An Unexpected Encounter With a Waterfall in Everyday Ramblings

This is Cedar Mill Falls in a suburban area near Portland, an upscale suburban neighborhood near Nike and Intel. Mrs. Sherlock asked me in class last night if I wanted to go for a group hike this morning and I was thinking, hmmm, can I handle this with my sore back but said yes anyway.

It was an interesting hike, supposedly only 6 miles but it was more than that, more than 8 miles with some elevation gain that got us all sweaty. The leader, a fit man, a bit younger than me had lived in the area for sometime and is a runner and he was able to stitch together this amazingly complex meandering hike that connected all the local wetlands and parks.

We’ve had 12 inches of rain in less than three weeks and the creeks were all high and the waterfall was running strong. I have never been anywhere near here except for a few job interviews and maybe some dental appointments.

This group is the progenitor to the Trails Club but to be a member of this Club, (which most of the founding fathers of Portland started) you need to have actually climbed, umm, a mountain.

They have a lodge on Mt. Hood near the Trails Club lodge and they borrow furniture for big events; the Trails Club was started by members that wanted to focus on hiking and skiing.

Today it was mostly women, all of which were very nice. The men got into the competitive camera equipment conversation that men around here get into and the leader dismissed my question about a historic mansion in an offhand way but I enjoyed the company and the getting away and out from under my regular routine.

I took everything I learned from “my” young, I swear he looks like he is way too young to have a college degree, physical therapist yesterday and built a morning practice around my back and felt great afterwards and didn’t have any problems with the effort of the hike until the last half hour and then I was done. Just done.

So now I am resting and will take a bath and read this evening.

I either sustained an injury to an area in my mid back where the rib meets the spine or have some sort of defect in that area and lots of muscle built up to protect that spot and that is what we think is causing the intermittent nerve pain. But I am happy to learn more about what is going on there so I can work with it.

He also identified a dysfunctional movement pattern I am doing (probably because of the arthritis in my hips) that is most likely causing the spasms. He said he enjoyed working with me because I am so body aware and that he has seen that with other patients that practice yoga.

Well yeah. :)

Once I hit my deductible these sessions will be affordable (cheaper than a massage) and I will make this happen. And I am going to see if I can get one of those collapsible Swedish grocery carts that if I am careful about when I go I can take on the bus. My days of carrying my groceries exclusively on my back are over.

And now I have two more delicious unstructured days ahead of me. Yippee.

Last updated February 19, 2017