Ups and Downs

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever make it.  

This past spring I took a hike to Domke Lake.  To get there I took the morning bus from Holden Village down to Lake Chelan.  We were dropped off and away we went.  Naomi (pictured here), Nathan and Patti.  To Domke and back was the plan.  If you can tell from the picture ... it was 3.7 miles to the Lake.  We needed to be back down in time for the afternoon bus back up the village.  You may be able to tell from the picture that I am not a hard core hiker ... wearing LL Bean shoes and having hiking poles was the closest I get ... I am probably one of only a few "hikers" in Talbot's pants, a bike Vermont t-shirt and a Peet's coffee cap!  Oh yea, the backpack was a Dell computer bag!!!

We started off ... Nathan and Patti casually make the hike ... Naomi hung out with me ... and when I was getting tired I said it was time to take a picture.  She was wonderful ... she headed forward ... and left me to my devises.  

Hiking for me is very humbling ... it is facing my weakness ... it is climbing the mountain and not knowing if I'll make it ... it is stopping ... starting ... resting ... crying ... moving forward.  

One foot in front of the other ... and suddenly I discovered that the trees weren't above me ... no ... the trunks were in front of me ... the ground was level ... I had made it to the "top" ... I walked ahead ... and there was the lake ... Domke Lake.

I made it ... I wanted to stay ...  I wanted to capture the moment .... 

Next time ... I think I will take the sleeping bag ... and enjoy the summit a bit longer.

An accomplishment

One foot in front of the other ... 

It was glorious ... 

Then on the way back ... coming down the hill ... I looked north ... Lake Chelan

What mountains have you climbed lately?
And the view? Was it worth it? What did you learn?