Hellfire
An orange orb looms ominous as it pokes above the hazy horizon to the east. I’m on my way to work; in the back seat is a pair of boots and a backpack. At noon, I’ll be leaving the office and heading south for some trail maintenance at Wildcat Mountain– something I signed up for two weeks ago. But two weeks ago I had no idea today would include a heat advisory warning and a predicted heat index of 110 degrees. As noon arrives, 110 degrees is fast approaching. When I reach the trailhead an hour later and take my first few steps, I’m gasping and certain I didn’t bring enough water. It’s the hottest day of the year, and the worse time of day to be out, yet I’m climbing a mountain with a backpack full of trail clearing gear. Admittedly, charging head first into a heat advisory isn’t my smartest decision, but I have a tendency of being drawn to extremes - like six months ago when I climbed this same mountain right after a snowstorm. Perhaps...