The media has been judging 2016 as a pretty bum year, seemingly solely based the rise and fall of their favourite celebrities. For me, 2016 was about 50/50 as far as years go: it started with a carrot dangling right in front of me that I couldn't reach, and as it turns out, it ended with another one. In between, there were months of unemployment culminating in being hired for the specific job I had been aiming for, a move into a more stable and permanent-feeling living arrangement, some travel, and the attainment of a couple of life goals I had set for myself a while back.
The very last day of the year found me doing what I love most: adventuring, camera in hand, to a place I'd never been.
Table Rock in Central Point, Oregon, has been on my list of hikes to take since one of my very first trips to the state. When I was invited to go, and New Years Eve dawned with the promise of sunshine and decent temperatures, I thought it might be a great way to finalize the upper 50% of my so-so year.
I had no idea just how great it would be.
This is Mount McLoughlin, from about halfway up.
Nearing the top!
It's a little chillier up there, and the ice crystals from last night's frost were still melting off the tops of the trees. Beautiful!
And then you ascend the crest, and you're in a whole new world above the clouds.
Mount McLoughlin from the top of Table Rock:
and looking down over a good part of southern Oregon: White City, Central Point, and Medford.
Meanwhile, the surprisingly huge expanse that is the top of the rock is like a different world, reminiscent of scenes from The Lion King:
We only made it about two thirds of the way across the expanse before the sun started to set. It had gotten quite cold, and we didn't want to hike back down through the woods in complete darkness. As we started to make our way back to the trail, the setting sun did some really cool things to the lighting of the landscape.
And that's when my companion reminded me of the date: it was New Years Eve. This is how we were going to step out of 2016, and into a whole new year. So long, 50/50...
and good night, 2016.
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