Summer Season Begins

Live Your Dream.....

The season is underway. Myself and six other guides went to Camp Muir and set up our weather port. All Rainier operations are organized and ready for the masses. Two days of guide training were incredibly informative. We went over haul systems, snow anchors, and snow living. Overall I am excited for the busy season ahead.

One of the greatest lessons I am learning during this transition time is to be in the moment. Life is incredibly short. Don’t waste one moment. Love those around you, and love what you do. Live for something bigger than yourself, and be remembered for more than who you were.

What is dreaming? We live, and laugh. We take chances. We go fast, act on instinct. Living for that serendipitous moment--All for what? We dream to live--or live to dream. We want to be fulfilled. We desire to pursue things of worth. We sacrifice; we persevere, fall and fail. Life is about living. A wise man once said, “the uninspired life is not worth living.” I propose taking that a step further and say, “Live your life in pursuit of your dreams and you will find inspiration.” Desiring a sense of wildness.

Climbing, living in the outdoors, and inspiring others to pursue their dreams. These are a few of the things that make me come alive. One of my mentors said, “it isn’t climbing unless you can fall off something.” Life is incredibly boring if you can’t fall down or off something. Live to the best of your ability. You are capable of more than you can imagine.

Denali Prep Seminar

With blowing wind and snow we left the comfort of the parking lot. Hiking up into the soupy clouds, we found refuge in a small grove of trees at the edge of a large cornice. Everyone worked diligently despite the weather and camp was set up in no time.

During the last six days this was our reality, changing weather, considerable avalanche conditions, and great climbing. We went through skills such as crampon walking, ice axe arrest, and rope travel. We put these newfound skills to the test on the Gib ledges route. Full of fun alpine climbing and glacier travel the Gib ledges route is a Mt. Rainier classic.

While all these class sessions were enjoyable it seems that the group had the most fun with crevasse rescue and haul systems. First we gave an introduction to haul systems inside the hut. Then once a significant understanding was established we took it to the glacier. We built two anchors and lowered people into a beautiful crevasse on the Cowlitz glacier.

After the crevasse session we returned to camp and awoke to howling winds and blowing snow. A short guide meeting in the morning determined descending was safe. Navigating by GPS we found our way down in the 50 to 60 mph winds. Despite the adverse conditions the weather played a perfect role in the training for Denali. Thanks for the great trip team, hope to see you in the future. Keep Climbing!

Lessons from Pico de Orizaba

After a week back in the states things are beginning to balance out. The gear is unpacked, the laundry is done, and the fridge is re-stocked. Orizaba was nothing short of amazing. We met so many wonderful faces in our travels. From staying at the Maria Christina Hotel in downtown Mexico City, to riding the 1962 Dodge Power wagons up the mountain with Carlos and Victor. In summiting terms the trip was unsuccessful. However I feel that I can speak for the group when I say everything was a success due to the fact that we ate a ton of food and learned even more.

As mountaineers we build our bodies and our skills so we can overcome any obstacle the mountains throw our way. Although, no matter how strong or smart we are, we are still never in control of the elements. The mountains allow us to be there and share in the beauty they have to offer. It is then that we work together to reach the summit. If the mountain decides it is not our time to climb then we must submit, and say “ok friend, I will be back another time.” It is trips like these that remind us that we are not in control. Another important lesson that this trip reminded me of is that life is meant to be enjoyed. We should live life to the fullest, live for the things we love, that make us come alive. Keep climbing, and keep dreaming.

Purpose

The Mt. Rainier season is half over. In many ways it feels like it has just begun. When I returned to Washington on May 8th I was met with two weeks of rain. This was a difficult reality after having spent a month in the dry desert putting up routes and relaxing on the beach. Dreaming has been the most common theme during my latest travels and adventures. I have realized that the single most important thing in this life is loving the Creator and following the desires that He has given. John Eldredge says, "Live the life you were created to live." If you believe as I do that we were all created for a purpose than this phrase rings quite true. The idea that anyone would wast one iota of time devoted to something other than his or her purpose is troublesome. I would however like to propose an argument that each experience right or wrong is leading us down the road we were meant to travel. One of the books I have been studying lately is The Abolition of Man written by the great C.S. Lewis. This small book is his best argument of universal values such as courage and honor. There is a deep yurning within each and everyone of us to come alive. We all want to feel apart of something and stand for a purpose. Whatever the cause if there are people running, many will spend a life time in the race.

I have found my race. Living the life I was meant to live. Initiated by the Creator, for a purpose bigger than myself. The purpose that I live for is renewed in each sunrise. The picture included in this post is one that my best friend took when we were climbing Liberty Ridge on Mt. Rainier. I start out each day of guiding with a scene similar to that one. Each day I am reminded that I am where I am supposed to be. Taking people beyond anything they though possible. Helping them to safely experience creation in its purest form. Men have fought long and hard for their dreams. I will live each day in the same pursuit. "Cervati et Vici"

First Trip of the Summer

Well the first trip of the year went off without a hitch. We had eight clients from all over the country. From the time we stepped in the van to go up the mountain to the time we arrived back at headquarters we were laughing. It seemed that the group bonded from the start. We slogged up the Muir snow-field under the beating sun. By dinner time the first night everyone was laughing and quoting movies such as Dumb and Dumber and Talladega Nights. It was so much fun getting to know each one of the clients through different experiences on the trip. One of the most interesting things about guiding is watching the way circumstances effect people in different ways. Some people were open and eccentric from the beginning. Others needed a bit more extreme environment to open up, such as getting lowered over a two hundred foot deep crevasse.

After a full dinner of burritos we all went to bed. The next morning started just like any other. Clients came over to our cook tent around 8am. The other guides and I were making breakfast and having coffee with some of the climbing rangers. Morning training began with a few lessons on glacier travel and crampon use. As I was walking over to the bunk house one of the climbing rangers called me over to inform me that a guide from another company was injured on the summit. At that moment our entire day changed. After many radio conversations with the in town staff and the National Park Service a fellow guide, a climbing ranger, and myself started off for the summit with rescue gear in hand. It was a beautiful blue bird day with no wind. The best option for the patient was to get a helicopter lift off the summit. Unfortunately there are only a small number of helicopters powerful enough to land and take off at 14,000 feet. Our rescue team was the contingency plan to the helicopter lift. It would take us at least 3 hours to reach the summit. We had found out the the patient had fallen into a steam vent and was in stable condition with possible rib fractures. By the time we had climbed to 11,900 feet the helicopter had safely evacuated the patient and flown her to a nearby hospital.

After the rescue scenario the climb went back to normal. Our team reached the summit at 7am the next day. We were able to get 7 out of 8 clients to the summit. One decided to stay at camp due to personal reasons. As we all stood on the summit, I was instantly reminded why I love this job. Each one of the clients was overjoyed to have such a tremendous experience. And no one was injured in the process.

Livin the dream...

The last two days were something of an adventure you could say. Myself and four other guides walked the 4.5 miles up to camp Muir to set up our summer amenities. When I say "summer" I use the term lightly. It was anything but summer on our way up. It was complete whiteout conditions, navigating with a little intuition and mostly G.P.S. As we slowly moved our way up the battling the wind and snow, we ask ourselves why in the world are we here. Working as a mountain guide is anything but normal. Most people work a 9 to 5 job with benefits and live a very nice life. Now, I am not about to debate or justify any of the work force. I am simply stating the job description of a mountain guide is quite variable.

After a hard night of sleep, listening to the unrelenting wind pound our shelter, we woke to a beautiful blue bird day, no wind, and warm temperatures. As we began our work day constructing our cook shelter our spirits began to rise. We were once again reminded that the sweet isn't as sweet without the sour. It is the storms that make us thankful for the good weather. The day was beautiful, we impressed the boss and got off the mountain and ate a delicious dinner. All said and done it was a success. Just another day in the office.