Gaining Elevation

Headed up the trail to the White Face Mountain summit in upstate New York, elevation gain was brutal. I climbed and climbed in the August heat on a beautiful sunny day. A mile short of the summit the weather had changed rapidly, I came out from under the trees to a storm. Winds at 50mph, rain blowing sideways and a slippery trail on the edge of the mountain. I took shelter under a bush, digging through my bag and coming to terms that this was the only time I had ever forgotten a rain jacket. I made it to the summit, soaked and cold, but was able to gather myself in the summit observatory, waiting for the storm to pass.