Mt. Si hike 6/29

2 hrs 35 mins up; 2 hrs down.  27 pd pack and 1 pound ankle weights each leg

Camp Muir attempt 3 - summit

Went to Camp Muir again this time wearing Koflac double plastic boots( these weigh almost 2 pounds on each leg!). The guides will most likely make us wear these boots on the climb. Did some skills practice wearing crampons also..
Time up: 5 hrs 30 mins; Time down:  2hrs 50 mins ;  28  pound backpack

Here is the cal topo graph of the hike

 

 

Weather was awesome once again with great views : Mt Rainier summit up close

Mt Adams

 

Why climb ?

I have been thinking about why I want to climb Rainier so badly inspite of all the challenges and obstacles.
I have no clear answer to that but I think this famous quote sums it all up perfectly !!

"Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain?  We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,  because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." 

                                                                                    - President Kennedy  

                                                                                            Sept 12,1962

 

Mt. Si hike 6/14

My personal best time so far at  2hrs 10 mins up and 1:55 down.  27 pound backpack

Mailbox peak hike 6/8

Time up: 2 hrs 20 min; Time down: 1 hrs 45 min ; 15 pound backpack

Camp Muir hike attempt 2 - summit

Having partially recovered from minor back injury, attempted to hike upto Camp Muir today.

Camp Muir at approx. 10,000 ft is the first base camp of the actual Rainier climb.  Last time tried this in March and we had encountered blizzard conditions. Today the weather was just perfect and summited . Time up: 5 hrs ;time down: 2 hrs 40 min
We could see the summit of Rainier to the left and the guide shelters at Camp Muir. Will be staying at these shelters during my first camp night during the climb

Saw awesome views from the top of Camp Muir.  We were above the clouds

Mt Adams in the distance:

 Mt. St Helens in the distance

Also saw a rock fall scare