The Grand Tour: A 15 Day Mountaineering Road Trip (Part 1)
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12. Februar 2012 um 00:09.
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"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." -Oliver Wendell Holmes
The entire trip report can be found on my personal website. (Hikr does not support long TRs)
This was the greatest adventure of the year and is the longest road trip I have ever been on. We traveled from Mount Hood, Mount Whitney, Golden Canyon, and ended with Wheeler Peak in Nevada. There could not have been better timing to push for winter ascents of these peaks with amazing success rates and wonderful conditions. I felt as though this was a new experience that made me feel like we were on the far edges of the Earth.
Michael Blake originally met me though SummitPost, mistakenly contacted me as a Josh who wanted to climb Denali. At first the plan was to climb the Mountaineers Route until secretly both of us wanted to go on a Grand Tour and climb other great peaks along the way. Michael asked me about avalanche training which I told him I had the perfect partner to invite who is known as Gimpilator. We now had a solid team for our grand adventure.
We then went over to Gimpilator's house to pick him up for the adventure and have a gear check just to make sure everyone had the right supplies. The sky was cloudy making us a bit skeptical of how the conditions would be on Mount Hood. During the car ride I slept most of the way until we were near the trailhead (Timberline).
As we arrived in the parking lot, the clouds started lifting and soon enough we could see Mount Hood shining brightly in glowing snow. We were all excited to see this, and knew that there was a good chance that we could climb up the West Face via the Leuthold Couloir. After having lunch we decided it was time to practice using our avalanche beacons and probes. Gimpilator tough us how to use them and buried one of the beacons multiple times to get the full practice. One of the times he buried it we had to dig quite deep just to retrieve it. After this we went on to practice Z-Pulley, always good to practice before an alpine climb.
At the parking lot we watched the sunset on Mount Hood which was quite fabulous. While we sorted our gear for the Mount Hood climb, Michael was blasting the music loud giving a party like atmosphere. Gimpilator dug out a snow cave for himself to sleep in while Michael and I slept in the car. Before I went to sleep I couldn't help but stay up from the excitement of what adventures awaited me.
Hiking up to the end of the last chair lift actually tired me out quite a bit. After taking a rest, enjoying a burrito, and having a drink I felt much better. Michael started taking out wands which he placed every 100 or so feet just in case we get into a whiteout. We crossed the Triangle Moraine (ZigZag Glacier) towards Illumination Saddle and where making great time.
As we approached Illumination saddle we found what appeared to be a perfect place to set up a tent. As we descend onto the flat spot the winds start picking up. I knew that this was because it was coming in from the West Face where it is constantly pounded by winds. We set down our gear to start the process of setting up the tent. In a matter of minutes Winter's Fury was unleashed and the winds were roaring...
Digging a Snow Cave:
I took a look behind me and I saw that our gear was starting to blow away. I frantically grab and dive after all the loose gear and immediately start anchoring things with ice axes. A few seconds later one of my snowshoes blows away and gets caught hundreds of feet away, I run over and caught them just in time before the winds blew hard again. When I arrived back at camp I found out my eating bowl had blown away as well as some other gear from the group. Things were not looking good, the next gust of wind must have been at least 70-80+ miles an hour. As Gimpilator and Michael were setting up the 4 season tent, the heavy winds blew on it so hard that not only did the tent polls completely snap, but also it ripped right through the fabric. At the moment there was hardly anything I could do, as it was I was holding down gear to prevent it from blowing away. "Guys...." I yell in the roaring winds, no one could hear me. Fortunately someone saw that I was having a bit of trouble holding down some of the group gear and came in to help anchor it down.
At this point we had two choices, turn around, or dig a snow cave. We all wanted in on the adventure and were not willing to back down so easily so we all agreed to help dig a snow cave. After much running back and forth I managed to save a lot of gear and small pieces of the tent. Gimpilator had the look of disappointment, not only was the tent broken now, but the tent bag had blow away. Blowing in the wind I could see a object floating around high on the mountain. While the snow cave digging process was taking place, I ran a ways up the mountain to try and salvage as much gear as possible. I said a prayer in hopes to get the tent bag back. I could now see it rolling back and forth up and down the mountain, side to side. It seemed almost impossible for me to ever be able to get it with the rate it was going up. 10 minutes later the winds stop and it was tumbling my way, I immediately make a run for it and dive for it just in time before the winds pick up again. I must have saved hundreds of dollars worth of gear that day including my own. When given the chance to be a hero, I never hesitate.
Excited now I dash down to camp with the gear and get ready to help with the snow cave process. Eventually there was enough room to have two people dig in the inside while the person on the outside dug out the debris and made a pathway for it to slide out. Digging a full sized snow cave is tiring work, after 3 hours we finally finished making just enough room for all of us to lay down inside. I had to bury the snowshoes to prevent them from blowing away in the winds as well as some other gear. Cooking inside the cave sometimes became a hassle because not only was there a lack of room, but when ever anyone was near the entrance, the carbon monoxide was filling the room. So the only safe alternative was to allow the "warm" air to escape.
I became the gear guy, many times I was asked "Hey Josh, can you please get me some water..." or what ever it might be. Each time I went out it was a chilling experience with the winds blowing hard, and my gloves that were soaking wet. But I stayed in motion a lot making it a bit more enjoyable. I had to avoid wearing my heavy duty gloves to prevent them from getting wet, or else I would be in big trouble the next day. When most of the work for preparing for the next day was finished our gear was still very scattered inside the tent. Nobody cared if someone had many items of someone else. When there was no work I became quite cold resting, at one point I decided I needed to get out of the cave for a spell. The wind blew one of the hats on my head right off and into the winds. "Nooooooo...." I yell as I chase the hat as fast as I could across the snowfield. This was one of Gimpilator's Special OSAT hats which I felt as though I would not allow it to be lost. I caught it once again just in time and look over to see the sun setting over the distant hills. All around the landscape was glowing with beautiful colors. Below me a skier was heading up, I figured he would turn around soon.
I get back to the snow cave to try and warm up again. Just before taking off my boots Gimpilator tells me "Looks like he's having a hard time putting up his tent". Immediately I slide out of the snow cave and dash to the scene. I knew that there was not a second more that could be hesitated. Like our earlier situation, he too was having a very difficult time with his tent. I immediately caught his helmet, as well as other various gear that almost blew away. "Come join us in our snow cave" I told him without hesitation. So we grabbed his bunched up tent and gear and threw it inside the cave. I went back out to salvage small pieces of gear before the winds claimed it for the mountain. I staked down his skies using an ice axe as an anchor. I was pleased that very little was lost.
The inside of the tent was heavily disorganized and quite cramped. We decided it was time to get digging a bit more to provide more room for a place to be able to sleep. After the digging process we had enough room to lay down and set packs near the door. Who knew a snow cave would be so much nicer than a tent? But non the less, it had it's cold moments inside. The atmosphere was incredible, I had never done anything like this. Outside you could hear the pounding of winds that sounded like that of the movies and every now and then fresh dustings of snow would blow in the tunnel and cover everything with powder. It was both exciting and dramatic being in a place like this. But at the same time Michael decided to give the place a bit more class and turn on the music while we cooked up some food making it feel more lively.
After coming in and out to fetch more gear, Michael told me "Josh, I would be happy to invite you on any mountaineering trip". No one seemed very interested in climbing the Leuthold Couloir, we decided unless things improve we would do the standard route. An hour later we finally decided it was time to get some rest for the next day.
The Reid Glacier was an easy traverse across the South Western section of Mount Hood. Finally we arrive below the Leuthold Couloir, tiny pieces of snow and ice started floating past us as we started the ascent. 300 feet later we unroped, Gimpilator wore it like a backpack in exchange for me carrying his gear. I was becoming quite excited as we were climbing towards "The Hour Glass". As it became icier, I decided to bring out my ice tool for extra support. In the Hour Glass the winds picked up showering down ice chunks and snow drifts. I would probably have been blinded had I not been wearing my ski goggles from the ice pouring down and hitting them. The wind blown snow suddenly found a way of getting into my shirt, making for a cold moment. "I see why they call it Mount Hood" I joked to myself as I put on my hood. A moment later we came up to a 2 man group.
We reached a fork in the climb which no one knew exactly which way to go. Michael proceeded on to the right (the wider gully) and the other guys went towards the left. When Gimpilator caught up we both wondered what to think of the situation. Both of us had read in a climbing description that you don't go left. We yelled for Michael in the winds, but he could hardly hear us. I randomly remembered that the description said that after the hour glass we don't go left. I told this to the other climbers and they decided to stick with us.
I dreaded the idea of going left because the traverse section was a bit dicey. Not something I would feel comfortable down climbing. It wasn't just the fact that it was steep, icy, and you could not afford to fall, but also the constance of ice pelting you that made looking up undesirable. I had to make good ice tool/axe placements when swinging into the ice. I had never done any alpine climbing like this where you climb on pure water ice on thin holds. There was at least one spot that felt thin where my axe was not going in well at all. But I knew that this was the only way, and I couldn't have Michael down climb this.
Once we were out of the hour glass, things eased up a bit, or at least in the technical sense. There were many spots where we encountered water ice patches that we had to climb though. I became quite hungry and thirsty as we climbed up, not only was it too ice and steep but when I grabbed a snack once I got pelted in the side of the head with a big chunk of ice that made me loose all interest in further sit stops.
Later on Michael became quite worried about how much time it was taking and the fact that it was past 11:00 a.m. "Should we turn around?" he asked. Immediately both Gimpilator and I say "No, it would be too dangerous to down climb what we climbed up". As we got higher in elevations my toes started becoming quite cold, and my hands we getting semi numb. I had some of the worst pulsing sensation in my hands making me wish that I was at home or somewhere were warm. The next moment I started cramping up, "Awwwwwwwwww..." I instantly fall to the ground. Michael looks at me with a worried look, but in attempts to look strong I try and get up until the next cramp comes in. I was feeling quite miserable and worn out, but I knew that if I just press on a little further we would top out and be near the summit ridge.
Finally the ice chunks stop coming down the mountain, which meant that I could get a drink of water. I must have drank almost a liter in a single sitting. Suddenly a small piece of my water bottle breaks off from the freezing temperatures. I didn't think much of it at the time, but later on in the trip it becomes a big deal. After a bit more ice scrambling and hiking up we arrive onto the summit ridge.
Like many summit ridges, it looked a bit intimidating at first. There was a 10 foot or so section that required careful walking and a mini jump down over a lot of exposure. Most climbers can do it just fine as long as you take your time. After this we arrived at the top of the Old Chute. It was jolly walking from there to the summit.
We arrived on the summit at about 1:30 p.m. and stayed for about 25 minutes enjoying the almost windless summit. Both Gimpilator and I went down the Old Chute while Michael took a slight variation to make it more fun for him. The conditions were perfect, one could practically glissade down. For safety reasons I plunge stepped down instead. After Crater Rock we traversed completely around it to get back down to Illumination saddle where our camp was.
At camp we took a bit of a rest, enjoyed some food and started the packing up process. By the time we started heading down it was already sunset. The winds were picking up making the snow all around glow with pink color as well as the entire mountain side. I considered this moment to be on the top 10 most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was too windy to capture the moment and we were in a hurry down. This photo gives one an idea of what it looked like.
The rest of the way down was an evening walk down the south slopes of Mount Hood. We reached the parking lot just before dark. After a good nights rest and hydrating we proceeded on with our road trip.
It started to seem like a tradition, every day we would stop and go to a taquería to enjoy some wonderful burritos. I gotta agree with Gimpilator, often times when you see a restaurant that says "Mexican Food" it is often American Mexican which in our opinions is not as tasty as taquería's. After what seemed like a life time we arrived in Southern California where Michael's mom invited us over to stay over and have dinner. They were very good hosts and provided wonderful food. It was so nice to sleep in a real bed after being on the road trip for so long.
After packing up our gear we were finally on our way to Mount Whitney. By night time we arrive at the city of Lone Pine where we set up our tent for the night. As we assemble the tent Gimpilator discovered that the repair place accidentally made one of the polls too short on one of them. I giggled saying one of my favorite lines "If your not prepared, Rig It!". So we busted out the duct tape and started snapping pieces off one of the bamboo polls (snow flags) to make a tent poll extension. We found out that if you use 2 pieces of a mambo stick, use a knife and shave it a bit you can duct tape it together to the tent poll. Yeah it was a little rigged, but it worked just fine. But it only lasts until your done using the tent.
Gimpilator Rigging a Tent Piece
Continue the story with Part 2
The entire trip report can be found on my personal website. (Hikr does not support long TRs)
This was the greatest adventure of the year and is the longest road trip I have ever been on. We traveled from Mount Hood, Mount Whitney, Golden Canyon, and ended with Wheeler Peak in Nevada. There could not have been better timing to push for winter ascents of these peaks with amazing success rates and wonderful conditions. I felt as though this was a new experience that made me feel like we were on the far edges of the Earth.
Michael Blake originally met me though SummitPost, mistakenly contacted me as a Josh who wanted to climb Denali. At first the plan was to climb the Mountaineers Route until secretly both of us wanted to go on a Grand Tour and climb other great peaks along the way. Michael asked me about avalanche training which I told him I had the perfect partner to invite who is known as Gimpilator. We now had a solid team for our grand adventure.
Day 1: Heading out to Mount Hood
I had never gone on an adventure like this making it hard to gauge exactly how much food one would need for the entire trip. So I made a good call by building up the biggest food stock pile I have ever made in my life. I filled a huge bin of food that overflowed and was enough for almost a month. I had snickers, muffins, powdered milk, hot chocolates, Pasta's, Top Ramen, Sandwiches, Burritos, almonds, and a whole lot more. I was well supplied with gear while still bringing as little of gear as possible making it possible to pack up the car. I had so much preparations that had to be done that I stayed up all night until Michael arrived at my house at 5:00 a.m.We then went over to Gimpilator's house to pick him up for the adventure and have a gear check just to make sure everyone had the right supplies. The sky was cloudy making us a bit skeptical of how the conditions would be on Mount Hood. During the car ride I slept most of the way until we were near the trailhead (Timberline).
 |
As we arrived in the parking lot, the clouds started lifting and soon enough we could see Mount Hood shining brightly in glowing snow. We were all excited to see this, and knew that there was a good chance that we could climb up the West Face via the Leuthold Couloir. After having lunch we decided it was time to practice using our avalanche beacons and probes. Gimpilator tough us how to use them and buried one of the beacons multiple times to get the full practice. One of the times he buried it we had to dig quite deep just to retrieve it. After this we went on to practice Z-Pulley, always good to practice before an alpine climb.
|
|
|
|
 |
At the parking lot we watched the sunset on Mount Hood which was quite fabulous. While we sorted our gear for the Mount Hood climb, Michael was blasting the music loud giving a party like atmosphere. Gimpilator dug out a snow cave for himself to sleep in while Michael and I slept in the car. Before I went to sleep I couldn't help but stay up from the excitement of what adventures awaited me.
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|
|
 |
Day 2: Hectic Winds at Camp
We woke up around 6 a.m. and left the trailhead by around 6:25 a.m. After 10 minutes of hiking it seemed as though snowshoes were almost worthless, I couldn't believe how solid the snow was. We kept the snowshoes on just in case of deeper snow on the upper part of the mountain. It was a lovely morning with blue-purple snow and red lighting on the horizon which meant it was going to be a good day of weather. The traveling was made even easier because of the snow cat tracks, although the heavy weight on our backs made it still a bit of a challenge. Michael had no problem because he had been training by stair stepping with 80 pounds of gear. This was hardly any challenge for him.
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Hiking up to the end of the last chair lift actually tired me out quite a bit. After taking a rest, enjoying a burrito, and having a drink I felt much better. Michael started taking out wands which he placed every 100 or so feet just in case we get into a whiteout. We crossed the Triangle Moraine (ZigZag Glacier) towards Illumination Saddle and where making great time.
 |
As we approached Illumination saddle we found what appeared to be a perfect place to set up a tent. As we descend onto the flat spot the winds start picking up. I knew that this was because it was coming in from the West Face where it is constantly pounded by winds. We set down our gear to start the process of setting up the tent. In a matter of minutes Winter's Fury was unleashed and the winds were roaring...
|
|
Digging a Snow Cave:
I took a look behind me and I saw that our gear was starting to blow away. I frantically grab and dive after all the loose gear and immediately start anchoring things with ice axes. A few seconds later one of my snowshoes blows away and gets caught hundreds of feet away, I run over and caught them just in time before the winds blew hard again. When I arrived back at camp I found out my eating bowl had blown away as well as some other gear from the group. Things were not looking good, the next gust of wind must have been at least 70-80+ miles an hour. As Gimpilator and Michael were setting up the 4 season tent, the heavy winds blew on it so hard that not only did the tent polls completely snap, but also it ripped right through the fabric. At the moment there was hardly anything I could do, as it was I was holding down gear to prevent it from blowing away. "Guys...." I yell in the roaring winds, no one could hear me. Fortunately someone saw that I was having a bit of trouble holding down some of the group gear and came in to help anchor it down.
At this point we had two choices, turn around, or dig a snow cave. We all wanted in on the adventure and were not willing to back down so easily so we all agreed to help dig a snow cave. After much running back and forth I managed to save a lot of gear and small pieces of the tent. Gimpilator had the look of disappointment, not only was the tent broken now, but the tent bag had blow away. Blowing in the wind I could see a object floating around high on the mountain. While the snow cave digging process was taking place, I ran a ways up the mountain to try and salvage as much gear as possible. I said a prayer in hopes to get the tent bag back. I could now see it rolling back and forth up and down the mountain, side to side. It seemed almost impossible for me to ever be able to get it with the rate it was going up. 10 minutes later the winds stop and it was tumbling my way, I immediately make a run for it and dive for it just in time before the winds pick up again. I must have saved hundreds of dollars worth of gear that day including my own. When given the chance to be a hero, I never hesitate.
Excited now I dash down to camp with the gear and get ready to help with the snow cave process. Eventually there was enough room to have two people dig in the inside while the person on the outside dug out the debris and made a pathway for it to slide out. Digging a full sized snow cave is tiring work, after 3 hours we finally finished making just enough room for all of us to lay down inside. I had to bury the snowshoes to prevent them from blowing away in the winds as well as some other gear. Cooking inside the cave sometimes became a hassle because not only was there a lack of room, but when ever anyone was near the entrance, the carbon monoxide was filling the room. So the only safe alternative was to allow the "warm" air to escape.
 |
I became the gear guy, many times I was asked "Hey Josh, can you please get me some water..." or what ever it might be. Each time I went out it was a chilling experience with the winds blowing hard, and my gloves that were soaking wet. But I stayed in motion a lot making it a bit more enjoyable. I had to avoid wearing my heavy duty gloves to prevent them from getting wet, or else I would be in big trouble the next day. When most of the work for preparing for the next day was finished our gear was still very scattered inside the tent. Nobody cared if someone had many items of someone else. When there was no work I became quite cold resting, at one point I decided I needed to get out of the cave for a spell. The wind blew one of the hats on my head right off and into the winds. "Nooooooo...." I yell as I chase the hat as fast as I could across the snowfield. This was one of Gimpilator's Special OSAT hats which I felt as though I would not allow it to be lost. I caught it once again just in time and look over to see the sun setting over the distant hills. All around the landscape was glowing with beautiful colors. Below me a skier was heading up, I figured he would turn around soon.
|
|
 |
 |
I get back to the snow cave to try and warm up again. Just before taking off my boots Gimpilator tells me "Looks like he's having a hard time putting up his tent". Immediately I slide out of the snow cave and dash to the scene. I knew that there was not a second more that could be hesitated. Like our earlier situation, he too was having a very difficult time with his tent. I immediately caught his helmet, as well as other various gear that almost blew away. "Come join us in our snow cave" I told him without hesitation. So we grabbed his bunched up tent and gear and threw it inside the cave. I went back out to salvage small pieces of gear before the winds claimed it for the mountain. I staked down his skies using an ice axe as an anchor. I was pleased that very little was lost.
|
|
|
|
The inside of the tent was heavily disorganized and quite cramped. We decided it was time to get digging a bit more to provide more room for a place to be able to sleep. After the digging process we had enough room to lay down and set packs near the door. Who knew a snow cave would be so much nicer than a tent? But non the less, it had it's cold moments inside. The atmosphere was incredible, I had never done anything like this. Outside you could hear the pounding of winds that sounded like that of the movies and every now and then fresh dustings of snow would blow in the tunnel and cover everything with powder. It was both exciting and dramatic being in a place like this. But at the same time Michael decided to give the place a bit more class and turn on the music while we cooked up some food making it feel more lively.
After coming in and out to fetch more gear, Michael told me "Josh, I would be happy to invite you on any mountaineering trip". No one seemed very interested in climbing the Leuthold Couloir, we decided unless things improve we would do the standard route. An hour later we finally decided it was time to get some rest for the next day.
Day 3: Climbing the Leuthold Couloir
The next morning we woke up which it was a bright sunny day and the winds died down. We all looked at each other thinking "Lets climb the the Leuthold Couloir!". Instantly we all agreed out loud, and the next thing I did was pulled off the caps of my ice tools. After having a quick snack we all got ready and put our harness on for crossing the Reid Glacier. There was a little bit of winds as we start heading onto the glacier, but for the most part it was decent.
|
|
|
|
 |
The Reid Glacier was an easy traverse across the South Western section of Mount Hood. Finally we arrive below the Leuthold Couloir, tiny pieces of snow and ice started floating past us as we started the ascent. 300 feet later we unroped, Gimpilator wore it like a backpack in exchange for me carrying his gear. I was becoming quite excited as we were climbing towards "The Hour Glass". As it became icier, I decided to bring out my ice tool for extra support. In the Hour Glass the winds picked up showering down ice chunks and snow drifts. I would probably have been blinded had I not been wearing my ski goggles from the ice pouring down and hitting them. The wind blown snow suddenly found a way of getting into my shirt, making for a cold moment. "I see why they call it Mount Hood" I joked to myself as I put on my hood. A moment later we came up to a 2 man group.
|
|
|
|
|
We reached a fork in the climb which no one knew exactly which way to go. Michael proceeded on to the right (the wider gully) and the other guys went towards the left. When Gimpilator caught up we both wondered what to think of the situation. Both of us had read in a climbing description that you don't go left. We yelled for Michael in the winds, but he could hardly hear us. I randomly remembered that the description said that after the hour glass we don't go left. I told this to the other climbers and they decided to stick with us.
 |
I dreaded the idea of going left because the traverse section was a bit dicey. Not something I would feel comfortable down climbing. It wasn't just the fact that it was steep, icy, and you could not afford to fall, but also the constance of ice pelting you that made looking up undesirable. I had to make good ice tool/axe placements when swinging into the ice. I had never done any alpine climbing like this where you climb on pure water ice on thin holds. There was at least one spot that felt thin where my axe was not going in well at all. But I knew that this was the only way, and I couldn't have Michael down climb this.
Once we were out of the hour glass, things eased up a bit, or at least in the technical sense. There were many spots where we encountered water ice patches that we had to climb though. I became quite hungry and thirsty as we climbed up, not only was it too ice and steep but when I grabbed a snack once I got pelted in the side of the head with a big chunk of ice that made me loose all interest in further sit stops.
Later on Michael became quite worried about how much time it was taking and the fact that it was past 11:00 a.m. "Should we turn around?" he asked. Immediately both Gimpilator and I say "No, it would be too dangerous to down climb what we climbed up". As we got higher in elevations my toes started becoming quite cold, and my hands we getting semi numb. I had some of the worst pulsing sensation in my hands making me wish that I was at home or somewhere were warm. The next moment I started cramping up, "Awwwwwwwwww..." I instantly fall to the ground. Michael looks at me with a worried look, but in attempts to look strong I try and get up until the next cramp comes in. I was feeling quite miserable and worn out, but I knew that if I just press on a little further we would top out and be near the summit ridge.
 |
Finally the ice chunks stop coming down the mountain, which meant that I could get a drink of water. I must have drank almost a liter in a single sitting. Suddenly a small piece of my water bottle breaks off from the freezing temperatures. I didn't think much of it at the time, but later on in the trip it becomes a big deal. After a bit more ice scrambling and hiking up we arrive onto the summit ridge.
|
|
|
|
 |
Like many summit ridges, it looked a bit intimidating at first. There was a 10 foot or so section that required careful walking and a mini jump down over a lot of exposure. Most climbers can do it just fine as long as you take your time. After this we arrived at the top of the Old Chute. It was jolly walking from there to the summit.
 |
 |
 |
We arrived on the summit at about 1:30 p.m. and stayed for about 25 minutes enjoying the almost windless summit. Both Gimpilator and I went down the Old Chute while Michael took a slight variation to make it more fun for him. The conditions were perfect, one could practically glissade down. For safety reasons I plunge stepped down instead. After Crater Rock we traversed completely around it to get back down to Illumination saddle where our camp was.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
At camp we took a bit of a rest, enjoyed some food and started the packing up process. By the time we started heading down it was already sunset. The winds were picking up making the snow all around glow with pink color as well as the entire mountain side. I considered this moment to be on the top 10 most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was too windy to capture the moment and we were in a hurry down. This photo gives one an idea of what it looked like.
 |
The rest of the way down was an evening walk down the south slopes of Mount Hood. We reached the parking lot just before dark. After a good nights rest and hydrating we proceeded on with our road trip.
Day 4&5: The Long Drive to Southern California
The tent had to be fixed, there was no compromising this. After doing a bit of research we found out that there was a tent repair place in Vancouver Washington which was a little out of the way from where we were, but we had little choice so we went up to the place. The repair guy was friendly and got us new polls in a reasonable amount of time which we were all very excited that it would be possible to use the tent. From here Michael drove for many hours down all the way to Northern California. We pulled over on the side of the road to get some sleep and proceeded on the next day with the road trip.It started to seem like a tradition, every day we would stop and go to a taquería to enjoy some wonderful burritos. I gotta agree with Gimpilator, often times when you see a restaurant that says "Mexican Food" it is often American Mexican which in our opinions is not as tasty as taquería's. After what seemed like a life time we arrived in Southern California where Michael's mom invited us over to stay over and have dinner. They were very good hosts and provided wonderful food. It was so nice to sleep in a real bed after being on the road trip for so long.
Day 6: Heading Out to Whitney
In the morning before we left Michael invited to take me to the gym and warned me that I was going to be soar from this. I knew I was setting myself up, but can't say no to a fun exciting challenge. Michael and I did some pushups, then curl like reps, and then did more pushups. We did other exercises as well that went on for a while. This was one of the more harder gym work outs I have ever done. By the end of it I felt quite dizzy and weak. For the next 4-5 days I felt very soar in the arms which did have an effect on me on Mount Whitney.
 |
After packing up our gear we were finally on our way to Mount Whitney. By night time we arrive at the city of Lone Pine where we set up our tent for the night. As we assemble the tent Gimpilator discovered that the repair place accidentally made one of the polls too short on one of them. I giggled saying one of my favorite lines "If your not prepared, Rig It!". So we busted out the duct tape and started snapping pieces off one of the bamboo polls (snow flags) to make a tent poll extension. We found out that if you use 2 pieces of a mambo stick, use a knife and shave it a bit you can duct tape it together to the tent poll. Yeah it was a little rigged, but it worked just fine. But it only lasts until your done using the tent.
Continue the story with Part 2
Tourengänger:
Josh Lewis
Josh LewisGalerie
Beschreibung der Tour
Fotos der Tour (3)
Bitte warten...
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