Travel: The Hike

Clatsop County, OR

Saddle Mountain State Park

Imagine with me for a moment. Imagine you work in an office building. The tallest office building around. You are considered one of the lucky ones too because your office just so happens to be on the top floor. The very tippy top. Nothing above you. When other people in the building are asked what is above them they always say you are above them. You enjoy this man-made elevated work space. Your office is expansive and is very well decorated. Lots of lush plants and flowers, hardwood flooring, a little babbling brook runs through the center. You have a big oak desk, the CEO's former chair that he gave to you for "A+" work, the freshest and most crisp air around and wonderful art adorning the walls depicting nature at it's photographic best. When it comes to office accommodations, you have almost everything going right for you ... save for one minor (editors note: Major) detail. You have no view. The entire floor is windowless. No matter which way you look in your office, you can't see a darn thing. You know you are on the top floor of a very tall building, but you have no visual proof. The only times you get to see the pristine and seemingly limitless views of the building are when you come to work and when you leave for the day. And in order to see those views you have to take the stairs. You have to climb the whole way just to get a glimpse out of the few windows shedding light into the stairwell. But once you get to the top, where the supposed best views are, you are forced to sit and wonder what it all might look like.

That's what our hike was like. It was fun, a good sweat inducing challenge, it had some nice views on the way and many beautiful plants, trees and wildflowers. Overall, it was a worthwhile and enjoyable dash up a steep and tall mountain. But hanging over the top of said mountain, where the supposed 360 degree view was, lived a floating visible mass of condensed water vapor. Yes, a cloud. A cloud that limited our summit view to nothing. I could have stayed at home, put my head in a white bag and seen as nice a view as I did from the peak of Saddle Mountain. But I wouldn't have lost any calories. Oh those calories.