Denied
Turns out I can't climb the West Rib route without serious fixed-rope and ice experience at altitude. So now there's a plan: Adirondack ice climbing, Rainier, Mt. Adams, and the West Buttress, all to earn my way up next year.
Topic
climbing
A collection of 218 posts
Pikes Peak
Hiking Pikes Peak up the Barr Trail: a wrong trailhead, a bear on the trail, a hungry-looking bear reported behind us, a wind gust I had to drop to the ground to avoid, and a t-shirt at the snowy summit while the train tourists stared.
I Dream of....
I dreamt of an all-day climb up a crazy-steep mountain, a cabin at the top, and the reason my pack was so heavy: a full-size oven with range. Freud, where are you?
Preparatory Work
I need some preparatory hiking before Rainier (itself a preparatory hike). The bigger problem: I need someone to hike with. North Georgia, Half Dome, Pikes Peak? Ideas welcome.
Future Stuff (The Plan)
The plan: McKinley is the truly notable goal, but RMI won't take climbers without serious glacier experience. So Rainier comes first as winter training. Now I just need to find someone who wants to go with me.
Future Stuff
Weighing the mountains: McKinley, Fuji, Whitney, Rainier, Mauna Loa, Half Dome. A pros-and-cons rundown where "has killed more than 100 people" lands squarely in the pros column.
Pictures from Hawaii (2006)
Pictures from the four-day hike up Mauna Loa, plus a beach in O'ahu. I left just before a 6.6 earthquake knocked out power across nearly the whole state, including all of Waikiki. Still chasing those thirty-foot waves at Waimea.
Of Self-Employment, Mailboxes & Minivans
A lesser-known perk of self-employment: I no longer come home wondering why my mailbox has gained a new axis of rotation. This time the culprit was a minivan, whose driver was rather more concerned about her side mirror than my mailbox.