Payday

While dragging my carcass up Sugarloaf Mountain in the Catskills a few days ago, most notably the final ascent to the summit where the trail gains 1200 feet in elevation in just under a mile, I was keenly aware of the value in undertaking the physical strain in order to attain the liberating vista the summit promised.

The body, fully engaged in the physical task, heart, lungs and legs pumping on all cylinders,  emerges from the concentrated focus on each footstep to encounter an eye view that sweeps across hundreds of square miles of wilderness.

I’m happy to share the photo I took with you, noting the western end of the Ashokan Reservoir to the left, and the high southern Catskill peaks along the horizon to the right, the tallest being Slide Mountain.  But know that this photo is merely a ghost of an incredible experience that borders on…well… soaring.

Hike anyone?