But, I've realized that I have to take advantage of the outdoors here even when it is cloudy and raining. The rain here isn't quite as day-ruining as it always seemed to be back east. (Or, maybe my memory is beguiling me. The grass is always greener, eh?)
I awoke Friday to oppressive gray skies. A heavy fog weighed on us in the valley. Rain seemed inevitable. It was darker than it had been all week. The real winter must be back.
I had a few things on my agenda for the day: Job search. Find a mentoring service so I can start volunteering. Write a few emails. Read the paper. Blog about a 2012 goal. Walk to the library to pick up a book on hold, my fourth Kurt Wallander mystery. Start reading it. Go to the gym. (I know, I know. Really tough morning.)
Mid-morning, Lindsay's friend Curtis texted me, suggesting I look up urban hikes in the West hills. Realizing I would rather go for a strenuous neighborhood walk than go to the gym, I did just that. I came across about ten of them, but I knew immediately I'd do "Pearl District to Pittock Mansion." If I was going to forego the gym, I needed a challenging few miles.
The hike would take me from the "flatlands" (my neighborhood) up about 800 feet over 2.5 miles to the Pittock Mansion in the West hills. On a clear day, the chateau would greet me with magnificent views of the Cascades. I knew my views would be limited today. To get to the mansion, I had to climb a few sets of staircases--about 400 stairs total--and walk up steep, windy west hills streets. By the time I reached the mansion, I had been breathing heavily for the previous mile.
Although there were no spectacular views at the mansion thanks to the heavy fog, the walk was well worth it. I'm excited to make the trek again on a clear day.
If the fog sat only deep in the valley, this could have been my view.
(Can anyone guess where I took the picture that is directly under my blog's title? Yep. You guessed it.)
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