After court today, I took some time to decompress (which mostly consisted of messing around with organizing files and notebooks and calendars and suchlike) and then Harvey and I donned boots and backpacks and went up Sharp Top. And I do mean up: with a nearly 6:12 pitch over the entire 1.5 mile trail, it certainly got our cardio on. The Seven Summits of Roanoke guide rates it as moderate-to-strenuous. I am getting a bit nervous about what straight-out strenuous would be.
And boy, was it worth it. The side trail to Buzzard's Roost (an additional half mile, round trip) was breathtaking. We climbed up the rocks and looked over the valley -- the air was so clear we could see the stacks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. I confess that we were high up enough that I got a little woozy trying to center.
And then another very steep jaunt up to the peak, where we saw 360 degrees of the Blue Ridge. It is truly spectacular, and even though it's not on the Appalachian Trail, it is worth going out of your way for.
After coming down the mountain (see the Super Action Shot below!), we went to the sauna and hot tub at the gym, at the end of which I think I had forgotten how to use basic speech functionality. We drove to a house I had spotted and got the owner to show us around -- I kind of fell in love with it for the foundation, and for anything else.
Then the gorgeous full moon shone her blessings all over us on the way home, where we had a fabulous salad with steak and awesome leftover everything from the vegetable drawer, complete with homemade ranch dressing.
Life is very, very good.
And boy, was it worth it. The side trail to Buzzard's Roost (an additional half mile, round trip) was breathtaking. We climbed up the rocks and looked over the valley -- the air was so clear we could see the stacks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. I confess that we were high up enough that I got a little woozy trying to center.
And then another very steep jaunt up to the peak, where we saw 360 degrees of the Blue Ridge. It is truly spectacular, and even though it's not on the Appalachian Trail, it is worth going out of your way for.
After coming down the mountain (see the Super Action Shot below!), we went to the sauna and hot tub at the gym, at the end of which I think I had forgotten how to use basic speech functionality. We drove to a house I had spotted and got the owner to show us around -- I kind of fell in love with it for the foundation, and for anything else.
Then the gorgeous full moon shone her blessings all over us on the way home, where we had a fabulous salad with steak and awesome leftover everything from the vegetable drawer, complete with homemade ranch dressing.
Life is very, very good.
