Mount Adams

My best friend Craig Campbell and I decided a few days in advance that we wanted to climb Mount Adams on Monday and Tuesday the 12th and 13th of August. Craig had attempted the climb several times before but had to turn back due to the fact that his climbing partner had gotten altitude sickness; however, Craig finally reached the summit in the early summer doing a solo ascension. Thus, I had considerable trust in Craig's climbing abilities and was confident that we could make the summit this time around.

The one thing that kept me from making the climb was my lack of gear. Luckily, my good friend Ryan Rhoten had just made the climb with his daughter and some other friends and had some gear for me to borrow, including: crampons, ice ax, trekking poles, sleeping bag, pad, etc. I was very grateful for Ryan's help. Craig was able to get me a climbing backpack from our buddy Dan Cannon to which I am also very grateful. We were ready.

The night before we left, I had Craig come over so that he could go over my items and assure that I had everything I needed. He also helped me pack my bag so that the essential things were easily accessible. I felt ready and excited.

The next morning after running a few preparatory errands, we left. We got to Cold Springs base camp at around 3:00 pm. We slumped our heavy packs on our backs and began the long hike up to lunch counters which lied at about 9,000 ft of elevation. The sun was high up in the sky and fell upon us with intensity. I was sweating almost immediately. As we slowly went upward, we passed many people with friendly faces who were headed downward. "Happy summiting!" one guy exclaimed. It so often appears that those who seek refuge in nature are people of friendly dispositions who have a superior sense of morality. The people we passed encouraged us upward and seemed so joyous to see others who shared the same love of nature that they do.

We stopped every 30 minutes or so to ingest a few calories and drink water. This is a strategy that Craig had learned from Powell McClean during a beginners ascension of Mount Rainier. It is incredible how quickly the human body burns energy. This strategy assures that the body has the energy it needs in order to continue the journey upward.

As we climbed we passed the massive Crescent Glacier which slopes downward at a very steep angle. Craig and I passed by the glacier on its west side as we climbed up some very large boulders. As we looked behind us we could clearly see the beautiful Mount Hood at a distance. Due to the late summer heat, most of the snow up to this point had already been melted, except for the Crescent glacier, of course. At one point, as we rested we spotted a white animal in the distance. After contemplating what it might have been, we came to the conclusion that it was a mountain goat. We could see it digging itself into the ground and lay down to rest for a time. What a beautiful sight!

We continued upward. After about 3 hours of climbing, we finally came to the snow covered face. We sat down on some rocks to strap on our crampons. The crampons that Ryan had lent to me were quite seasoned and were more difficult to strap on. The spikes on the bottom were a bit dull and the straps were made of leather. The straps seemed to be way too long and I had great difficulty figuring out how to strap them down enough that they were out of my way as I walked. After great effort, I finally managed. Craig had just purchased himself a brand new pair of crampons, so he was waiting for me patiently.

As we stepped onto the snow as was filled with gratitude for what I had strapped to the bottom of my feet. Without crampons, the steep snowy mountain side would be difficult to walk up. With crampons, however, the climb was enjoyable. Climbing on the snow added to the experience a sense of authenticity. It wasn't until this point that I realized that I was actually climbing a MOUNTAIN.

As the elevation level continued to rise, so did my heart rate. I could definitely feel the difference between being at 8,500 ft compared to sea level.

Mount Borah

We climbed mount Borah! We had such an amazing adventure. However, we went to the wrong side of the mountain, the dangerous side. We left our car and had to hike 7 miles to even get to the base of the mountain. Once we got to base camp, we were already out of food, and we had no idea how to proceed. We started talking about giving up. At that exact moment, God sent us a mortal angel. An older guy starting walking towards us and asking us where we were wanting to go. He had a robe on, a cleft lip scar, and a hat with crocodile teeth all around it. He told us his name was Delone. This man was the nicest person I've ever met. He saw we were tired and frustrated, so he invited us to his camp for refreshment. He gave us apple juice and bread and bacon. He was camping at the base, right next to a small creak. He lifted our spirits and drew a map for us which pointed out the way to Borah peak. He took our phone numbers and gave us his so that he could make sure we were okay later on down the road. We could tell he was intelligent, he told us he was a lawyer. His disposition was so kind and charitable. His offerings to us were entirely genuine and without any selfish purpose. Without him, we would have given up. I'm so thankful for that man. The guidance and map he gave us led us perfectly to our destination.

The way up was strenuous and difficult. I could feel the lack of oxygen in the air due to the high elevation. Every step was accompanied by a desperate struggle for air. But the journey was beautiful. We passed beautiful lakes formed by glacier runoff and the rocks were so beautiful.

At one point, we had to climb a steep wall. The rocks were loose and every step up was followed by several rocks falling down. We went slow, because one bad step and your life was on the line. At one point, Ben was very scared and was wanting to return back down. I kept trying to lift his spirits and help him to be positive. We pushed each other up 1,000 feet of an insanely steep and dangerous rock wall.

At the top of the wall, we realized that we were still 500 feet from the summit. The entire time, we were climbing uncharted territory. There was no path; we made our own. However, because we were on the opposite side of the mountain then where the trail head was, there was no way for us to summit. I suppose there may have been a way, but if there were, it was insanely dangerous. We had to make a choice. We all wanted to make it to the summit, but to do so was to risk our lives. We decided not to continue up the last 500 feet. We enjoyed where we were at that moment. The sky was dark blue, almost black because of the high elevation. We were at 12,000 ft above sea level at that point, perhaps a few hundred feet higher. We had the most breathtaking view imaginable.

The trip was amazing. I learned so many lessons and I found the whole journey analogous to the gospel. God sends Angels at our weakest points. He gives us the water of the everlasting atonement. I love him. I know he cares. And he wants us to return back to him.