MRI reveals a herniated disk

Last week I went to the doctor and ended up getting scheduled for an MRI on my lower back since I've been having problems with pain in my right leg for the last seven months. The thought was Sciatica, but I wanted to be certain since the pain was not going away.
A few days after the MRI I got a call from the doctor's office and sure enough, I have a herniated disk in my back. Today I went back into his office to review the treatment options that I have. Having gone the Cortizone shot route years back with my knee I opted to not get the Epidural that was recommended so instead I'm on an oral anti-inflamitory commonly referred to as "Mobic" and will be going to physical therapy.
In a month if I'm not feeling and relief from these two I am to schedule another appt and we will review further options at that time. He didn't mention not getting into the mountains or taking it easy, so I plan on still hiking and living my life in the way that I enjoy.
This week my trip into the mountains will be to volunteer at the forest fire lookout on the top of Red Top Mt. I try to get up here once a year and stay at the lookout for the local Forest Service Ranger District. In exchange for 2 days of "work" I get a free Northwest Forest Pass which covers the cost of of trailhead maintenance and the services that some provide (ie. restrooms, trash removal). Staying at the lookout isn't really work, it's more or less a few day getaway on top of a 5600' mountain with a few that would cost millions if it were in the city. It's kind of like my own little vacation spot for 2 nights.
I do have to keep an eye out for any sign of a forest fire and check in with the Ranger Station on a regular basis. I would say that I get more benefit from this arrangement than I give back to the Forest Service.
With that said, look for photos to come on Tuesday or Wednesday and maybe even a video if there ends up being enough good stuff to film :-)

DeRoux Peak recap and a week off

I decided to take this week off from hiking and take care of stuff at home and around town.
Last Tuesday I went up to DeRoux Peak with less than perfect weather. To sum it up, the weather started out not too great with light rain. Once on the ridge the rain increased a bit and the winds started to pick up.
As I traversed the ridge the rain turned to snow and the wind speed increased. The visibility dropped drastically at the summit and I only stuck around for a few minutes before heading back down along the ridge.
Here are a few pictures and the video, enjoy. Oh, here is the full set of photos.