Decided I was itching to get some elevation and chilled mountain air yesterday. So I wandered into a hiking group going on a day hike. I didn’t find out until trudging through muddy, slick forest trails in drenching, cold rain that I would be hiking a 15,000 foot high Himalayan peak. It was a cold, foggy, rainy day straight out of something from a Lord of the Rings film. I ventured up steep muddy, icy slopes in a thin jacket and sneakers. My companions were two experienced trekking guides and a German/Italian alpinist.  Then me, two bottles of water, short legs, and a small yak cheese sandwich. We stopped at 12,000 destroy make chai with goat milk in a small stone shepard hut. The fire warmed my stiff, cold  feet! The shepard stays up there for months with just two dogs and a herd of sheep and goats for company. As darkness came on the valley during our descent
down my guides told me a story of a black bear who scalped their aunt. Minutes later ahead could be seen in a tree, grunting at us from a far! Such an intense day!