Since I'm feeling a little better after being sick for nearly 2 weeks I decided it was time to head back to "work" today. So I picked up my buddy Ryan D McCoy aka Microwave and drove out to the Columbia Gorge to do a hike up to Indian Point. It was a short 4 hour, 8 mile hike with about 2600 feet elevation gain - nothing too strenuous for my first day back "on the job". What made it interesting was the cold weather and rain. Fall has definitely arrived full force in Portland. We even had the hiking trail equivalent of black ice for the last 1000 feet of elevation gain. The ice covered trees were cool to see and the forest was alive with ice laden branches crashing down all around us. I even missed getting hit by a huge limb by about 20 feet. On the way down from Indian Point we came to a clearing along that gave us a good view of the Gorge all socked in with gray rain clouds and few hillsides poking out. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera thinking there would be nothing but rain to take a picture of. Lesson learned - never leave home without it.

Anyway, cold and wet we made our way back to the trailhead and stopped by the Salmon Row Pub in Cascade Locks for a late lunch before heading home. All in all a good first day back at the "office".