Day 12 of #Brand30 - One Hell of a Life Lesson

The life-changing event started as we hiked up a knife ridge just below the summit of Mt. Cameron. We heard a voice call out, "Are you guys just doing Cameron?”. We looked down and to our left (the parking lot was to our right), and a man was hiking in the other direction about 100 feet below us on a trail we hadn’t noticed in the fog and clouds. When we said we were planning to go on to Lincoln, He said “Then Bross?” and we replied, “No, turning and coming back.”. “Good,” he said. “If you don’t want to traverse the summit of Cameron again, then after you come off Lincoln take the trail to the right and you can come around Cameron like we are.” We thanked him for his local knowledge, and off we went.

It was not unusual for other hikers to stop and ask questions, and it was easy to spot the locals; they walked easily and carried a single bottle of water. It was also easy for them to spot the flatlanders. Hiking poles, hydration packs, Tilley hats (check them out), And of course the fact that we would take two or three steps then start bending at the waist trying to catch what gasps of thin air we could in hopes of not passing out. Without exception, everyone we saw (about a half-dozen people) would smile (a little too widely) and say something like “Where are you from?”, and we would answer “Cincinnati.” “Oh. Well, enjoy!” they’d reply, and then blow past us without care or worry that there might not be enough oxygen up there for all of us.

Tomorrow, find out how that particular conversation that lasted less than a minute changed our lives. (I feel like a talk-radio host dropping the tease.)