The hike was absolutely gorgeous.  But let me back up a few hours and start at the beginning....

It started snowing on the drive out towards the coast, and we were in a minivan. Luckily we had chains, so as we got higher into the mountains and the roads got icier, we pulled over at a gas station to put them on.  Well, the driver (Michael) pulled over and the boys (Michael and Todd) put on the chains.  So, after we were all situated, off we went. We turned off the highway onto a park road and went about 7 miles to the trail head.  The park road wasn't plowed and it appeared as though we were the first there this AM, so it was up to us and our minivan to break trail and lay the tracks!

Shortly after we got there, a lady named Wendy who lives on the coast arrived, followed by Joe and Beth. They had come to tell us that the hike had been canceled.  Apparently the rest of the crew had gotten stuck at the tunnel a few miles back due to a bad accident.  Well, we had already made it out there, so we decided to go for our hike anyway.  As far as we were concerned, the hard part was over!

The skies were blue and clear, and the hike was steep and covered in snow! It was about a foot deep in most places.  The views were absolutely stunning.  There were a few points on the trail where you got a good view of the valley below:  a smattering of treetops dusted with snow and tree branches definitively outlined in white.  It was such a great day for a snow hike!

It was supposed to be about a 5 mi hike but it ended up being about a 4 mi hike.  Not too far in distance but the elevation gain was substantial, making the trail steep in a few spots.  The trail had begun to wash away, so there were areas that had been rebuilt with rocks and caging holding it all together.  I think the snow and ice actually helped hold it all together. 

We stopped on our way down from the top and had a quick lunch at a picnic table....one thing you learn is that when you are hiking in the cold, as soon as you stop you get really cold. Or at least i do.  So, it was on with the thick, puffy down jacket to keep warm while we ate.  

The hike back was relatively easy; though slippery in some spots, it was mostly cushioned by the powder.  This was a hike that I truly enjoyed!  

Balance

I'm feeling a little under the weather today. If I keep telling myself I'm not getting sick, maybe my body will listen to me. It feels a bit like the onset of a cold, but I'm hoping it's just my body recovering from the physical stress of working out  a lot.  

We went to the gym on saturday...I ran (2 mi) and swam (1/2 mi) and lifted weights. Yesterday was  a rest day, in part due to the Superbowl and in part due to my body's inability to do much else.  It looks like today will be a bit of the same, except that my mind will be occupied with work stress.  Eeew.

I want to talk a little bit about what I've gotten myself into, because I just realized that I haven't really laid it all out for everyone to digest:

-Mt. Hood is the tallest mountain in Oregon, reaching a height of 11, 237 ft.

-The climb will begin at 1 AM from a starting elevation of ~ 8,000 ft. and we should be back at camp by around 10 AM

-The climb is scheduled for the middle of June when the weather patterns on the mountain have stabilized

-Although most of Portland will be in summer mode in June, the peak stays a bit chilly, as the mountain has a glacier on top of it. 

-Average temps during the climb are expected to be in the 20s, and colder if it's windy

-The mountain face and peak at the elevations we will be climbing are covered in snow, which will require the use of crampons, an ice axe for self arresting, and roping into your team mates at certain points. 

-Weekly training hikes with the Team officially begin at the end of February. I've been on a solo mission to get into good shape for this climb, to ensure my safety and to make sure that Dean isn't up at night worrying about me.

More important than all of the statistics above is the "why" of the climb.  Reach the Summit is sponsored by the American Lung Association of Oregon.  They are a non-profit that derives most of its funding from fundraising activities such as this one.  They are also funded by government grants and donations. Their organization allocates their funds towards Lung Disease research, fighting for clean air, and raising awareness on Lung Disease.  

Did you know that every day in America, at least 11 people die from Asthma attacks?  I was astounded by this figure.  I mean, we live in America, where education and research into illnesses is light-years ahead of other countries....imagine what the rates are in third-world nations? 

Thursday I was an Elephant

There are moments while you're swimming where you feel as graceful as a dolphin, skimming just above the water in fluid movements. Then, there are the rest of the moments: where you feel like a clumsy and slow moving elephant, plunking through the water. Plunk. Plunk. Plunk.  As I approached the 1 & 1/2 mile mark in the pool the other day, I was definitely elephant.  My back had tightened up so much it was hard to relax my muscles. I felt as heavy and dense as a boulder. I was glad it was over. Big sigh. 

I enjoy swimming, I do. It's the one form of exercise Dean can do without much pain to his knees, and it typically is a "lengthening" exercise easy on the joints and good for recovery training days.  I had just never swam that far before, so, it really wasn't a recovery day.  The day AFTER, however, was recovery day.  :-)

Yesterday I met with the program coordinator for Reach the Summit to talk about fundraising. I had a lot of mixed feelings and anxiety about the idea of raising so much money by a certain deadline, but after talking to her about it, I felt better.  Yeah, I still have to do the work, and it won't necessarily be easy, but she's been there before.  She's helped others like me.  She had some good ideas, and she seemed like she would have answers to the questions that are bound to come up later on.  

So, if there's less anxiety about the fundraising, why am I still procrastinating over writing my fundraising letter?

  

Day One

There is something ominous about "day 1". 

Day 1 is always full of hope, but it's also full of blind corners. You're at the point where you're not really sure what you're made of, but you're naive enough to believe that no challenge is one too great.    

Anytime you start a blog about an endeavor that is worthy of tracking the days you've been preparing for it, you know it will be something noteworthy.  And painful. It holds the promise of being something greater than anything you've ever stood before, something that is going to push your buttons and force you to dig deep. 

Today I ran 4 miles, outside in the cold.  The first mile I really felt the cold--in my lungs and on my fingertips.  Thoughts of hiking Mt. Hood in the cold kept me going though, and soon enough my body warmed up.  After that it was all mind games. Well, up until the very end of my run when my achilles started tightening up and bothering me.  Then it was about body aches and mind games.  But I was set on running 4, and run 4 I did.  After that was a little ab work and weight training.  I was pooped. 

Stay tuned for day 2.  (Hmmm....is day 2 "training day 2" or the day after I've started day 1? Hmmm...I will have to think about this one a bit). 

Ok, erase day 2.  Stay tuned for my next blog entry.  :-)