~ The Four Amigos Take to the Trail ~
My hubby, Jeff, and I were out in Eastern Oregon visiting family in Halfway. Brad, Jeff’s brother, took us, along with Dave (the hubby of their sister, Whitney, who was also visiting) on a hike. To say we were touched, amazed, incredulous, grateful, inspired…I don’t know, those all seem like understatements. Let me show you why.
But quickly, before I forget, you can sign up below any of these blogs to get notified when I publish a new one. I’ll keep posting about some of my cooler training hikes and then hopefully, will be a more regular blogger when my Camino starts on September 6th. Go ahead and fill out the form if you want to follow my journey. xo
Back to the hike. First, we started at the Cornucopia Coffee Shop in Halfway which is cute as a button (and the coffee is divine!) Back in the car, we drove…and drove some more, always uphill. We wandered past tall pines, deep green ferns, and mountainsides full of Huckleberries that will ripen in late August.
We stopped in a small parking area and got ready to walk. God bless Brad for bringing two sets of poles for Jeff and me. Dave knew enough to bring his own. It would turn out that the poles were game-changers, but at this point, I had no clue.
That’s Dave, Brad, and Jeff with The Eagle Caps in the back.
The trail started off gradually with smooth soft earth moseying through tall trees and grassy lands full of gorgeous little wildflowers. The vistas continued to open up the higher we climbed. After a while, we stopped at a small crop of rocks for a snack and some water. We gazed in awe at the beauty surrounding us. I was so grateful to be with these three guys on a spectacular hike in this glorious wilderness.
We walked past a snow-melt pond so full of frogs you could hear them from a mile away, they were so loud. At the base of what would be a steep ascent, we decided to keep going. The path zig-zagged and sometimes went straight up. Occasionally it was boggy or we had to jump across snowmelt and at times, it was rocky-gravelly where we had to work hard to keep from slipping backward. Now and then the trail seemed to disappear altogether or it completely vanished under a pile of snow. But Brad knew where we were going so we continued to put one foot in front of the other.
And we were so glad we did! We saw a family of Mountain Goats – including the babies!
When we got to the top, not only could we see out over the whole huge valley we’d just hiked up, but we could also see what lay behind the mountain we’d just climbed. More snow-capped peaks! It was jaw-dropping! The hike was hard. We had a 2000-foot elevation gain over the 4.5 miles it took to reach the top at 8500 feet. When we got back to where we’d begun, all four of us fully felt each of the steep, rocky, snowy, fantastic nine miles we’d just traversed.
I feel grateful for the gift of this hike instigated and led by Brad. I especially enjoyed doing this with my sweet husband, Jeff. As the two slower hikers I got some great bonding time with Dave, who also taught me everything he knows about using the poles. My heart is full, I appreciate knowing I am able to complete a difficult hike and the memories of our time together in The Eagle Cap Wilderness will be with me long after I’m home from my Camino.
Here we are at the top. The form, if you want notifications, is right after this photo.
