Final Preps

Thursday we woke up and headed towards the airport to pick up shane. All the time in the car with Jeff was much appreciated, because we really got a chance to chat with each other.

As we drive south, we can see the cascades to the left, the Olympics to the right, and Rainier looming straight in front of us. Its huge.

Shane is stoked, and we head to REI to get final gear and plan for the climb. After seeing some of the touristy stuff, we head to Jake's Parents house for dinner and final packing.

Wednesday

Wednesday we woke up for breakfast, and went out to Mt Erie to find adventure. Not being much of a rock climber, and already tired from the previous day, Jeff thought it'd be a good idea to repel down a cliff and see what sort of climbing we could find in my skill level. The spot we were at had gorgeous views of the water, complete with sitings of bald eagles and angry falcons. I "Sent" a couple routes, including a "5-10 a." before being so tired i didn't think i could climb any more. Then, we got out our glacier gear and practiced ascending ropes on prusik knots.

The day wouldn't be complete without dinner with jeffs mom, a visit with jeff's grandma, and some equipment double checking

Seattle Trip: Tuesday

Tuesday after breakfast with Court, i got on the bus to begin my adventure. After an uneventful flight, I arrived at the airport where Jeff was waiting for me.

We went to REI to get a few things, and then met some of jeff's buddies at the local climbing gym, Stone Gardens. Here, I met Jake for the first time. Jake is going to climb mt rainier with us. I can see he's an amazing rock climber, and a super nice guy. After climbing until i'm "Pumped Out," Stefan and I grab a beer and then re-connect with Jeff and more climbing buddies for thai food and Rainier Beta. This guy bill, who sounds like he has a few screws loose in his head, tells us Rainier is solid gold right now, and we should go for it. The other climbers agree, and we decide to call the climb a go.

We finish the night with a 2 hour drive up to Anacortes, Jeff's home town. Anacortes is a sleepy cute northwestern town on the sound with beautiful mountains and cliffs.

A funny way of winding down...

It seems to me that my view of relaxation has become slightly skewed. With classes over, its time for me to get out and recharge a bit. This time around, I'm packing my bags and headed to Seattle. Ahh, Seattle. Pikes fish market, Coffee, and Indy Rockers.

But no, i'm not packing my tight jeans and my rain jacket for a week of sitting in the city sipping coffee. Up on my life to-do list is climb mount rainier. I leave tomorrow for what could be one of the biggest and scariest challenges yet.

Mt Rainier is a massive 14,000' volcano popping up from sea level. It brings with it a whole host of challenges including avalanches, rock slides, crevasses, and extremely unpredictable weather. Its stretching me out already in my plans to be flexible. The weather has been bad for the past 2 weeks and the chances of a safe climb are looking slimmer and slimmer. The mountain will still be there, and we're going safety first. So, just in case, i'm bringing a plethora of toys to help me make the most of my romp in the cascades. a couple options up for grabs are ice climbing on mt baker, or maybe a peak in the northern cascades (Dome Peak?)

And so, i've got my bags packed. Ice axes, snowshoes, avi gear, boots, rock gear, crampons, and all sorts of winter camping gear. Special thanks to Steve B. and Phil P. for helping outfit me for this this adventure, and to Jeff and Shane for getting stoked and making this dream a reality. I'll try to keep the blog-o-sphere up to date as the story unfolds!

Peace.

Mike