This Mountain Kicked My Ass

Looks like some kind of Alp, doesn't it? Must be at least 20,000 feet high if it was able to kick my purportedly rock-hard ass, right?

Well, it's not an Alp. It's Mount Hood and all I did was take a 6.8 mile hike on it well below the tree line and even more well below anything really tricky and daunting like snowfields and glaciers. Elevation gain: Only 1,650 feet. My hiking book rates the level of difficulty as moderate. In recent years, this hike has been no problem for me. Last Sunday, though, I found myself stopping frequently to rest! And it wasn't even hot out. What the frick? And when I got to this pond I collapsed in front of it and lay on my back for quite some time staring at the clouds.



I never lie down on hikes. NEVER!

I'm a loser that's all there is to it. I don't really know why I'm so out of shape this year, but there's no disputing it. Crap.

I did enjoy the hike, though, especially the ramble back "down." By that time, the clouds had closed in and blotted out Hood completely.



Fortunately, we weren't ambushed by any hobbits.