Mount Major

When I reached the top, I thought I was going to cry mourning tears.  I had held them back at least three times on the way up.  I imagined how I should have brought a sign "I'm okay. just had a rough summer, appropriate hugs welcome" or some such, so that I wouldn't end up with questions from people who would think I fell or something.  The sign wasn't needed and I didn't cry.  As I approached the top, I felt the tears.  I took a breath and made it the rest of the way up, found the benchmark to take a picture of, then proceeded to look at and photograph the view.  I spent a long time up there looking around, resting (I tried to nap) and taking pictures, but I didn't cry. 

As I headed down I was kind of happy.  There seemed to be a steady flow of people hiking up.  They got smiles and a hello from me.  It was nice.  As I drove away and saw how many cars were parked in the lot and along the street I was glad I got there early.  It was a very busy trail today.  The drive back I felt good.  Most of that feeling was gone by the time I got home.  It was replaced mostly with being tired.  I thought today, this climb, was going to be rough, and it was, but not the way I had anticipated.  There is no real 'done' to mourning, but for some unknown reason, today was good. 

It took around an hour and 45 minutes to climb up today.  I moved slowly and stopped and took breaks often.  I was alone and so I made sure to pace myself.  Mount Major isn't a large mountain, it probably isn't really classified as a mountain at all, but it is a bit of a challenge in places.  And it does go up, which is a bigger workout than walking.  Up was cardio, down was how much can my knees take.  This morning when I woke up, it was the first day in many months that I had no pain from what I believe is plantar fasciitis.  So I climbed a mountain and now it hurts again.  Cause and effect.  Today was a big reminder though of why I want to hike more.  I've done this climb at least 6 times times in my life, once this spring, and the view from the top has never failed to be beautiful and the struggles to clamber up the rocks always worth it.  Being outside hiking is today's happy.

The trail...

The tree won the battle with this cable. 

Looking up the tree with the cable growing out of it. 

Old tree. 

I think that is a chickadee in the middle, but it might be a nuthatch.

 Or something else I suppose.

I didn't get as good a look as I needed to be sure.

And the picture isn't the best.

Red squirrel 

Mushroom...

Foliage 

Views 

Hand on the Benchmark. 

Resting. 

The view while I rested. 

Chipmunk wanted to come and visit me.

I think it smelled the nuts I was snacking on.

That small tree is the same one that is behind my head in the above picture. 

Was once a tree.

Many cars north... 

and south. 

🌄 ☮ 🌄