Going Solo and Climbing Mount Adams

There she is. Mount Adams.

It's back to the combine today, but my mind is still kind of lost in the mountains! And I kind of love it. I took off Saturday night after finishing up combining for the week, and drove up to Trout Lake, Washington. I got my volcano permit (required for climbers above 7,000 feet) at the ranger station, then made my way up the 12+ miles of winding single-lane gravel forest roads (can you call that gravel?) to the trailhead. With leaving the house at around 11PM, I'd been feeling a bit sleepy on the boring freeways, but the dodging of trees and potholes and washboard-galore sure got me woken up in a hurry! I somehow ended up with a prime parking spot at the crowded and pitch black trailhead (and by parking spot I mean driving my car over a tree stump and wedging it in beside some logs to get it out of what passes as driveway at remote trailheads like this one). This was by far the most "rugged" trailhead I've encountered, and there was no doubt about it, I was in the wilderness. With a bunch of long-vacated cars. Not the least bit creepy, no! I finished getting my gear together, and set out on the South Climb Trail #183 around 3AM, hiking into darkness with only a towering dark spot in the sky to hint at the monster I would be attempting to conquer. Sometimes the unknown is your friend, especially when it hides the dauntingness of what lies ahead: Washington's second tallest peak, coming in at 11,276 feet (or 11,280 depending on the source), the majestic Mount Adams.

The sunrises I stay up for are the only ones I ever see!

Most people don't tackle Adams in a day (they camp part way up at "Lunch Counter"), so I knew that tackling it with zero sleep was sure to up the ante on the level of the challenge, but I wanted the summit and it was just how it was working out. Getting to this summit was a major lesson in letting go of plans and being flexible, two things I'm not the best at. I was supposed to climb on Saturday with a group, camping at the trailhead the night before and starting early but rested Saturday morning. But wicked winds at the summit forced us to cancel. Conditions were supposed to start improving early Sunday, and keep improving throughout the day, so after even more plan changes, I seized the opportunity and went... Solo. I'm a control-freak that likes everything planned out, but letting go of my plans was a good reminder of how it can let God do his work and let even better plans fall into place—in this case for next weekend, and I'm thrilled. It's awesome to see how very much God is on this crazy journey with me, and keeps me excited for the things to come. Plus this new plan? It got me my first solo summit! Climbing solo is not really a goal for me—I tend to make bad judgment calls when left alone, but seeing as how it was a non-technical climb, I chose to embrace the chance to face my insecurities and challenge myself both physically and mentally.

Working my way up... To the false summit.

The climb itself is around 7,000 feet of gain, and around 12 miles (I ended up with more of both—electing to switchback some of the slopes to conserve precious energy and with a getting-myself-lost incident on the way back to the trailhead). It was a BEAST to say the least. I was feeling incredibly sick, and was battling exhaustion and the results of a poor decision to deviate from my tried-and-true fueling plan (harvest messes with my stomach and makes it hard to get/keep food down, I thought something more "appealing" tasting might help, but it left me under-fueled and unable to recover effectively. Lesson learned.) But it all gave me lots of practice in praying for God to give me the strength to keep moving when I really just wanted to curl up in a rock shelter and sleep, and makes me more able to praise Him for the gift of this summit, because I know with all certainty it was Him that kept me moving. And what a summit it was! It took a long and grueling 8.5 hours to reach it, and boy was it cold up there! And windy! The winds had mercifully been dying down, but were still plenty strong at the summit to make it very uncomfortable. I had no interest in wasting time digging out all my insulating layers and trying to stay warm, so I took in the incredible views, got a few pictures, and started the long trek back down. I did have such an amazing vantage point of Mt. Rainier from up there, oh my! Someday, that beautiful summit will be mine, and it will be another great day of praising God for all the incredible places He leads me to, and the ability to experience his creation at its most magnificent.

Lunch Counter. See all tents???

It was a long day. I had started earlier than I wanted to, sacrificing time to let the winds die down as much as possible in the hope of being off the mountain and back to Salem in time for church... I obviously wasn't planning on being that sick or getting lost and it taking 13.5 hours to get back to my car... Needless to say, I didn't make it to church and didn't get home until about 9. After washing my gear and a well-warranted shower, I was so very happy to climb into bed, and this insomniac was dead asleep within minutes of my head hitting the pillow! My alarm has never seemed as cruel as it did this morning, but it is harvest after all, and that means combining! It was so very worth it though, and I'd do it again. Just maybe not in one day. And not without sleep. I'm not that crazy.

Summit! The views never cease to impress me.

Other random thoughts from Mt. Adams?

1) I really wish sunscreen was more effective for me, my poor nose is not happy with this climbing-life thing.

2) I love that my car has good suspension and can tackle those rough and awful drives to trailheads on mountain roads that would make off-roaders drool.

3) Glacier sunglasses may not be the most fashionable, but oh my lands, are they amazing and worth every penny of their ridiculous price tag.

Looking down hill at an insane glissade chute

4) Glissade chutes are a great opportunity to find free gear! Like another Black Diamond Pro ice axe to add to my collection. Check that your gear is secure before sliding, people! But no worries, I made sure whoever you were honored the “Leave No Trace” rule! I'm just kind like that.

5) And on the subject of glissading... I may have forced myself to be brave and give it a go for the first time in an attempt to conserve some of my depleted energy for the descent. Glissading reminds me so much of sledding, and how much I both fear and dislike snow and going fast, and then to couple those things together... Please no! But other than accidentally stabbing myself in the leg with my ice axe in the initial freak-out, I survived unscathed! And maybe, just maybe even enjoyed myself a little!

6) I can't help but laugh at the things I'm utterly un-phased by now because of hiking. Changing my clothes in crowded trailheads? Peeing on mountains with no privacy? Even discussions about blue bags! Hiking is a funny thing and definitely breaks down all sorts of barriers, because at the end of the day, any other soul also pushing themselves along side you on that trail or climb is your friend, your ally. You're in the same boat, working toward the same goal. You don't judge or get offended by the strange—and otherwise inappropriate—things that happen on the trail. You take care of each other, root for each other, help each other—even if you don't know the other person's name. It might be lending gear, offering a snack, or just an encouraging word. I may have been climbing solo yesterday, but I by no means was climbing alone. Besides, God was with me! As He always is.

When you're lost and you finally find one of these poles... And people? You praise Jesus!

God is good. And I continue to be amazed by this incredible journey He has me on, and am anxious to see what the coming months (and years) have in store. I may have some plans in place, but am definitely going to try and be better about staying flexible and leaving plenty of room for God to do his thing and shake things up and make new ones as well! And as always, to teach me life lessons along the way.

Oh yeah. I was up there.