Life Spoke

Good times. My friend Drew flew out from NJ on June 30. Tracey talked us into a road trip up to Washington. No plan, just got in the car with the map and a trunk full of camping and climbing gear. No kids, no pets, no house to worry about.
We drove north out of Oregon and decided Mt. Rainier would be cool to check out. Wow. Our first full view was from about 20 miles away and the mountain was spectacular in the evening sunshine. We drove closer and found a campsite just outside Mt. Rainier Natl. Park.
After dinner, I turned on the little radio I keep with my camping stuff and we sat playing Rummy 500 and Dominoes. Sipping red wine with an old friend, feeling the cool air of an alpine evening, campfire crackling and laughing the whole time.
The next day we drove through the park, stopping at the roadside attractions and taking in the views. We even went for a hike that turned into mostly a snow climb. Tracey didn't have any shoes so she wore her Chaco sandals. We hiked up about 1000 feet of snow and alpine forest to a rocky ledge where we had lunch and soaked in the full view of Rainier. On the hike down, Tracey's toes kept freezing as they were covered in snow. Drew realized that if he warmed up a mouthful of water and then 'squirted' it on her toes they'd warm up. Anything is better than freezing toes, disgusting as it might sound. BTW - she washed her feet afterward and yes, she's a rock star.
So there were dozens of cyclists riding through Mt. Rainier Natl. Park. There is one main road that traverses the southern end of the Park and it must gain nearly 2000 vertical feet over several miles. Riding down looked fun, but riding up looked pretty tough. Now that I've been training I had a real appreciation for these riders' efforts. I guess it's safe to say I'm a little nervous about riding over the Rockies and some of the passes between here and there. All I can do is get on the bike and ride a lot.
Back to our road trip; that night we made a huge batch of vegetarian burritos (I started cooking with this stuff called textured vegetable protein (TVP) and it makes the best burritos). Another night of games and laughter around the campfire.
Back on the road the next morning. We ran into some of my old climbing partners from NJ at the Paradise Visitor's Center. It was good to see Brendan and Molly; I guess there was a lot of Jersey energy coagulating in that spot at that moment. Glad we were all there together.
We drove around the east side of the mountain to a place called Sunrise. Yet another breath taking view of Rainier. By this point Drew and I were ready to drop Tracey off with her friend in Seattle and come back to climb the mountain. We cooked up some mac-n-cheese in the parking lot and stared at the mountain, contemplating every crevasse and detailing all the gear. The photo to the right is the view we were drooling over for an hour or more. If you zoom in you can make out the climbing route in the center of the photo, about halfway down from the summit to the bottom of the frame.
But alas, we had plans to meet another friend in Seattle and climb a different mountain. Rainier will have to wait.
We got to Seattle, saw the Space Needle from the Interstate and met up with Jason. Drew had met Jason on a climbing trip to Peru last year. We joked around a bit and got to know each other then did the deed and unloaded the car of all the climbing gear. Planning was underway. The photo to the left shows the mayhem that ensues when planning for a three-day climb on a mountain you've never seen with partners you've never climbed with. In the end we each packed a 30 lb pack. That night I dropped Tracey off at a friend's house and Drew, Jason and I went to bed as early as we could so we could get an early start.
Up at 6:45. Drove cross town to pick up a beat-up bicycle from another friend. Drove in a delirium up to Bellingham and got some garbage breakfast at 7-11. East from Bellingham into North Cascades Natl. Park. Register for a backcountry permit at the Ranger Station. Stash the bike on the west side of Mt. Shuksan at a ski area. Drive to the north side of Mt. Shuksan. Dial in gear and make last minute adjustments when we realize how heavy the packs are.
Now the fun part. Walk down to the river and cross a 12 inch log to the big dirty root ball. Climb the root ball and jump from here to the river bank four feet away. Then about 2.5 miles on an old overgrown logging road. At a nondescript path off the main trail, bushwhack down to another river and find the log that crosses it. You can either walk right across with no hands or you can shimmy along on your butt. Jason and I walked, Drew shimmied. We laughed at him a little but it's OK.
Then we had to bushwhack up the side of a ridge for what seemed like two miles through old growth forest. There was a faint path that we kept losing every hundred feet but it got us through some of the denser sections of forest. At one point the path brought us to the edge of a cascading waterfall that coursed through a chasm about 80 feet deep and 20 feet wide. When we made it to the top of the ridge we stood face to face with Mt. Shuksan. We followed marginal moraine ridges for another mile or more. I couldn't decide to stare at the aqua green of the enormous moraine lake, or the cliffs of the mountain that dropped into the lake, the waterfalls that fell a thousand feet off the mountain into the lake, the huge crevassed glaciers flowing from the mountain, or the beautiful rock on which we were walking. It was an amazing alpine wonderland that few people visit.
After six hours of the most rugged hiking I've ever done, we were tired. Jason wanted to keep going and was the strongest of us all, but between my dehydration and Drew's legs cramping we needed to stop. So we busted out the stove and started melting snow right on the ridge. We laid out our sleeping bags on the rocks and the evergreen ground cover with a 360 degree view of Shuksan, the lake and the mountains up in Canada. We talked about the scary-looking route that zigzagged around gaping crevasses. We talked about our lack of food and my and Drew's waning energy stores. We took sunset photos and watched the mountain change from white to blue to yellow, orange, pink and then back to a deep blue before darkness fell.
I lay in my sleeping bag watching satellites arc slowly across the sky, listening to waterfalls dropping 1000 feet into a glacial lake and avalanches of calving glacial ice cascading down the face of Mt. Shuksan, the sound like a rifle report followed by a long steady rub of rough grit sandpaper across stone. It rained for an hour and half but I stayed dry in the bivy bag that covers only the sleeping bag and my head.
The next morning we melted more snow, ran out of stove fuel and finally all decided that we were in over our heads to attempt the mountain by the route we were looking at. We packed and retraced our steps along the ridge, and back down into the old growth forest. Jason was hiking right behind me in one rough section and my hiking pole caught on a branch and flipped up behind me. All I heard was, "Ah! You got me man!" I turned and saw the right side of Jason's face streaming blood, all he could see was red. We were hours from the car and at least an hour by car to a hospital.
My pole had flipped up into his glasses, broke the frame, tossed the lens and bludgeoned him. I cleaned up the mess in his eye, got the moss out of the cut and the bleeding stopped. The pole (read, "me") punctured his nose and ripped a small gash in his upper eyelid. Drew found the lens and taped the frame back together. In a few minutes we were off, but I still feel horrible about it.
After we picked up the bike, and drove toward Bellingham we found a small grocery store with Q-tips and antibiotics and I cleaned out the cut really well. It's amazing that it didn't cut right through Jason's eyelid. Anyway, back to Seattle to drop the bike and then down to Olympia to drop Jason off at his sister's house. We drove through the night to Eugene and slept a long time.
Thursday, Drew and I spent some time in the kitchen and basically recovered from the hiking and driving. Friday, we went on a short hike to Spencer's Butte and gazed out over Eugene and east to the Cascade Mountains. We did some gardening at my grandfather's house and when Tracey got home from work we drove over to the coast. We spent a nice relaxing night in Yachats. Watched the sunset, played cards, ate incredible food prepared by our friends Todd and Rebecca and sipped red wine and champagne. Photo, left to right, Rebecca, Tracey, Todd, Bethany, Drew wathcing the sunset in Yachats.
Saturday, Todd talked me into going surfing. I had never swam in the Pacific (too cold) but he lent me an old wet suit and a body board. I got pounded. The waves were breaking in continuous sets with no channel to let you get out past the breakers. I got dunked twice and after the cord wrapped around my neck the second time I decided to chill on the beach in the sun until Todd had had enough. We drove Drew up to Portland in the afternoon and said goodbye. It had been an awesome eight days.
Tracey and I drove down to Eugene to another friend's house. Slept the night in the backyard under the stars and got up for a great breakfast. I think there were eight of us all together and we drove out to the Oregon Country Fair. Imagine fairies and hippies and artists at a party in the woods. The Country Fair is also reminiscent of the Ewok village from Star Wars somehow.
And then Monday back to work. Monday night I got in a really good 2.5 hour bike ride in the hills south of Eugene. Tuesday I was sick and yesterday I was really sick. I feel a little better today but decided to take the day off of work to keep my coworkers from getting sick and to recover faster. Plus, now you have something to read! I wish I had more pictures from the hiking, maybe a link in the future.
Thanks to everyone who has donated. Thanks to everyone who has told me they enjoy reading this blog. Today is my birthday (28!) and I'm hoping I feel well enough to go for a spin this afternoon.
Thanks again,
Drew