One Step at a Time

As I promised I am back with a report on my day in the San G Wilderness. 5am came quicker than I though... well actually I new it would be one of those nights that I close my eyes and before I had time to get lost in a mid winter slumbers fantasy I would be awaken by the sound of my alarm. I remember telling myself that I would be fine and I had better start getting used to waking up after little sleep because that's what it will be like on Denali. But the thing I am never really prepared for is the sound of my alarm clock, I think the more and more I hear that sound as my life ticks by my hatred for it grows slightly by the day. Its not that I dont want to get up or that I'm not exited for what delights the day might bring, It's something else something deep seeded in my bones that makes me cringe at the sound of that alarm. But whatever it is it woke me for an exiting day on the mountain.

After a quick stop for gas and a Redbull I swung by The Mill Creek Ranger Station to pick up my permit and partner for the day. This was the first time I had met Chris in person, I had chatted with him over the phone but that was it. It was because of this very blog that I was fortunate enough to meet him and be able to take someone out into the San G Wilderness for the first time.

So after a quick rundown about our lives and our climbing passions we were pulling into the trailhead parking lot and right on time. We quickly got our gear out strapped it to the sled (I have been pulling a sled as part of my training on Denali) tightened our backpacks and allowed our boots  their first purchase of snow that the long day would have to offer.

The snow pack proved to be nice and hard and we were able to enjoy the first 4.5 miles without the hassle of snowshoes or crampons. But as all good things must come to an end so did our grand conditions. As we ended our approach for the the climb we had in mind, the effects of the summertime conditions were fast upon us. We sat to take in a bit of food to keep a good constant energy level, some much needed water and to contemplated the route for the day.  I had been looking at the route and knew it was the one we should take but a this point I was feeling I may have been a bit overzealous in my planning. But after some thought and an energy boost I was able to look again at the objective and feel confident about the route and hit it head on.

One step at a time my brain started to recall all the tidbits of climbing tricks I have accumulated over the years. Take this step breathe.....take another step breathe.... focus buddy you got this, pick a point not to far and get to it don't look up.... you looked up!!! well what did you expect and escalator to take us to the top, now breathe focus you got this. The route we or I; I'm pretty sure Chris had no idea what he was getting himself into when he climbed into the car that morning, was only a mile but it was right at 2000ft of elevation gain and there was no trail and we were climbing on rotten snow. If you aren't sure what rotten snow is picture yourself climbing the steepest stair case you can find now eliminate the steps and cover it with mashed potato's and not the kind your mom makes but the kind you were served by the lunch lady in grade school, sloppy and messy.

As I fell upon the mental notes I  repeated in my head until we finally made it to the top. 6 hours later, Objective complete! Now after all of that,with the sun now setting we quickly forced some more food into our faces as we knew it might be a while before we were able to stop again  and we needed to make haste and get off the mountain as quickly as possible. Our late lunch was soon gone and our bags were packed and now for the fun part. See sometimes climbing mountains has some unbelievable perks. Knowing the location we would top out at I also knew our descent route. Straight down the couloir with a 2000ft glissade. If you are not familiar with this term it is basically sledding on your butt down a steep mountain using your ice axe as a break.
What took the better part of the day to climb we were able to descend in minutes. Now I would not suggest this unless you know the snow conditions and are familiar with self arrest techniques and if you are you could probably understand the joy of our ride down.

Night seems to fall a lot faster up there and before we knew it we were facing a 4.5 mile walk back to the car lit by only our headlamps and the bits of moon we caught through the trees.
As we sloshed our way out through melting snow the trail head parking lot offered a great resurrection to our spirits and offered great relief to our bodies as we knew we would now be able to sit and enjoy another ride down the mountain.
This was a great trip and it offered me a lot of insight on what can be expected in months to come and furthermore it brings me yet another step closer to my adventure North.