Trekking in Nepal: Here we come

I'm resurrecting this blog for family & friends in order to share experiences during our upcoming Road Scholar trekking trip to Nepal ("Trekking in Nepal:  The Height of Adventure in the Himalayas").  Although I don't know how often I'll have Internet connectivity, at least a few entries & photos should be possible.  We understand our trip is classified as "challenging" by Road Scholar & it involves hiking 3-5 hours/day on mountain trails with some steep ascents, many stone steps, & elevations of 6,500 feet.  To get in shape, we've been hiking a lot this spring & summer on trails in the Columbia Gorge, on Mt. Hood & in nearby wilderness areas and on the Oregon coast.  Today we decided we could use some "steps training" so this morning we hiked the "Heartbreaker Walk" in NW Portland.  This walk involves hiking up & down many public stairways & along streets through residential areas in this hilly part of the city.  I was grateful it was cool & the beautiful homes, gardens & views made the hike interesting.  Near the half-way point, we stopped for coffee & pastry to recharge our engines.  All in all, we hiked 11 k, climbed 1,009 steps UP and 420 steps DOWN.  And we decided to do it again...soon!