2022 Torment Summer Retreat
Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, OR
Poem by Keenan Cawley
I was blessed with an invitation to cover the Summer Retreat at Mt. Hood for a week. Having already tested the waters at my new warehouse gig, both in actually working as well as learning how to jump through corporate hoops, I knew that they would not be excited about me taking a week off. So I waited until I was already in Govy and then called in with COVID. There’s a part of me that feels bad for using the ongoing pandemic to my advantage, not to mention the guilt that always comes with telling a lie… But I’d never been before! I’ve been watching my friends go to Hood for the summer since I was 15. That’s 16 years of FOMO and here, at the behest of Torment, Fat Tire, K2, Howl, and Timberline, was my opportunity! I really didn’t have a choice.
And I’m so glad I saw it that way because I had the time of my life. So much so that I had to write a poem. It was the only way to properly convey the rhythm and emotions I felt on my vacation. With that being said (and with appreciation), and without further adieu, here it is:
