My weekend started with a Wedding. I actually wasn't invited to the wedding. I was invited to the reception though, and really that is where all the fun is to be had. I was glad to be in attendance. Of course, it was also a bit awkward. Just a year ago my marriage ended, and here my good friend is moving her relationship to the next obvious step. I cannot help but feel a little self pity. My horoscope for Friday said to end it with a romantic kiss. I didn't think it ended with a romantic kiss until someone pointed out "Not for you anyway, but certainly for the bride and groom." All in all, I did get to dance with the bride-- What a great way to start a weekend!
Saturday morning, I casually got out of bed, finished packing the car with my gear and picked up Mack in Silverdale. Mack has become one of my regulars to be outside with and this has been great for moving up my experiences. We left and met up with Jay, a really nice new addition to the crew. Also, he gets props for stamina and solid skiing technique.
We arrived at the base of Mount Adams about 4:30 PM and unloaded the gear to packed up for the hike to 5,600 feet. Only a 1,400 foot gain the first day, but it would give us an easy start right from the tree line, and we wouldn't have to wake up early.
With Mack's Jetboil we heated water and I realized that dehydrated noodles were not enough to sustain. I was the noobie out there and was okay with it. I had water, and cliff bars, and I had a place to sleep warm through the night. I'd be okay. Still, I was thinking that I should have carried more meal like food. I was even offered extras from my cohorts, but I guess I would learn this lesson the hard way.
I was the first to crash out, and there was some talk about pictures of the full moon. The next thing I knew Mack's alarm was going off. The mountain was warm, and I didn't fret about getting dressed. Of course, I did sleep in enough clothing that I was plenty warm. I love my bivy... so nice.
Oatmeal and a Luna bar for breakfast, chugged some tea, and back to skinning up the hill. It became apparent I was going to be the slow one in the group. I trudged along and the thin air took its toll from my body. Mack had ski crampons and so zipped through the frozen crust seemingly without effort. Jay and I got to the first steep slope and when I saw Jay sit to put boot crampons on, I did the same. I was clumbsy, and without technique but I managed and made my first steps up the slope.
At first, it wasn't a big deal, I took one step at a time. Then I hit the steep stuff. It looked like a shear wall too me. It was probably 65 degrees, maybe more steep. I eventually caught up and Mack who already had 45 minutes to rest. He was ready to go again. I trudged along, and soon realized I was going to have to let these guys go ahead, and I would make my way up alone. I would go for Piker's Peak, and they would make the Adam's summit.
Mack and Jay waited for me a second time at the Lunch Table. There questions were thrown at me. Did I have a headache, was I gasping for breath, was I dizzy? No. Kind of, but not really. No. I found that I could take five or ten steps but then I had to rest. That was my progress. I kept going. At this rest, I pushed down a Cliff bar and a sandwich, drank lots of water, put on sunscreen, and decided my skis were to heavy to carry any further. The sun had softened the snow crust just enough that walking in crampons was becoming difficult and the slope was low enough that I could skin again. I made the swap and started to move much quicker up the hill. Mack and Jay were long gone, and I couldn't identify them among the others on the hill.
The last 2K to Piker's Peak seemed very long. The clouds moved in, and visibility was very limited. Rocks on the left and right. It made sense to traverse between those points and keep going up. At one point I saw another guy putting his skis on to take an early ride home. I was tempted to do the same. I kept taking my steps forward. In the clouds people were glissading down from the Piker's and I wouldn't see them until they were just a short bit away. Apparently, Piker's Peak is were most people stopped. Only a handful of people would make the final ascent to Adams Summit. More temptation to send me back down the mountain.
The sun broke and showed My summit to me. Or maybe I just ascended high enough to be above the clouds? It looked so far, and so steep. A rock pile along the way would be my goal. And then another pile of rocks would be the next goal. I continued my traverse on skins until my progress was hindered by the step forward slide down. I plunked my butt into the hill side, and put the crampons back on. My left leg cramped up -- that glissade line was just right there, it would have been so easy to just ride it down.
With my skis on my back, my poles in hand, and crampons on my boots I turned into the hill. I took a big kick, probably with more energy than I had to spare, plunging my toe into the face I was about to climb. Nineteen more times and then I could rest. I would make it my goal to take twenty steps at a time straight up the hill before I could rest.
My guess, I had 300 more steps which meant 15 points I could rest. The sun warmed me enough that I found energy to keep going. People would glissade past me or ski past and say things like "It's worth the pain, you're so close" and "Sweet turns ahead!" All I could do was think about the runners wall. You know where you try to move forward but your body rejects your mental request? I would struggle to actually lift my foot at times. Sweat was freezing in my beanie, and my breath was crystalizing on my glasses. I would agree to rest a little bit longer but I wasn't going to compromise the twenty step goal.
I finally go to that point were you can feel the slope decrease and the walking becomes easy. I think I started to hurry and found that I was there. Or at least, I was at my "there." I would go no further up this mountain. I dropped my pack, pulled off my beanie, loosened my boots, pulled out the puffy to keep what little warmth I had gained, and found a nice rock to lounge in until Mack and Jay would return from the Summit.
I wasn't there more than ten minutes when I ran out of water, and all my food was gone. I watched a guy ski off the summit to another point fifty yards away. I finally realized it was Mack. I waved, and he yelled back to confirm he saw me. I had my feet up relaxing, my knee throbbing. Mack would have to walk back to me. Or he'd have to wait until my body would agree with my brain to get up and move again.
I was glad Mack had arrived so soon, I took some of his water, and some Shot Blocks -- Oh so refreshing! And I took a VitD and two Aleve for my knee. We chatted for a good 30 or 40 minutes before Jay would show up. Jay ate his lunch at the Summit after laying out on his sleeping pad that he carried the whole way.
Jay would take a picture of each of us at Piker's, and then we made our way back down the hill. We'd also gain a forth to our crew, Michael, who just days before had summitted and skied down Mt. Rainier. Our turns were swift, and it was probably 40 minutes of skiing before we got back to camp. The fog along the way was trouble, and we managed to even separate and find our way back together. Michael would leave us to continue down the hill while we rested and packed up our camp. Mack made some tea and we did the final pickup of our things.
Packs full we did the final 1400 feet pretty quickly. I'm not sure how I did it, my legs were so tired, my knee ached. My body just floated through the turns paid out before me. And then dirt. Jay would put his tennies back on and haul his boots and skis on his pack. I decided the pack was heavy enough without my boots, and I think it was a smart choice for me. I made the final trek to the car pretty quickly, and found Mack changing into other clothing. I unlocked the car, and started to remove all the wet stinky clothing. And when Jay arrived -- BEER!
Hydrated, and some gushers to take the edge off it was time to go home. Our trip a success. I had done my first true alpine ascent of a mountain. I didn't make the Summit, but now I have something to look forward to achieving. I did climb from 4,200 feet to 11,600 feet. What an amazing feeling. I want to jump up and brag, even though I know so many people went further, and so many people have achieved the same goal. Oh wait, that is what this blog is about... bragging and to remind me of why I'm doing all of it.
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