I spent the summer getting high.

August 25, 2009 at 6:28 AM

I spent most of the summer getting high, and when I wasn't high, I was pretty trashed. I got some pretty good ideas while I was out, though.

Let me explain. For thirteen weeks, the violin lay in its case, save the intermittent lesson or two. The sun rose and set, and rose again, stringing together rows upon glittering rows of tangerine days. Everyone in the far north rejoiced that the sunshine had returned after its three year sabattical. We grew tan. We grew tall. We grew great big smiles on our faces, like slices of watermelon rind.

When I said I was taking the summer off, I mean I took off. After 92,425 feet of vertical gain, 610 miles, and a dozen or so tumbles, I arrived at the first week of the fall semester exhausted, bedraggled, thick-muscled, and feeling strangely more alive than I had in a long time.

Yeah, overall, I'd say I got some pretty good ideas while I was out.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on August 25, 2009 at 2:05 PM

Sounds like you had a fabulous summer. Enjoy getting back to the rest of life and welcome back here. Your adventures are an inspiration to all of us.

From Dimitri Adamou
Posted on August 25, 2009 at 10:10 PM

Here's to enjoying life as it is

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on August 26, 2009 at 3:38 AM

92,425 feet of vertical gain. Wow! Where is this place?

Welcome back to v.com.

From Emily Grossman
Posted on August 26, 2009 at 4:03 AM

Heheh, that would be somewhere out of the atmosphere if it was all in one go--something like three times higher than Everest. No, that was an entire summer's worth of hiking.

Glad to be back, Pauline!

From Royce Faina
Posted on August 26, 2009 at 2:57 PM

Beer taste better at those altitudes!

From Rosalind Porter
Posted on August 26, 2009 at 7:09 PM

Sounds like a very healthy vacation - beautiful photos!

If I had a head for heights (which I don't...) I'd love to climb up a high mountain with my violin case and play some Bach at the summit. But since I start to panic standing on a chair to change a lightbulb, this won't be happening anytime soon, sadly!

From Anthony Barletta
Posted on August 27, 2009 at 12:49 AM

I am so envious - great photos - welcome back!

From Laurie Niles
Posted on August 27, 2009 at 5:46 AM

I love hiking, but I haven't done it in way too long. Robert and I once climbed a "fourteener" (Mt. Bierstat), as we generically call the 14,000 + mountains in Colorado. Despite the fact that we started at, what? 12,000 feet (yes, we totally cheated!) it was still the most difficult climb I've ever done because of the altitude.

These Alaskan peaks look wonderful -- and very challenging. Hey, and I want to hear about your good ideas!

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I spent the summer getting high.

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