Well, I wouldn't know.
But what I did was wake up early to beat the clouds and drag my jiggly ass and arthritic, elderly dog on a six-miles-plus hike that topped out at more than 11,000 feet above sea level.
Wiley did so well. I am so proud of him. Whether it was meeting new dogs on the trail (he was very polite) or climbing up a boulder field or walking through a swamp on the planks and logs meant for biped, Sir Smalls comported himself with grace and style.
He only got stuck at one point, when I scrambled up a steep bit of rock and he tried to follow but couldn't get up. Here he is (foreground center) with an expression that suggests "if I had an opposable thumb, I'd shank you."
Eventually, I climbed back down and helped to hoist him up. Considering the trail was 2.87 miles one-way, not counting several side trips, with an elevation gain of more than 1,000 feet, Mr. Kittenheads did remarkably well.
He is so totally zonked out on his bed right now.
In any case, here's a shot on the way up of the view to come:
About midway on the trail, I really fell in love with this view.
As you may recall, I am working on a sequel to The War's End, a (hopefully) short novel called The Guardian. I love this shot because, yes, while it is a lone tree in the center of the photo, clinging to the rock, the shape of it made it seem almost human, which happens to fit beautifully with a scene in the working draft of, well, the guardian overlooking a kingdom of rock and mountain.
The payoff for the three mile hikeup was Columbine Lake with sexy Mt. Neva in the background. I just like mountains that look like they mean business, and Neva is that.
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