Once more, I have conquered our local peak! Ok, "conquered" may be a little strong... I actually chose not to summit this year and instead went to the saddle and then over to Emerald Lake, but I still made it 11,000 of Timp's 11,500 feet. And before you think that I simply wussed out, I've been battling a sinus infection for the last two weeks and just didn't want to push my luck - besides, I hate climbing those last 500 feet of shale.
But I digress... This year's Timp hike was made possible by the fabulous folks at Move Networks - it was a team bonding hike (the team that wheezes together keeps together). I was really proud of my team - 8 of us went on the hike and everybody made it to the saddle with two of us then heading over to Emerald Lake while the others summited and slid down the glacier to the lake. To be honest, I was worried that I would hold the group back, what with my breathing yuckiness (I cannot lose this infection!) and my... um... fabulous cubicle-worker physique, but I was pleasantly surprised by my stamina and the relatively few number of times I had to pull over for the hacking cough.
The flowers were amazing this year, but even their splendor wasn't the highlight of the trip - it was the goats! We saw well over thirty goats on our hike and were amazed as we watched even the little baby goats scaling the rock walls of the mountain. Here's a photo of the snowfield and meadows under the peak - see the goat standing on the edge of the snow? It was a great day away from the office. We emerged blistered, sweaty, and really proud of the team we belong to. And two days later I am proud to say that I no longer whimper while descending stairs.
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