by a long shot.
In the end, though, what will I remember about this day? Will I remember the feeling of frustration and humiliation at being beaten by a dormant volcano? Or, will I go to sleep at night knowing that that little snit of a mountain didn't beat me on my fourth attempt at her slopes...
I think you all know the answer to that one  |
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Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.- Barack Obama |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
