Mt Baker - Return to North Cascades

About a month ago I stood on the summit of Middle Sister and looked North to see the faint outline of Mt. Adams.  Two weeks later on the top of Mt. Adams I peered North again, this time to see Mt. Baker in the distance.  It seemed only right to drive north, just short of the Canadian border, to ascend up the slopes of Mt. Baker.  We assembled in Glacier, Washington with Mazamas climb leader Whit Fellers.  This was my first climb of the season where I was not the Assistant Climb Leader.  I was looking forward to being just a team member, even though I would have to take turns carrying the rope.  As a University of Washington alum I was pleased to see that the colors of our ropes were purple and yellow.

Mt. Baker is the second most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states, so once we left the trail we roped up.  Only when we arrived at our campsite at Black Buttes Ridge did we unclip from our rope.  While others went to nearby rock outcropping to fill up water bottles I dug out a eating area in the snow.  Later we assembled for dinner.  Above us was the summit, towering over the vast fields of broken ice.  With out stomachs full we reviewed crevasse rescue and then retired for the night.

Our slumber was interrupted by the crash of icefall in the distance.  We stepped out of tents  to clear skies and the moonlight shining off of the snow, which did not last for long.  As we gained elevation wisps of dark clouds started to encircle the summit.  A lenticular cloud was forming there.  These flying saucer like clouds are often a suggestion of precipitation within 48 hours.  They can form fast and I have heard that one does not want to be caught in one on a mountain summit.  We continued to ascend and monitor, placing extra wands to mark our trail.  These would help us navigate back to base camp should the mountain be shrouded in a whiteout.

When I first saw that cloud forming, I thought there was a good chance that we would not reach the summit, so I decided to observe how our leader assessed and handled the situation.  That would help shift my focus from the summit to learning from the experience.  It seems that the patron saint of mountain climbers was looking after us during this trip.  First the Forest Service had completed a new bridge across Grouse Creek just before we started.   Then hours before we arrived at our base camp they had installed two privies at our base camp.  Then the lenticular cloud broke up, so we continued upwards, past the crevasses and ice fall.  The toughest part was the slog up the Roman Wall.  Upon the crater the clouds cleared up and we could see the summit in the distance.  Soon we were on top and it was windy.  I was surrounded by memories of biking in the San Juan Islands, camping in British Columbia, and climbing in the North Cascades.

The snow was getting softer so it was time to descend.  As we returned to Black Buttes more climbers were arriving.  Not long after we took down our tents others were pitched in the same place.  I was really impressed when our climb leader asked us for feedback.  The chance to discuss how the climb went made it even more meaningful.

More photos can be found here.

Full House on Mears Street

Recently I was blessed with the visit of my sister Tanya and nephew Oscar.  They took the train from Seattle to Portland, which was a thrill for Oscar.

Only hours later my cousin Eric and wife Karen and their daughters Julianna and Sophia pulled into my driveway.

It was great to spend time with everybody.  The big thrill for me was to watch Julianna and Oscar riding bikes and trikes in my backyard.  I knew there was a good reason to have a large concrete patio.

Summer Reading: The Sea Runners

I have completed reading Ivan Doig's novel The Sea Runners.  I must admit that part of my interest in this author is that he is fellow University of Washington graduate.  However, I was also drawn to this book because it is a tale of the Pacific Northwest.  Ever since reading Timothy Egan's The Good Rain I have been interested in how the land shapes us as individuals. 

Doig's novel is about four Swedish men who have signed up to be indentured servants at the Russian settlement in what is today's Stika, Alaska.  Their status is not much greater than slaves.  One of them organizes the theft of a canoe and they escape as the Russians are nursing hangovers from the Christmas celebration.  Their goal is to canoe south all of the way to the Astoria, Oregon.  Doing so they braved the wind, rain, ocean currents, starvation, natives and each other.

While the journey has its dangerous moments, it seemed that the greatest obstacle each had to overcome was the strenuous day to day living.  I think the author did a good job of creating four different men with different motivations and show how they coped with the day to day life.  As someone of Swedish descent, I also enjoyed getting insights into the people from my homeland at that period of time.

Mount Adams

This weekend I joined climb leader Lori Freeman and nine other climbers to explore the South slopes of Mt. Adams.  When we left the trailhead at Cold Springs Campground Saturday morning, little did we know that about one mile south an unexpected surprise was simmering.

While the South Side of Mount Adams is not a technical climb, sudden whiteouts, altitude sickness, and a safe glissade down are major concerns.  Our group got some great practice ascending a steep snow slope by climbing in balance with an ice axe.  As we hiked upward we were treated to views of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood.  I found it comforting to see Hood to the south, a familiar landmark looking after us.  We settled at a great camp just below the Lunchcounter, that offered plenty of tent sites, running water, and good access to the climb route.  After dinner and a pre-climb meeting, we were treated to a very nice sunset.

After a quick review of Ice Axe self arrest, we started our ascent about 5:20am.   The weather was favorable for our summit day.  Looking south we could see Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, the Three Sisters, and Broken Top.  We could also see a column of smoke rising.  As we ascended the fire grew.  It was not long until we saw air tankers dropping fire retardant.

When we reached 11000 feet we were at the top of the false summit.  In the distance was the true summit, about another 1200 feet higher.  This was also new territory for me.  I'm sure I was not the only one wondering how they would fair at a higher elevation than Hood.  As we ascended the final distance I noticed a slight headache, which I shared with the group.  We arrived at the summit about 11:10am.  In the distance were the Goat Rocks, Mt. Rainier, the North Cascade, and Mt. Baker. 

We reviewed proper glissading technique and then I took over and led the descent.  We had avoided an earlier departure time to allow a descent when the sun had softened the snow for a safe glissade.  While the snow was soft, there were a couple of hard bumps, which I still feel and I type this report.

We were concerned whether the Cold Springs fire had cut off our way home.  At this there was little we could but return to base camp, pack up, and head out.  We found out that the cars were fine and that we could leave with a the Forest Service escorting us past the dicey parts.  We were quite impressed with how well the Forest Service was organized.

This climb was a milestone in my development as a climb leader, as it was my third Assistant Climb Leader experience in Leadership Development.  However, by no means is it the end of my apprenticeship.  Not only do I have more assists scheduled this summer, education is a lifelong endeavor.

Middle Sister Climb - East Side Story

Last year I climbed Middle Sister from the west via the Renfrew Glacier, an ascent that did not require crampons or ropes.  This weekend I returned to the Sisters Wilderness for my third attempt via the Hayden Glacier route.  What I found on the east side of the Cascades was just the experience and challenge that I had sought.

A previous climb leader had suggested that since this climb would count towards a Climb Leadership Assist for me, that I request to play more of a lead role.  Climb Leader John Meckle was gracious enough to let me take on more responsibility than is typically given to Mazamas Climb Leader Assistants.  We started at the Pole Creek Trailhead.  It was not long after crossing Soap Creek that we started to loose the trail under the snow.  Climb Leaders from two previous climbs had provided us with GPS coordinates, so we used a combination of GPS, maps, and compass to get to our base camp.  Thankfully most of the hiking on this hot day was under tree cover.  

At base camp we had a grand view of Broken Top, South Sister, Middle Sister, and North Sister.  The boot tracks along the lateral moraine of the Hayden Glacier were visible to the naked eye. We filled up our water bottles, cooked dinner, and practiced roping up and passing protection on a fixed belay.  Since thunderstorms had been predicted for the afternoon of our climb day, we went to bed timely in order to rest for a very early alpine start.  It was not a quite night.  A thunderstorm moved in and there was frequent lightning with high winds.  Often I would peer out of my tent and see Middle Sister silhouetted by the sky glowing from lighting.

The amazing thing was that we we awoke for our 4am departure, the sky was full of stars, as if the storm had never happened.  We passed through a couple of gullies to the lateral moraine, which looked like a ramp leading towards the saddle between Middle Sister and Prouty Point.  There was a lot of snow up here for late June, hardly any crevasses had opened up on the Hayden Glacier.   While the chance of falling into a crevasse was minimal, the consequence of falling into a crevasse was unacceptable, so I made he call to rope up. 

From the saddle we clipped out of the ropes and scrambled up the scree and talus to a steep snowfield.  Here I ascended under belay, multiple pickets clanging like a cow bells, and placed my first Fixed Belay.  Much to my pleasure my fellow climber Jim told me the pickets that I had buried in the snow had not come out easily.  From here it was a easy scramble to the summit.  My watch read 0919.  I had been told the view from the summit of Middle Sister is the best of the Three Sisters.  To the south we could see Mt. Thielsen, Diamond Peak, South Sister, and Broken Top.  Looking North we could see North Sister, Mt. Washington, Three Finger Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams.  

Back at the steep snow slope, the climb leader and I set up a rappelling anchor.  As I waited while the rest the team rappelled, the wind picked up.  The snow was soft as we descended to our camp.  As we broke camp we saw the thunder clouds forming.  The threat of a thunderstorm added some drama to our hike out.  Thankfully we were spared a downpour, the few drops that did fall wetted the dusty trail down for us.

Unfortunately upon our return to the trailhead we found that one of our cars had a broken rear windshield.  All that had been stolen had been a cooler and a backpack with clean clothes.  I felt helpless and saddened by this waste.

Camp Parsons 90th Summer Celebration

This weekend I participated in the celebration of the 90th summer of Camp Parsons.  The first part was a dinner Friday evening at the Museum of Flight near Boeing Field.  There must have been two hundred people in attendance.  We have often talked about the Power of Parsons, how our experiences and relationship at this camp have left a deep mark in our psyche.  The fact that former staffers have come from Oregon, Idaho, Texas, Massaschuttes, and Alaska serves as evidence of this.   There was one person in attendance that had attended camp in 1925!  Anyway, it was overwhelming to catch up with some many people, some of whom I had not seen for 15 years.  I also got a pleasant surprise when I saw my favorite high school English teacher, who was a staffer in the 1970s.

The program included a wonderful meal, followed by a speech by Parsons staff alumnus Dan Evans, who was Washington State Governor and United States Senator.  Governor Evans shared some stories about climbing in the Olympics Mountains and taking the boat from Seattle to camp.  Although there is an approximate forty year difference between my tenure at camp and that of Governor Evans, I could strongly related to his experiences.  In addition to an audio/video presentation, there was a performance of the song 'Cows with Guns'.

Saturday morning I drove to camp to continue the celebration.  I took the Washington State Ferry from Edmonds to Kingston.  Along the journey I passed through the town of Port Gamble, which was deep within a Civil War Reenactment.

At camp the celebration consisted of a picnic lunch, Staff and Camper Pictures by decade, and a dedication of a new Arboretum.  However, the most meaningful part of the weekend was spending time with my brethren.  Whether reliving memories, meeting the children of my fellows, or just hanging out in Queets cabin, I think it is the relationships that is really the secret sauce of the Power of Parsons.

The weekend did not end as I pulled out of the camp parking lot.  Sunday I hiked along the South Fork of the Skokomish River with my Parsons friend Scott and his girlfriend Kristine.  Due to hidden Forest Service Road markers it took awhile to get to the trail head, so we passed the time by playing One Fat Hen.  Once we got on the trail we were treated to a wonderful walk past gigantic Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedars, and Silver Firs.  Even the Trillium flowers were big on this hike.  After 2.2 miles we hit deep snow, which seemed like a good place to turn around.

Potluckpalooza

It seems that potlucks have been the theme of the week.  The first was by bike and part of the Pedalpalooza extravaganza.  The idea behind the Pedal Picnic Potluck was to assemble on Alberta Street and then bike 3 - 5 miles to an undisclosed city park for a potluck.  On Tuesday I joined over twenty bikers who followed our leader, meandering through Northeast Portland, resisting the temptation to ask him where we were going.  I am quite used to biking by myself, but I have been enjoying the empowering feeling of cycling with a group.

We crossed the Broadway bridge and entered downtown Portland.  We arrived at City Hall for the Carfree Cities Art Show Opening.  It was quite the scene for a potluck.  Two guys were welding a tall bike together, there was live music, and the Sprockettes were dancing.  We borrowed a table from a group of artists and spread out our goodies.

The next day I took Trimet to Northwest Portland to join the Adventurous Young Mazamas for a Evening Ramble and dessert potluck.  Before joining my Mazama friends I stopped at my favorite place in Northwest Portland, the Healing Garden at Good Samaritan Hospital.  This place is a serene oasis in the urban concrete desert.  There are beds of roses, native plants, perennials, and many others.  On many levels this place has a special place in my heart. 

Our hike started along the Lower Macleay Trail and passed through the Balch Creek Canyon.  Here the foliage is thick and green and the trail is lined with large fir trees.   After passing a interesting stone structure, we continued up the Wildwood Trail to Pittock Mansion.  What made this hike interesting was that I was carrying a Strawberry Pie most of the way up.  It certainly was worth the effort, since that pie was sweet and tasty.