And so it begins...

Today was my first real step towards achieving my goal of reaching the summit. Justin and I went on our first of many training hikes. Today we hiked to the top of Tiger Mountain West Summit #3. The total hike was 6 miles, with an elevation change of 1,100 feet. The hardest part was dealing with icy conditions for the last mile. We both felt like fools for leaving our trekking poles at home. It was so slippery that we could have used a set of crampons. My favorite comment of the day came from a hiker going in the opposite direction that could sense we were having trouble with our footing. He stopped to show us his nifty traction devices on his boots. "$15 bucks at Shoes 4 Less." Thanks a million. That really helps out our current situation. A couple of sticks foraged from the underbrush worked just fine. "Hey buddy, these were free!".
Weather was great. Sunny and blue skies as far as you could see. It was a little chilly, only making it into the mid 30's in the shade, but it felt good once we got going.