I was lied to.

Staff photographer Jeff Smith told me our hike and scramble up Cone Peak was going to be easy.

It wasn't.

He also omitted information.

After a summer full of adventures with Jeff, I was fully aware of what he meant by "hike."

But I wasn't sure of his definition of "scramble."

Apparently "scramble" means climb a freakin' mountain into a cloud.

Cone Peak is located near the Santiam Pass along Highway 20 east of Sweet Home.

After a short drive along a dirt road from the highway, we began our hike.

For the first time this summer, we had a guest. Jeff's dog, Abby, joined us on this trip.

Abby is an athletic Weimaraner, capable of handling a grueling adventure.

Since we were at a higher elevation, it was a little brisk outside, although I left my jacket in Jeff's truck, predicting that it would warm up.

An easy, groomed trail led into a patch of trees.

The trees were covered from top to bottom with a beautiful green moss.

After hiking through the forest, the landscape opened up, and I got an idea of what to expect, or so I thought.

As it turns out, I had no idea what I was in for.

The trail is well-maintained and was easy to walk along.

The views of the various peaks and mountains, with a seemingly never-ending supply of trees, was breathtaking.

Clouds and fog covered some of the hills, which just added to the scenic splendor.

This was the view we had for the remainder of our 1.5-mile hike to the end of the trail, where we took in the scene while enjoying a short break.

Had this been the end of our adventure, it would have been a nice, enjoyable hike.

But, as with everything we've done this summer, Jeff had a surprise.

We blazed our own trail through a thick patch of trees to begin the "scramble" portion of our adventure.

By the time we got through the trees, Jeff and I were soaked. The moisture on the tree branches and bushes was unavoidable.

Then I saw the mountain we were about to climb.

Being about an hour into our trip, Jeff picked this moment to tell me that the last time he was here, his buddy had a mental breakdown.

He said his friend was freaking out about falling from the mountain to his inevitable demise.

So now I had that thought in my head as I was about to climb this mountain. Great. Terrific.

The hill was steep, with loose gravel and soil providing the only footholds.

Jeff and Abby went ahead as I made my slow way to the top.

I climbed for about 45 minutes and was relieved to arrive at the summit.

Cone Peak has a total elevation of 5,646 feet above sea level.

My ankles hurt from the climbing, as did my self-esteem. The climb to the top was both physically and mentally challenging.

The peak of the mountain wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped.

We were in a cloud, so the view was very limited.

Jeff had told me about the unbelievable view from the top, so it was a little disappointing to not see through the thick cloud.

The way down was both easier and more difficult at the same time.

It was easier in the fact that I didn't get as tired, but I put my body through more stress.

We had to descend carefully, making sure we didn't catch a ride on a landslide of loose rocks.

Abby had a harder time with this than I did. After making it to the top with no problem, she was fatigued on the way down.

The hike back to the truck was wonderful. After all my complaining, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.