Saturday was a day to "get high"with my Kili buddies, Joe and Beth, and my eager trail companion, David. We arrived at Timberline Lodge at 9:15 and stepped out of the car into a chilly 30 degrees and light blue skies overhead. We could see our destination clearly: The top of the Palmer chairlift at 9,000'.
Wrenching the final straps into place on our snowshoes, we were soon joined on the snow by our Reach The Summit (RTS) friends who were on the mountain for a "train the trainers" hike. Coming down the mountain was a gentleman with Portland Mountain Rescue who reported that his group had to bail on a summit attempt because of a ground blizzard up above. A few of us tilted our heads up slope and squinted, trying to discern whatever it was he had just said. He asked how high we were going and seemed satisfied that we were going to stop at the top of the Palmer chair lift, a 3,000' elevation gain from where we were standing presently. With that, we assumed (or at least I did) that this blue-sky weather phenomenon he just mentioned must be higher than our target.
The RTS group pulled out ahead as we took turns taking photographs and making minor adjustments to our gear. Protected in the lee of a slope to our left, we were feeling lucky to have picked such a beautiful day to be on the mountain. Within 20 minutes the heat of our efforts required my three buddies to peel a layer of clothing before continuing. Another 15 minutes and we would begin to clear the kind slope that had been protecting us from the wind. Gradually the wind picked up strength as it curved around the slope to find us. With each step, the assail became more intense, and a glance to the left would provide complimentary micro-dermabrasion in the form of ice crystals pelting our faces. Our efforts were doubled by our packs acting as sail cloth, and the bullying gusts would take advantage of that and nearly knock us over. (Photo: Our RTS friends take the lead in 2-by-2 formation.)
In fear of bursting all the capillaries in my face if I didn't get some protection, I asked for help fetching the neoprene face Masque in the top pouch of my pack. The garment no sooner saw the light of day than the wind snagged it and we watched it dance merrily across the snow and down into a draw 50 yards away. Crap. I cinched my jacket hood a little tighter and pressed ahead.
After some time, we arrived at Silcox Hut to find the band of RTS hikers seeking shelter near the front blade of a Snowcat parked outside the hut. We joined them. In setting down my pack, I looked up at Joe, who was enjoying a bit of refueling in the form of a sandwich. We exchanged an appreciative glance and silent comprehension of this new term to add to our arsenal of weather descriptions: "ground blizzard." The RTS group decided they'd had enough of the wrath and were heading back down to friendlier conditions; we would be right on their heels.
In fear of bursting all the capillaries in my face if I didn't get some protection, I asked for help fetching the neoprene face Masque in the top pouch of my pack. The garment no sooner saw the light of day than the wind snagged it and we watched it dance merrily across the snow and down into a draw 50 yards away. Crap. I cinched my jacket hood a little tighter and pressed ahead.
After some time, we arrived at Silcox Hut to find the band of RTS hikers seeking shelter near the front blade of a Snowcat parked outside the hut. We joined them. In setting down my pack, I looked up at Joe, who was enjoying a bit of refueling in the form of a sandwich. We exchanged an appreciative glance and silent comprehension of this new term to add to our arsenal of weather descriptions: "ground blizzard." The RTS group decided they'd had enough of the wrath and were heading back down to friendlier conditions; we would be right on their heels.
Despite the limited dexterity in our white, numb fingers, the four of us extracted cameras from our respective cases and practiced our photographic skills in these inhospitable conditions. Beth informed us that her brand new Nikon had video capability. Cool. It wasn't long before our fingers were bordering on painfully uncomfortable and we needed to get going to generate some heat. As we slung our packs over our shoulders and headed down, I got close enough to shout at Beth, "Let's get down the slope a bit and see if we can capture this freaking ground blizzard with your video!" She nodded.
For your viewing enjoyment, I present below the first video production from Beth's camera: Ground Blizzard.
There is always a bright side to days spent in less-than-ideal conditions on the mountain. Gear issues become magnified, Velcro becomes a Satan incarnate, and weaknesses in layering systems are revealed. These are all good things to find out now, before the main event. The very next day, all of these problems were addressed and, I hope, corrected, with a simple trip to REI and another $239.20.
This morning, 10:15 a.m., Beth calls. She's at the Columbia Sportswear outlet, apparently on a similar retooling mission, and found some gloves with a zipper pouch into which a hand warmer packet can be inserted. She asks if I'd like her to pick up a pair for me. Sure. What's another $25 in this several-thousand-dollar scheme of things.
For your viewing enjoyment, I present below the first video production from Beth's camera: Ground Blizzard.
There is always a bright side to days spent in less-than-ideal conditions on the mountain. Gear issues become magnified, Velcro becomes a Satan incarnate, and weaknesses in layering systems are revealed. These are all good things to find out now, before the main event. The very next day, all of these problems were addressed and, I hope, corrected, with a simple trip to REI and another $239.20.
This morning, 10:15 a.m., Beth calls. She's at the Columbia Sportswear outlet, apparently on a similar retooling mission, and found some gloves with a zipper pouch into which a hand warmer packet can be inserted. She asks if I'd like her to pick up a pair for me. Sure. What's another $25 in this several-thousand-dollar scheme of things.
(To hear the video, you can mute the music by clicking on the volume icon in the right corner of Iwa's Musical Notes near the bottom of the blog. If the video Play button doesn't work, click the scroll bar just to the right of the play button.)
3 comments:
Very fun Iwa! Thanks for the heads up on your blog. I will be watching for more posts. As my tribe grows, my adventure activities are becoming less dangerous, and I miss the rush of stuff like this. Instead I take pictures of birds and courthouses! You are an inspiration! Love, Rich
I am now taking applications for new friends. Please consider applying for the position if you would like to start some new extreme activities, like extreme knitting! Imagine sitting in a warm and cozy living room clicking away with the latest in titanium needles. No wind blasting your cheeks, no cold creeping into your panties. We, like no generation before us, ride, hike, swim, run, climb, and jump from tall bridges in an attempt to fight off the inevitable. I say, Embrace it instead! Anyone want to join me?
Sandi, I'll take titanium needles in pink, please, and when we've finished making our alpaca teapot covers we'll drag race our carbon fiber wheelchairs down the hallways of the Rock 'n Roll Rest Home!
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