A Look Into The Third Annual Torment Summer Retreat: A Poem From Keenan Cawley

It took Keenan Cawley 31 years to make it up to our favorite glacier. Luckily for us, his Mt. Hood introduction came in the form of our third annual Summer Retreat.

A Look Into The Third Annual Torment Summer Retreat: A Poem From Keenan Cawley

It took Keenan Cawley 31 years to make it up to our favorite glacier. Luckily for us, his Mt. Hood introduction came in the form of our third annual Summer Retreat.

July 28, 2022
Words By Keenan Cawley Events

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:

Harrison Gordon | Photo: Ian Boll