Tag: Prescott Park Medford Oregon

The highest point in Scotland is Ben Nevis. At 1,345 m (4,413 ft), it’s not as tall as some mountains but, at 56° N, its gullies (and those on other Scottish mountains) “…presented a fearsome, icy sight in winter.” It was in these sinuous and confining gullies that the Scots, lead by the legendary Tom Patey, ushered in ice climbing’s modern era. At those more northerly latitudes, winter storms howling down out of the Arctic can beleaguer the poor ice climber with what came to be termed full conditions. 🥶 I’ve climbed in such conditions and do not recall the experience as being “fun” by any measure used by a sane person.

Roxy Ann Peak (3,573 ft / 1,089 m) is the high point in the City of Medford’s Prescott Park. It’s not far from our house. We hike there frequently, mostly for the exercise, the ever-changing views, and the madrones. We used to post about these hikes more often. We stopped doing so because it seemed like Roxy was getting to be old (but not fake) news. But, thanks to what’s made 2020 so special, we’ve spent more time around Roxy Ann this year than ever before. A…lot…more…time. As a result, we’ve amassed phone photos of the park for every month of 2020. So here, old news or not, is a visual homage to the blessings of this readily accessible open space. This park has been good to (and for) us. We get it. We absolutely do not need another year like 2020 to remind us of that. Never, ever. 😐

It snowed here last night – three inches of fluffy powder on our backyard picnic table; more higher up. Whether this is THE big snow or just A big snow for 2019 remains to be seen. Yeah, pretty tame stuff compared to the Polar Vortex (or spring in the Dakotas). But it was enough to inspire us to pull on snow boots and make yet another pilgrimage to Roxy Ann for some easy snow walking. The drive to the “trailhead” at the lower gate (closed for the day) involved some slipping and sliding on our part. It also involved us dodging some other drivers who were obviously unfamiliar with just how frictionless icy snow can be – wheeeeee…

Fall backwards off a rock.
Mash your spine between the ground and your pack.
Experience intense back pain.
Go to urgent care.
Be the only trauma patient in a room full gagging, wheezing, moaning flu suffers.
Visualize Jan Van Eyck’s The Last Judgment.
Have x-rays reveal only a soft tissue injury.
Be given only ibuprofen and rest as treatment.
Go home and lie down.
Develop (inevitably) a case of the flu.
Treat with more ibuprofen and rest.
Experience delightful combination of wracking cough and bad back.
After three weeks and two bottles of ibuprofen, arise from your bed.
Resolve not to fall backwards again [ever].
Buy shares in whoever makes ibuprofen.
Totter out for a short hike in a snow storm.
Feel much…much better.