Today I went hiking with a good friend up the 13-mile trail that goes to the top of Pikes Peak, which towers over Colorado Springs. I’ve done it a few times over the years but it seemed especially brutal today. Usually we would also hike back down, but my right knee was so sore when I finally dragged my ass up to the top, that we decided to take the cog railroad train back down. Not sure when or if I’ll be doing this again anytime soon. I always forget that people occasionally die hiking up tall mountains. Apparently lightning strikes and the occasional heart attack are the main risks here. Not that I was going to die or anything, but with the thin air and the stress of the constant uphill climb, I’ll be struggling along and can hear my heart beating really fast in my head. It can be a little unnerving to imagine something serious happening and being stuck above timberline with no way for anyone to quickly get to you.