Monday July 3, 2006
Hikers: Jodie and Pat
Weather: 60s, Overcast, in the clouds, Undercast
Miles: 6
Elevation Gain: 2500 ft
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Jodie and I decided to hike up Gavan Hill because it is an easy walk from town; the trial starts at the end of Baranoff Rd. The trail reaches the summit of Gavan Hill at 2505 ft in about 3 miles. We were surprised to find the majority of the trail to have wooded boardwalks and wooded steps, even the higher portions. The trail climbs steeply and steadily up the hillside via numerous switchbacks. Jodie was tired from the early wake up at 6:30 and just wasn’t feeling the need to hike up this mountain. The skies were overcast and we were hiking through the clouds. I encouraged her to keep going and enticed her with the possibility of hiking above the cloud level. But she didn’t buy it, at home it is very rare to hike above the clouds, and she decided to turn back, though she agreed to let me continue for a little while.
Shortly after Jodie headed down, I reached the top of the ridge and could see the clouds thinning. I was hopeful that the ridge would climb high enough to break above the clouds and it did. Soon, I was above a sea of whiteness standing on a small mountain island in bright sunshine. It was the strangest feeling. For a while I couldn’t figure out what the feeling was, but then I realized that I felt like I was flying. I was on a narrow ridge above the clouds experiencing what most people only experience in flight. The stillness of the air was amazing; not a breath of wind. There were swarms of bugs; thick clouds of bugs, but luckily they weren’t biting. There were steep, pointy mountains all around. It was the most amazing experience! I was so glad I had decided to keep going after Jodie turned around, but I was sad she didn’t get to experience it too.
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