Dinner and a Mountain

The View From the Top of the Oyster Dome

 The Oyster Dome: 6.5 miles round trip, 1,900 foot elevation gain.

     The Oyster Dome was in many ways my favorite hike yet. For some reason, as I hiked, I kept thinking about it like a dinner at a nice restaurant. The beginning was like a bad appetizer, too heavy for a first course. The grade was steep, and the scenery was bland. At about the one mile mark, the salad course is served. A nice Caesar salad. The view improves, the hike becomes more manageable, but it is nothing that I haven't seen or done before. No wow factor. At about 2 miles the steak arrives. You think you know what to expect out of a cut of beef, but you come to realize that this is Kobe beef. It is rich, fulfilling, and every bite is enjoyable. The forest becomes dense and lush, the streams become plentiful, and terrain becomes varied and unique. However, as good as it is, it does start to wear you down. It is very rich. The hills start to get steep and you start looking at your plate trying to figure out how in the world you can finish, at least without throwing up. One last incline and you push the plate away. You did it. Now it is time to rest a bit as you anticipate the big finale. You have heard great things about the dessert.
     You rise in a semi food induced coma. The trees all start to look the same, and the path wanders aimlessly. Is it going to be worth it? You know it will. Even though you know it is going to hurt. The forest begins to brighten as you can see the finish ahead. Dessert is served. Think something along the lines of Cherries Jubilee from El Gaucho, with a table side flambe service. Quite the spectacle, and worth the wait. I could only describe the view as spectacular. Sit back on a rock, loosen your belt, and enjoy the calming atmosphere.
     Just when you think you couldn't have anything more, the waiter brings you a little white box with a handmade truffle inside to take home. In the case of Oyster Dome, this little treat manifests itself as a nice little side trip to some bat caves. These caves lie at the bottom of the cliff you just left. Comprised of massive boulders that have fallen from above through time, the caves are dark and mysterious. Just like the truffle in your little white box, the thought of what lies inside is both intriguing and a little scary. For the adventurous at heart, take a bite, explore a little.
     When you arrive back at your car, you come to the quick conclusion that the effort was warranted, you are fully satisfied, and you look forward to returning.

Redemption

Last Friday I attempted to hike to the top of Mt. Si, and was only able to make it 2 1/4 miles up before turning back. It took me roughly an hour and 15 minutes to reach that point. Today I decided that I would take another crack at it. I was getting to the top no matter how long it took me, but my goal was to reach the top in under 2 1/2 hours.  This time I opted to take the climb alone. I felt like I needed to prove to myself that I was capable of the climb, and I wanted to set my own pace the whole way. I brought my iPod and attempted to get myself into a zone. I was timing myself, but left the watch in my backpack so I wouldn't be obsessed with the clock, and allow it to change my pace. At 2 miles I stopped for a quick break and checked my time. 45 minutes! At the 2 1/2 mile marker things got a little tougher. The trail was covered in snow and ice. It was not a good day to forget my Yak tracks. I pushed on and continued to find a good pace. As I climbed up the last steep embankment, I could see the top and quickly made a dash to the summit. I couldn't help but let out a "Hell Yeah!" to myself. Now was the moment of truth. I looked at my watch and saw that I finished in 2 HOURS!!! I think if I didn't have to contend with the snow I could have knocked another 10 minutes off. Sitting down on a rock never felt so good. Fifteen minutes of sharing trail mix with the birds and chipmunks, and it was back down to the bottom. I have to say that I am proud of what I accomplished after my failure last week. Here are a couple of shots from the hike.

Wallace Falls

Why have I never heard of Wallace Falls before? What a wonderful hike. It was the same group as last Saturday, Emily, Caitlyn, Kylie, Justin, Coen, and I. None of had any idea what to expect. The weather was overcast, with an occasional sun ray peeking through the clouds. It was a little chilly, but we were better prepared for the "riders" Kylie and Coen so they wouldn't get cold hands and heads. The start of the trail is a little ominous. You are welcomed by an eerie buzz of the overhead power lines, and then hike about 1/4 mile down a flat trail through some clear cutting. As soon as we reached the real trail head we were greeted by the roaring Wallace River. It proved to be a great companion as we hiked. There is something soothing about the roar of a river. The forest quickly became dense and damp, moss covering nearly every limb. Only about 1/2 mile into the hike you come across the first waterfall.

The trail consists of mostly flat areas and gentle climbs, with the occasional steep incline. Nothing that Caitlyn couldn't handle.

There are a series of very nice bridges that cross creeks and the river at various points. The girls loved each and every one of them. Eventually we came across a small shelter that is set up as a picnic area, and were greeted with the roar of the middle fall. Here is the view.

Very cool. A bit further up the trail brought us to the top of the middle falls and to a panoramic view of the valley below. Caitlyn led the way, and set the pace up the steepest part of the trail. I kid you not that we all had to struggle to keep up with her. She is 5! What a hiker!

From that point there is another 1/2 mile to the upper falls, but the girls hit a wall. Coen was ready to go home too, so we didn't push it. With about 1.5 miles until we were back at the trail head, Kylie decided that she was going to walk, and walk she did. Our 2 year old hiked the last mile and a half. Occasionally she would get to a step or root that she couldn't get down or over by herself, but she refused any help. She can be a stubborn little thing. She must get that from her mommy ; ). With about a mile left to go, Caitlyn said she couldn't hike anymore because her side hurt, do she rode the last mile on daddy's shoulders. 15 pounds in the pack (since Kylie was walking) and a 50 pound girl on my shoulders. That was a workout! It also started to rain for the last mile. Not too hard, but enough to get us wet. The big trees above also seemed to collect the water and drop giant drops on us. The kids were all troopers, and nobody complained. In fact, Miss Kylie was grinning ear to ear and jumping in every puddle as she proclaimed "Walk!".
Finally we got back to the car just in time for the sky to really open up. We stripped off the muddy shoes and socks from the girls and ventured home. It was a great hike. I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Dissapointing Day on Mt. Si

I decided to take this afternoon off to fit in an extra climb for the week. I opted for Mt. Si, and got Justin to meet me for the climb. The weather was cool and drizzly, but nothing uncomfortable. We set out to see how close we could come to reaching the summit in 2 hours with 35 pounds in our packs. In the back of my mind I felt that 2.5 hours would be a good accomplishment. Maybe I should have worried about finishing the damn hike before setting goals for how quickly I could do it. Literally 100 steps into the climb I asked Justin if it was a bad sign that my legs were already tired. Chuckle, chuckle. At that point I figure that I am just getting stretched out. Nothing unusual. As soon as we reached about the 7/10 mile marker I started to feel a little light headed and nauseous. I stopped to take a quick rest, and dumped one of the gallon containers of water from my bag. As I reached 1 mile I was still light headed. At this point I actually began to feel a sense of fear. It had nothing to do with my current state, but more of a terrible feeling that I was in no way prepared for climbing Rainier in 3 months. I was determined to push on, and made it to about 2 1/4 miles before I hit a wall. That was it. Back to the car. The strange thing is that in all of my training hikes, I have never felt tired, or weak, or dizzy. My legs hurt, but I didn't feel out of shape. My suspicion is that I did not have enough to eat and drink for lunch. I felt dehydrated. The cramping in my back on the way down was another clue. I hope that this was just an off day, and being a little better nourished next time will do the trick. Nevertheless, it is time to kick things into high gear. 4.5 miles today, and another 5.5 miles planned for tomorrow. For now Mt. Si is my obstacle. My mission. I will be there again soon, and I will win next time. Rainier will follow.

Sorry I wasted your time Justin.

Rattlesnake Ledge 2.0

I hiked Rattlesnake Ledge again, this time with the family. Emily, Caitlyn, Kylie, Justin and Coen all joined. Kylie and Coen got to ride in style. I am very proud of all my girls for doing so great on the hike. Caitlyn was incredible. She hiked the whole way! The only thing she complained about was that it was taking too long to get to the top, because she was sooooo excited to get there. The weather was overcast and in the 40's. It was a bit chilly at times, especially at the top where we were exposed to the wind. When we got to the ledge, we all sat and enjoyed some snacks, and then something happened that Caitlyn will always remember: her loose tooth fell out. She gets to tell all her friends she lost a tooth at the top of a "mountain".

Caitlyn's Tooth!

We all had a great time, and are looking forward to another family hike in the near future. Caitlyn is going to sleep well tonight!

Training Update

After one last painful test, I have decided that playing soccer with a cracked rib isn't the best idea, so I have decided to hang up the boots for the rest of the season. I would regret it forever if I missed the climb for being stubborn and trying to play injured. I think Justin and I will try to fit in a weekday hike instead.

I still haven't had a soda, and I am 5 days without wine. Tonight has been the hardest to resist a glass, but I am determined to do this. I am down about 5 pounds, so perhaps dropping the wine has been the key to losing weight.

Tomorrow I will be taking the family up to Rattlesnake Ledge. Justin and Coen are going to join us as well. It is supposed to be a gorgeous day, and Caitlyn is very excited. Hopefully Kylie will be ok with riding on my back. On Sunday, Justin and I are planning on a morning hike up North, but we don't know where yet.

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Back to where it all began

After a few weeks with no hikes, I felt like I was back to square one with my training. It was only appropriate that the CFCA organized climb today was Tiger Mountain 3, where I had my first hike. There were a couple of differences this time around. The biggest, there was no snow on the trail, and I had trekking poles. Today was also my first hike carrying any significant weight, with about 25 pounds in my backpack. I will admit that I was a little worried about how I would be able to handle the weight, but it wasn't too bad.
The weather today was decent. It was supposed to be sunny, and we actually started out in some drizzle. Things quickly cleared up, and the only annoyance was a slightly muddy trail. There was a little bit of snow at the summit, and as you can see, there wasn't much of a view.

ALAMP CFCA Climbers and Guides

Sacrifices...Part Deux UPDATE

I have now realized that today, being April Fool's Day, was a bad day to announce that I would be giving up alcohol for the next 3+ months. A number of people have called BS. That being said, I will re-post my intentions tomorrow on the meaningless day of April 2nd.

Sacrifices...Part Deux

To show my commitment to the climb, and just to improve my overall health, I am going to give up all alcohol until my climb in July. Tomorrow night, Emily and I are going out to dinner at John Howie Steak, and will enjoy one
last bottle of quality wine. After that....nada. It will be just over 100 days without any beer, wine, or liquor. The next drink I will have will be an ice cold Rainier beer that will be waiting for me at Camp Muir after that climb.

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