Table Rock 2011

Hey Friends!

Remember me? I'm still alive! What an adventure I've been on this past Sunday. Do you remember last year when I posted about my hike up Table Rock? Well if not, go ahead and take a look. That way you get a great description of this hike. I was so excited when my friend Karen asked me if I was interested in climbing it again this year. Heck yes I was! Due to the fact it took us 10 hours last year and we didn't get back into IF until 11pm, we determined that leaving IF at 6am would be best. It was Sunday and I had to be at work the next day. Karen recruited Jenni who hiked with us last year along with another friend. I asked a couple of my friends but only Sarah was able to come. It was so much fun! I was nervous at first because my "mild" fear of bears. I brought a TINY can of pepper spray and my gun. Trust me, if there was a wild encounter with a bear, the spray and gun wouldn't do much for protection. Some of the adventures were:
* Walking through wild flowers and weeds taller than me.
* Crossing a FREEZING cold river three times. It was so cold it made your feet hurt.
* Hiking through snow.
* Carrying two backpacks so Sarah could make it to the top.
* Seeing one of Sarah's "friends" at the top of the mountain. Out of all the places in the world to run into an old man friend...
* Dealing with the threat of a huge storm once reaching the summit.
* Peeing in the woods then turning around to see hikers behind my restroom. Ooops!
* Being so exhausted at the end that I was loopy and felt drunk. (I did have two celebratory beers)
Overall, we had a good time. I'm thankful that there were no injuries. I am sad that Karen had to experience the cold water much more traumatically than the rest of us. She's a trouper! I look forward to this hike next year. I will leave you with a slide show of the day.