(Just a little editor's note about this one, I guess I had written it and never posted it, so here it is! )
I read about this marathon in a magazine in June or July of 2014 and it caught my eye. At first I thought, no way, I can't do it. It's too far away...I can't afford to fly and I can't drive 1100+ miles to Oregon. But it wouldn't let me go and I finally asked my daughter Kirstie to go with me. I was committed. As the day got closer, doubts clouded my enthusiasm and I almost thought about not going, but the day arrived and we were on our way.
The drive was part of the fun...mountains, tall trees, Mt. Shasta, more mountains...the trees in Oregon are tall and green and beautiful. In fact, everything in Oregon is green...so unlike dry, hot So Cal. We arrived in Hood River, Oregon after a trip up a scary, dark, windy road (which actually was not so bad in the light of day). The next day we went to see a waterfall, explored Hood River, a beautiful town by the banks of the mighty Columbia River. We picked up our race packets at Shortt Supply after having coffee at Dog River Coffee.
The day of the race dawned and of course it was raining. But, not my first time in that situation. Kirstie and I found our way to the Hood River Marina and parked. I was eager to get on the bus since I was doing an early start. I left Kirstie in the car and boarded the bus, which took us up to the start. The start was at the beginning of the Mark Hatfield trail. It was still raining. As the race began, the rain stopped and the scenery took center stage. The golden trees framed the trail, which parted enough for one to see the mighty river below. What a sight! It was every bit as scenic as they had promised. There were some hills, but nothing too major. We arrived at the part of the trail that went through a tunnel that was hewn out of solid rock...amazing.
After a while on the trail, we arrived at the town of Mosier. It was a quaint little town with a few curious spectators. The trail came out town into orchards with a quaint sign reading "Annie's U-pick Apricots". The sun was coming out and the drops of rain sparkled on the tree leaves...beautiful. At the edge of the orchard was a fantastically beautiful large white house...my future dwelling.
The run continued until we arrived at the end which was a loop that overlooked the Columbia Gorge and river in all its glory...fantastic. We worked our way back through the areas we had been though before, trying to take in all the scenery, which was just as fantastic as it was the first time. As we arrived at the finish (those of us who were a little bit slower) encountered the rain once again, which started around mile 22 and continued to the end. The end of the race went through Hood River and ended back at the Marina.
It was worth every mile driven...an experience of a lifetime.
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