climb a mountain

I finally summited Adams!

I hadn’t even been training for it because I was sure my dad would come to his senses and call off the trip. But he didn’t. And we made it. The altitude was pretty hard on him so we were moving really really slowly. So slowly that I never got tired. 10 hours up, 4 hours down with the most amazing glisade ever!

I have 3, yes 3 climbs planned for 2007! How did this happen?

A winter summit of Saint Helens next month (weather dependant), South Sister in August and possibly Mount Whitney in September. I’m a bit hesitant to really commit to Whitney. That is a big mountain!

I climbed an active volcano and took a nap at the top! We watched as the mountain continues to rebuild herself before our eyes.

Saint Helens was more challenging than I’d expected. I suppose its just becuase I think of it as so much smaller than Adams; it was in actuallity about equally as physically demanding, but it vastly different ways. Truely Saint Helens is a scramble, not a trail hike once you cross the timberline. Climbing through miles of bolder fields and up a steep embankment of scree for more than an hour really does a number on the body.

We did the standard route up the south face, along with 95 other people today. We started as early as our permits allowed (had to be below the tree line until midnight), and reached the summit in darkness. The dome glows at night and it is eary to walk up the the ledge in near complete dark. One second you’re climbing what feels like a sand dune and the next second you’re at the edge of a huge drop of with glowing red embers. We “napped” at the top for a couple hours (camping is not permitted) and woke up again in the daylight to take millions of pictures and then hike back down.

This weekend I made my second attempt at the summit of Mount Adams. And for the second year in a row, I turned around before reaching my goal. I reached appoximately 10750 ft. The summit is 12200. So Close. But so far.

Although I didn’t make it to the top, I’m considering calling this done. Afterall, my final elevation was significantly higher than some mountains. I didn’t summit a mountain, but I did make a spectacular attempt at mountain climbing. Or maybe I just give up. I don’t want to be 45 and out of shape and think about how I almost climbed a mountain but gave up. But then again I don’t know if I ever want to do that again! I think I’ll probably end up leaving this goal opened but climbing something less treacherous, like Saint Helens and calling that good!

I was absolutly physically ready for the climb. I was not even sore the next day. It was not my body that prompted me to turn around, but my mind. To be perfectly honest, I was scared to death and just wanted it to be over! I justified my decision based on the soft snow and my lack of crampons (A huge dumb mistake that I should have my ass kicked for) and the fact that I was essentially alone. There was probably a couple hundred people on the mountain, so I wasn’t really alone and people would have been around if something had happened, but I was least 40 minutes beyond where my group had quit and I still had another good hour or two to go.

I got the most horrendous sunburn on my life on my face. I’m stone terrified that I did some perment damage and will never have nice skin ever again. I want to cry, but I can’t because blowing my nose is impossible. I skipped work today becuase it’s oozzing!

My stopping point is marked in pink on this photo. You might need to click it for a larger veiw to see it. This photo was taken from about 4.5 hours into the day, where the first member of our group quit.

Its looking like St Helens is going to reopen this summer!

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens/2006-msh-permit-dates.shtml

I may get up there before I get up Adams.

I’ve found a group climb Mt Adams this summer!

Now I have 11 weeks to get back into the shape I was in at this time last year (read: best shape of my life)! Going to hit up the gymie-gym tonight.

I bought some crampons for my climb next year! They were on sale at 65% off. I couldn’t resist. They don’t work with the boots I have now but I was going to have to buy new boots anyway.

I’m excited already and my next attempt isn’t for another 8 months!

My climb this weekend has been canceled due to a stormy forecast.

Climbing season is almost over! This might have to wait till next year. Booo.

I’m planning now for a climb up Mt. Adams on Sept 9!

I had gone in early July, but high winds forced our group to turn around at about 8300 ft.

I trained for months for that first climb. Now, I’ve been so busy that I have been only going to the gym once a week. I hope I make it.