Day 113: When the Park's winter fitness challenge began, I set myself a modest personal goal of 150 miles, expecting bad weather. I figured I could pull that off between January 7 and March 30 even if I had to do it in the rain. Well, I reached that goal today with a hike to the peak of Pack Forest...not Hugo Peak (a lower point), but the peak only known by its benchmark designation "Pack."
The last several days have been marked by fog: freezing fog in the early hours of the day, reluctant fog which overstays its welcome like a bad guest. It's a cold fog. It penetrates clothing and insists you wear mittens, a cozy hat and a jacket even though you're sweating from exertion. But if you can rise above it, you'll find the sun shining in a bright blue sky and temperatures which might mislead you into removing a layer or putting your mittens in your pack. Don't be fooled! It's down there, waiting for you to return.
Only the top 100 feet of the peak known as Pack were out in the warm sunshine today. Here in the chilly transition zone, you'd never have guessed that around the corner, the temperature would rise fifteen degrees. I took advantage of the moment for lunch and a celebratory photo, but as I descended, a hundred yards off the summit, I was back in cold fog for the remainder of my hike.
No comments:
Post a Comment