A Really Long Walk

What do Cliff and I do when we are bored?  A variety of things but this week we decided to take a really long walk.  It was Cliff's idea actually.  This fall we talked about hiking our way from our house to the top of Spencer Butte which is about 10.2 times round trip.  One day we would like to run/jog it but first we needed to hike it.  Our decision to hike the trail on Tuesday was pretty impressive for three reasons:

1) It was beautiful  out on Tuesday.  High 50's and sunny.  That's right!  It is January in Oregon and there was tons of sunshine.

2) Cliff thought about the idea, vocalized it, and we were on the road in less than 10 minutes total.

3) I have a cold.  For anyone who has been around me when I am sick you will understand that it is a victory to get me to do anything but lay on the couch and moan.  I'm not all that good at being sick. 

We left around 11:30 am with a pack stuffed with two raincoats, mittens, hats, water, and snacks.  We even took a flashlight as we didn't know how long it would take us to climb the butte and get back.  It was so enjoyable.  The weather was crisp but not too cold.  The trail wasn't too muddy.  There was just so much sunshine!  We found a good pace where we were moving quickly but still able to talk.  After about 30 minutes I could actually breathe through my nose.  Fresh air does do a body good.  There weren't a ton of people on the trails but we did see more friendly faces and dogs once we got to the last half mile before the summit.  Once we reached the top (we only had to stop once the whole 5.1 mile trip up) we could see the Three Sisters Mountains which are about 115 miles plus east of Eugene.  We have gone up Spencer a few times this fall but this was the first time that we had a really clear day.  I think one of the reasons why I love Oregon so much is that you can see snow capped mountain peaks from the Willamette Valley.  The sight of snow on mountains is so special.  I took a photo but it in no way shape or form does the view justice.

After ooohing and aahhing over the view for a few seconds we stuffed our faces with a Clif bar, dried cherries, and tortilla chips.  After another quick photo (I always have to document) we hit the trail and headed back home.  We kept guessing which body parts were going to be the sorest the next day.  All in all it took us 4.5 hours to hike the whole 10.2 mile trail.  Believe it or not we were pretty proud of the time as there is a ton of vertical gain, we stopped for a snack at the summit, and I was sick.

It was a really great day.  Sadly, Cliff came down sick the following morning so the fresh air didn't ward off my germs.  But that is ok because we have tons of Cold Season tea (it tastes horrible but it works wonders), several movies from the library, and a super cute dog to cuddle with on the floor.

What will we do next when we get bored?