mountains

Mount Shuksan, from the top of Table Top Mountain

Mount Baker, from about 3/4 of the way up Table Top Mountain

I climbed a mountain today.  Admittedly, it was a short mountain, but a mountain none-the-less, and it is on the maps and everything.  It is called Table Top Mountain, and it is more or less in the middle, between Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan.  It towers at about 57oo feet, though to put it in perspective, it is only about 1/2 the height (altitude?) of Baker.

Why in the world would I do this?  I wanted to go on a hike, and one of the books I read about all of the trails said this is a walk in the park.  The trail is only 2.r miles long, and considering my basic level of conditioning, I thought that I might hike a little more than two miles.  The challenge was the vertical rise over those that mile.  The trail was carved out of the mountain in the most expedient way, which is as close to straight up as possible.  It raises at more than a 25% grade over that mile.  And it was hot, more than 80 degrees.  And I am old and fat and clearly out of shape.  Really out of shape.

But lets put this in better context.  First off, in the past six months, excepting Prague, I have been unlikely to walk two miles in one exertion.  And remember where I lived--there are no hills, much less mountains, in NW Ohio.    Still, I thought that I could do this without major pain.  Silly me.  Below is the mountain.  The trail starts at about 4700 feet, and ends at a bit more than 5700 feet.  

I made it.  The altitude thing really hurt as did the heat, and I was hurting, nor did I set any speed records--lots of stops until I stopped gasping like a Koi out of water.  But the real question is why in the world did I do it?  There were vain, personal reasons.  I am/was denying this age thing, I am sure.  I wanted to quit, but I would not let myself--stubbornness I am sure.  I am apparently young at heart, if not young in being, or so I would like to believe.

But the photos on the top of this post are perhaps the key reasons why I sweated and basically humiliated myself to make it up this tiny mountain.  What views.  What a church to visit.  And what a place to visit.  I have pushed my mind with a new job, pushed my heart to leave much of what made or makes me "me" but I also need to push my body, too.  But most of all, I need to always always remember where I am in this world, and reconnecting with a mountain that are ages old, puts all of this in perspective.

It did inspire me.  I am planning on my next summit, which tomorrow might be a flight of stairs, considering how I feel about now.  But still.  I also wonder if I can make it up the mountain more quickly the next time, and maybe with an even bigger camera!

I have to go find some Motrin and a masseuse.