What an incredible day. I did this run/hike with Matt Mason. It was his brainchild that made it happen. We we were working together months ago and I told him the story of when Annie and Carol went to Spain snd how I contemplated circumnavigating Mt. Hood in one day. Fortunately, I told him, the ‘discretion is the better part of valor’ concept won out and I ended up running a 12 miler or so loop from Timberline Lodge west to Paradise trail and back. He stopped dead in his tracks and said, “That’s it—we’re doing that this summer.” As it turned out, we decided on this run/hike. Remember that ‘discretion/valor’ thing? I could wrap my head around 27 miles, not 40. Someday, yes. This year, this run. I rented a Vrbo cabin so we (Matt, his wife Meredith and baby daughter Caroline) spent the night in Government Camp Friday. We got up early and entered paradise on earth. NOTE: I didn’t start Gaia at the start like I thought I did so several miles later I caught my mistake and turned it on. This was a day I’ll never forget. Thanks Matt.
