We had such an amazing vacation at Mt Hood last week. 10 glorious days of cool Oregon weather. Waking up early to catch the chair at 7 am - the lifts close at 1 pm because it gets so warm. It is a ski racing meca. They salt the slopes each morning and hope that the clouds (fog) doesn't settle in because it limits visibility so much you can't ski. We were "fogged" out on Tuesday. One day off to visit the wineries and waterfalls in the region on Monday. This is the first of my sharing of my fave photos from our trip.
The mountain in the distance you can see directly from the "Magnificent Mile" (the mile long chair ride to the top of Mt Hood) is Mt Jefferson. My zoom allowed me to get these amazing shots all week!
The name of this one is "Almost Heaven". I entered it in the MoreBirthdays art contest with the inspiration of guiding cancer patients through every step of their journey. It was 1 year ago today that I was diagnosed with cancer. It was the beginning of July and we had reservations to go and participate in the Peak Performance Ski Racing Camp at Mt Hood. We had to cancel those plans because of the fast growing cancer inside of me. It was quite the journey - as this blog has shared my steps along the way. The programs and guidance of the American Cancer Society kept me informed, helped me to advocate for my care, educated me whenever I had questions and bottom line made for the best experience that I could have in treatment of my cancer. This and the all the people that were there for me whenever I needed them, the gifts, the cards, the love that I felt from all my family, friends and colleagues.
Almost heaven --- after making it through CAT scans, PET scans, blood tests (they all sound small but are all so stressful - not knowing what is in store). 4 months of chemotherapy, needles, drugs, nausea, exhaustion, weight loss, losing my hair, my eyebrows, and feeling like total crap. Wigs and my favorite pirate cap are some of my fun memories. Speaking on stage about my journey to inspire others.... running.... racing... kicking it in whenever I could ..... running 2 marathons (and pretty fast if I say so myself!) --- the second one sans my spleen. It all seems like a crazy dream right now with my curly brown hair coming in (not gray - yay!) and running a 19:56 5K to win 3rd place and a pair of sneakers at a local race in Springfield, MA.
Then to finally make it to the top of that mountain - Mt. Hood. To race GS, to ski the glacier with my family, to get through those slalom gates without getting smacked in the face and actually look pretty good! :) This is another step in my journey to share the sweet feeling of the view from where I stand. The glorious mountains of Oregon. I am so happy to share these photos with you. More than you can imagine......
Live each day
Love
Look to the horizon
See it
See it
and Feel
Almost Heaven
View of Mt Jefferson from the top of Mt Hood
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