PERSPECTIVE

Two days ago my family trekked about 5 miles along the trails at Starved Rock State Park on the banks of the Illinois River. The changes in elevation were no more than 125 feet and we bounced up and down that height a few times along the trail. Since I have been spending so much time working out on the elliptical machine in the past few months - I did not find this hike wildly challenging.  What I will admit - is that if I had attempted this hike sometime last year when my weight was north of 300 pounds - I would have been exhausted within 10 minutes of this hike.  After all, I am nearly 58 years old.

These days, I have a different  perspective.  Back when I was 17 years old, my family vacationed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  We were a family of five.  Mom, Dad and three boys.  I can remember hiking The Lonesome Lake Trail up to the summit of Cannon Mountain.  Cannon Mountain has an elevation of 4180 feet.   I believe the starting elevation of this hike was something in the neighborhood of 1800 feet.  I remember that the whole family accomplished this hike to the summit.  I seem to remember our complete hike might have been four or five hours  And I remember being exhausted afterwards.  I definitely remember the Smorgasbord Buffet dinner at the inn where we were lodged - The Horse and Hound.   At the time, I was approximately 17 years old.  If I do the math, this means that my Dad and Mom who, of course, seemed 'ancient' to me at the time....were in their forties, my dad being nearly fifty.  In recent years I have come to reconsider at what age I think someone is 'ancient.'  I am fairly certain that neither my Mom nor my Dad spent six months training for this hike.  They simply did it.  I don't remember taking too many hikes in my life after this experience.  Back then in the 1970's, I did not catch the hiking habit.  I believe I might be catching it now.

While preparing this blog entry - I was amazed to discover that the Horse and Hound Inn still exists today.  I probably should not have been so surprised it has been around since 1946.  It would be interesting to return to the White Mountains of New Hampshire with my family to hike Cannon Mountain once again.

The Horse & Hound Inn, Franconia, New Hampshire

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 Sunday MENU

breakfast  crispbreads, SunMaid Mission Figs                                   700 calories

lunch        spinach salad, hearts of palm, fuji apples, almonds           540 calories                                                                           

dinner       wasabi peas, mango, Kahuna Crunch, granola                  875 calories
SNACK    white chocolate bar                                                            240 calories

total calories consumed 2357 calories

calories burned

elliptical machine 92 minutes, manual, level 20              1912 calories

CALORIES BURNED 2243 CALORIES

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Saturday net calories 445 calories

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Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire

Cannon Mountain was the location of my last 'major' hike which occurred in the mid 1970's.   My next 'major' hike will be in approximately 75 days. 

Half Dome, Yosemite, California

Half Dome will be the location of my next 'major' hike.  Thankfully the ascent will not be taking place up the sheer cliff shown in the above photo!

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per·spec·tive

pərˈspektiv/

a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

"most guidebook history is written from the editor's perspective"

synonyms:

outlook, view, viewpoint, point of view, POV, standpoint, position,stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, frame of mind, frame of reference,approach, way of looking, interpretation "her perspective on things had changed"