Wrapping up the Coleman 50/50 Adventure: Mt Rainier WA

I had been closely following Zach's 50 States / 50 Days Challenge , and joined in the fun when the guys arrived in Washington state. I had been planning to meet then in Oregon when my WaMu job wrapped up, but the guys were crazy far ahead of schedule. On July 19 I left to hang out with Zach, Mike, Lindsey and Jordan (the rest of Coleman challenge crew) at Casey & Melissa's cabin in Ashford WA, near the entrance to Mt Rainier National Park. After borrowing some climbing gear, on July 21 I accompanied the crew on a five-hour hike up to Camp Muir (10,000 ft). Jordan, Lindsey and I rested briefly and turned back to the parking lot as the guys suited up for the summit ascent. Most climbers take 2-3 days to reach the top, but not our guys. They roped up and headed for the top and made it back down to the parking lot just a few hours after the rest of us.

The Mt Rainier climb gave me just a tiny taste of what Zach had been living through since his departure for Alaska in late May. Though the mountain was really beautiful and I enjoyed being outdoors exercising, the experience confirmed that I'm not meant for mountaineering. I felt absolutely no compulsion to reach the top, to face the dark and driving cold, to prove that I could endure the mental challenge, etc. I was perfectly content to rest in the heated guide tent with a mug of cocoa, use the enclosed privy, and head back down while it was still light enough to see. The guys headed for the summit would have no such luxury. More power to 'em.

Photos: Mt Rainier July 2008