Miles: 1286.4
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 8
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.7 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
On Saturday, Par, Derek, Rolando (sorry for calling you Alehandro), and I woke up late and drove out to the "M" Casino, a luxury Resort/Spa/Casino about 10 miles off the Strip. It is one of the newest casinos in Las Vegas and is well known for its amazing buffet. We waited in line for about 25 minutes only to be told that instead of the $15 advertised cost, the Saturday brunch featuring seafood, was $30. So we decided to get some In and Out Burgers instead.
As an aside, the M Casino (short for iMagine) is a externally beautiful casino, but upon entering it disappoints madly. The casino's foyer and casino floor is decorated in faux tiger stripe and black with accents of mahogany. It left me with an overall feel of being locked in bad 1970s funhouse.
At the burger joint, we enjoyed the Delux Meals and lemonade as the wind gusted madly outside. If you look on the bottom of the soft drink cups at In and Out Burger, you will find an Easter Egg. The verse John 3:16 is printed covertly. It turns out that the family who owns the chain is Christian and wanted to make a subtle homage to their God.
In the fall, Vegas enjoys brutal winds that have been known to exceed 90 miles-an-hour and we experienced the full force of those winds on our way back to Circus Circus.
That evening Derek and I went to the outdoor pools at C&C. Due to the high winds, one of the pools was closed, so we enjoyed the other pool.
Later that night, we all went to Fremont Street. The part of Las Vegas is far from the upscale casino hotels and it features cheaper games and lower minimum bets. Needless to say my eye saw no difference in the average patron's attire. You see the whole city is casual. In the high end casinos you will find folks from Missouri walking around in tank tops and torn jeans, and down on Fremont Street you will find folks from Iowa walking around in pain splattered t-shirts and flip-flops.
We found the cheapest buffet and enjoyed all you can eat NY Strip Steak for $12.99. I especially enjoyed the all-you-can-eat complementary deserts.
Later, Par taught Rolando how to play Craps (I learned how to play back in 9th grade when my frustrated math teacher, at my inner-city high school, taught us the game in a desperate attempt to get anyone to pay attention in class).
I wandered about alone for a little while enjoying "the world's largest TV". The screen is suspended 120 feet above a three block stretch of Fremont Street. It is an LED grid very similar to the jumbo-trons at all (american) football stadiums. Every 35 minutes the lights on the street would go off and a music video (complete with advertising) would play on the huge screen featuring music from The Beatles, The Who, and Aerosmith.
I counted no less than 8 Elvis impersonators on my little walk.
We got back to C&C late and slept into double digits.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Vegas Blog - Day 2
Miles: 1286.4
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0 !!
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 89
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.615 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
Par and I made it to Las Vegas' Circus Circus Hotel/Casino with little trouble (there was that one little 60 mile 'detour' through the Nevada wilderness). We met up with Derek and Alejandro, Par's friends from LA, and got to know each other during the $12.99 all-you-can-eat Prime Rib eating contest. Alejandro was triumphant by finishing 4.25 12oz cuts of Prime Rib, Par finished about 4, but he only ate the interior of the fillet, and I finished 3. Following our great meal, we walked the Vegas Strip from C&C to Aria stopping at the Treasure Island Hotel/Casino. Playing the penny slot machines, Alejandro won $5, Derek won $5.67, Par won $7.25, and I won $10.37 (including a $7.50 semi-jackpot on my last pull). We didn't even have to put any of our own money at risk because the casino gives any first-time player a free $10 game credit to play with, each of us used that credit and nothing else to win with. Each of us used Par's Rule #2 - "casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers". We each scored free alcohol, I enjoyed my rum and coke.
We enjoyed the architecture of the Casinos, discussing various missiological approaches, that could work in a city like Vegas and what the Reformed view of biblical participation in the Lord's Table is.
I got to walk through Caesar's Palace, the Bellagio (Where i saw some guy win $7,000 playing Roulette), and Treasure Island. It is amazing how intentionally convoluted the designers have made these places; even a person like me who can almost always find the fastest route anywhere, had to pause and think before finding the exit.
Vegas is an amazing place, some what similar to my experiences in New Orleans last March, but on a MUCH grander scale. The biggest downside of Vegas is how much pornography is given away; the hucksters will hand out there "business cards" featuring working girls to anyone and by 2am the sidewalks are covered.
Tomorrow is karaoke, hopefully Par will pick a song or two I know.
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0 !!
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 89
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.615 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
Par and I made it to Las Vegas' Circus Circus Hotel/Casino with little trouble (there was that one little 60 mile 'detour' through the Nevada wilderness). We met up with Derek and Alejandro, Par's friends from LA, and got to know each other during the $12.99 all-you-can-eat Prime Rib eating contest. Alejandro was triumphant by finishing 4.25 12oz cuts of Prime Rib, Par finished about 4, but he only ate the interior of the fillet, and I finished 3. Following our great meal, we walked the Vegas Strip from C&C to Aria stopping at the Treasure Island Hotel/Casino. Playing the penny slot machines, Alejandro won $5, Derek won $5.67, Par won $7.25, and I won $10.37 (including a $7.50 semi-jackpot on my last pull). We didn't even have to put any of our own money at risk because the casino gives any first-time player a free $10 game credit to play with, each of us used that credit and nothing else to win with. Each of us used Par's Rule #2 - "casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers". We each scored free alcohol, I enjoyed my rum and coke.
We enjoyed the architecture of the Casinos, discussing various missiological approaches, that could work in a city like Vegas and what the Reformed view of biblical participation in the Lord's Table is.
I got to walk through Caesar's Palace, the Bellagio (Where i saw some guy win $7,000 playing Roulette), and Treasure Island. It is amazing how intentionally convoluted the designers have made these places; even a person like me who can almost always find the fastest route anywhere, had to pause and think before finding the exit.
Vegas is an amazing place, some what similar to my experiences in New Orleans last March, but on a MUCH grander scale. The biggest downside of Vegas is how much pornography is given away; the hucksters will hand out there "business cards" featuring working girls to anyone and by 2am the sidewalks are covered.
Tomorrow is karaoke, hopefully Par will pick a song or two I know.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Vegas Blog - Day 1
Miles: 776.2
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 15412.4
Total Gallons Burned: 511.1
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.6
I'm in Wells Nevada in the northwestern portion of this great state. So far I have seen exactly 0 Elvis impersonators, disappointing.
My kind traveling companion Par has been a great co-pilot despite his lack of sleep. Using my latest piece of road trip tech, Par has managed to predict the exact location of a series of thunderstorms and flawlessly modify our lodging plans all without the need to halt our relentless forward progress toward that oasis in the desert. How did Par know the weather's location and exact arrival time in advance you ask? He used my new netbook computer featuring an Ericsson cellular modem. This enabled my co-pilot extraodinare to connect to any cell tower in our path and utilize the 3G network. Using Google Earth he verified local forcasts, checking often to ensure our safety.
How terrible of me, I almost forgot to thank Nick for his patient and excellent dirrection that allowed me to activate and integrate the GPS cabability of my netbook. Nick walked me through the proper hyperterminal commands to render the NMEA protocols active. This rapidly updating system provided Google Earth with our precise global location allowing us to acurately judge our pace and the best places to resupply.
As the driver for this road trip, I have enjoyed being at the wheel of Par's fine 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. The first leg from Seattle to Boise Idaho was uneventful yet beautiful.
The second leg of our trip was slightly more eventful as Par regaled me with stories and wisdom of the ins and outs of Las Vegas while the weather predictably darkened. We saw this as we approached our stopping point for the night:
Just as we entered Wells the rain began in ernest and lightening shown in the Sierra Nevadas.
Allow me to share Par's imPARted wisdom ;)
1 - In Las Vegas they try to attract people to gamble away their childrens', grandchildrens', and great grandchildrens' inheritances by offering very cheap food - so be prepared for $12.99 all you can eat Prime Rib!!
2 - In an attempt to destroy your judgement to facilitate the rapid transfer of said offsprings' future wealth from your pocket to theirs, the casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers - so even if you are playing the penny slots very slowly you can score a free drink (Par's personal record is a 19 cent Long Island Iced Tea)!!
3 - Smoking is allowed in all Casinos, to better promote all manner of vice - so if you have asthma and a gambling compulsion, you could very well die at the roulette table, hmm maybe they should call it 'Merican Roulette so we don't fall behind the Russians!!
Tomorrow we will arrive in Vegas, and maybe explode from our planned Prime Rib eating contest, tune in tomorrow to find out!
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 15412.4
Total Gallons Burned: 511.1
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.6
I'm in Wells Nevada in the northwestern portion of this great state. So far I have seen exactly 0 Elvis impersonators, disappointing.
My kind traveling companion Par has been a great co-pilot despite his lack of sleep. Using my latest piece of road trip tech, Par has managed to predict the exact location of a series of thunderstorms and flawlessly modify our lodging plans all without the need to halt our relentless forward progress toward that oasis in the desert. How did Par know the weather's location and exact arrival time in advance you ask? He used my new netbook computer featuring an Ericsson cellular modem. This enabled my co-pilot extraodinare to connect to any cell tower in our path and utilize the 3G network. Using Google Earth he verified local forcasts, checking often to ensure our safety.
How terrible of me, I almost forgot to thank Nick for his patient and excellent dirrection that allowed me to activate and integrate the GPS cabability of my netbook. Nick walked me through the proper hyperterminal commands to render the NMEA protocols active. This rapidly updating system provided Google Earth with our precise global location allowing us to acurately judge our pace and the best places to resupply.
As the driver for this road trip, I have enjoyed being at the wheel of Par's fine 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. The first leg from Seattle to Boise Idaho was uneventful yet beautiful.
The second leg of our trip was slightly more eventful as Par regaled me with stories and wisdom of the ins and outs of Las Vegas while the weather predictably darkened. We saw this as we approached our stopping point for the night:
Just as we entered Wells the rain began in ernest and lightening shown in the Sierra Nevadas.
Allow me to share Par's imPARted wisdom ;)
1 - In Las Vegas they try to attract people to gamble away their childrens', grandchildrens', and great grandchildrens' inheritances by offering very cheap food - so be prepared for $12.99 all you can eat Prime Rib!!
2 - In an attempt to destroy your judgement to facilitate the rapid transfer of said offsprings' future wealth from your pocket to theirs, the casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers - so even if you are playing the penny slots very slowly you can score a free drink (Par's personal record is a 19 cent Long Island Iced Tea)!!
3 - Smoking is allowed in all Casinos, to better promote all manner of vice - so if you have asthma and a gambling compulsion, you could very well die at the roulette table, hmm maybe they should call it 'Merican Roulette so we don't fall behind the Russians!!
Tomorrow we will arrive in Vegas, and maybe explode from our planned Prime Rib eating contest, tune in tomorrow to find out!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Goin' to Vegas
Miles: 0.0
Gallons Burned: 0.0
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 14636.2
Total Gallons Burned: 481.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.5
I'm going on another road trip! this time from Seattle to Las Vegas, then onto LA. I'll be flying back.
So last time I embarked on a long road trip I spent almost 3 whole weeks planning it, 2 days of silence and solitude to acquire a proper vision and purpose for it, 2 days just to optimize the cockpit's configuration, and over $1,000 just to prep it.
Well boy howdy!! I think I got this all figured out!
Sooo, for this admittedly shorter road trip I spent almost a whole night planning it, 30 minutes of silence and solitude to acquire a proper vision and purpose for it, 0.0002 days to optimize my duffel bag, and $2.50 just to prep it.
Now my favorite part, the statistics:
Epic Road Trip: 14,636.2 miles
Vegas Road Trip (or as my roommate calls it "Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle"): 1,474.3 miles
Estimated unique Elvis sightings: 37.3
Details:
My friend Par Singh generously invited me to accompany him to Vegas and following a 3 day jaunt in the desert "oasis", we will finish up in LA.
Stay tuned for real time updates from my upgraded communications system allowing me to blog from ANYWHERE.
Gallons Burned: 0.0
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 14636.2
Total Gallons Burned: 481.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.5
I'm going on another road trip! this time from Seattle to Las Vegas, then onto LA. I'll be flying back.
So last time I embarked on a long road trip I spent almost 3 whole weeks planning it, 2 days of silence and solitude to acquire a proper vision and purpose for it, 2 days just to optimize the cockpit's configuration, and over $1,000 just to prep it.
Well boy howdy!! I think I got this all figured out!
Sooo, for this admittedly shorter road trip I spent almost a whole night planning it, 30 minutes of silence and solitude to acquire a proper vision and purpose for it, 0.0002 days to optimize my duffel bag, and $2.50 just to prep it.
Now my favorite part, the statistics:
Epic Road Trip: 14,636.2 miles
Vegas Road Trip (or as my roommate calls it "Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle"): 1,474.3 miles
Estimated unique Elvis sightings: 37.3
Details:
My friend Par Singh generously invited me to accompany him to Vegas and following a 3 day jaunt in the desert "oasis", we will finish up in LA.
Stay tuned for real time updates from my upgraded communications system allowing me to blog from ANYWHERE.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Mount Adams in Review, well maybe not
As I sit in my living room looking out over the Puget Sound, I wonder why I get all theses chances to do amazing things. In the last 7 months I have driven 15,000 miles, seen 34 states, met 150 new and beautiful people, been run off a beach by alligators, spun out twice in snow almost falling off cliffs to my death, toured America's two most beautiful houses, trespassed on Stephen King's property, driven 21 hours straight from South Dakota to Seattle, tasted Scotch from every part of Scotland, volunteered 180 hours with faithful and dedicated folks, eaten Alligator, Caribou, and Camel, Shared my favorite place on earth with 7 people, crashed a tiny birthday party with 50 other people (in a good way, Happy B day Kristeen), ridden 350 miles on my cheap mountain bike, built a deck, painted a house, moved, read 12 new books (sad I know, I need to read more), led 5 hiking adventures, led 125 volunteers without one fatality, summited a stratovolcano twice in five days, canceled my car insurance to go bike-only, gained 10 pounds (the good kind), seen the worlds most beautiful sunset, eaten 4 MREs, held my first M4 rifle, fired my first 45cal, set off my first fireworks, and of course started blogging.
Ok sentence two, so what have I learned while doing all this cool stuff? The world's first philosopher (no not Anaximander or Thales of Miletus)was Solomon son of David born about 1000 BC. He concluded in his three books, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon that all the fun stuff we do here on earth is nothing more than warm breath on a cold morning, gone without a trace as soon as it is seen. I really don't want to agree with him, I drove, saw, tasted, touched, rode, and hiked. These things really happened. But did I change the world? Did my chasing after experiences really bring me deep and abiding joy? Am I a man who has beaten the odds and defeated the unquenchable forces of entropy? Is my kingdom really going to last from this millennium to the next?
You see why I don't want to agree with Solomon. If all my work counts for nothing in the grand scheme, if I am just one of my generation who has hopped on the stationary bicycle of history and ridden really really hard only to be replaced by the next generation, if you and I are stuck riding around the small cul-de-sac of existence waiting to live out our days, than I really am not all that I'm cracked up to be.
For those of you who have met me, have spent any amount of time with me, and are actually honest, then you know I am not all that awesome. I am vaguely interesting, but I am just like you, pursuing interesting experience, but all the while trying to deny that Solomon was right, "A vapor, a vapor, everything is a vapor."
I know that if I am really lucky, I'll have about 50 more years on this planet so while I still will run around chasing all the shiny things in life I rest in the fact that it's all a vapor and I don't need to worry about things too much, God's got it all under control and when the bad times in life hit I know He is good.
So today is a good day and the last 7 months have been really really good, but I know as Solomon said (not those stupid hippies who totally tried to ruin it):
To be clear I have had times of mourning, times of hatred, times of breaking down, times of losing, times of all sorts and kinds, but right now is a time of seeking, a time to learn, a time to grow, and a time to reflect on all that has happened.
So thank you all who have been part of my life and involved in these various seasons. I believe the next season is starting for me, I hope your next season will be challenging in a good way, because I know mine will be.
Peace
Ok sentence two, so what have I learned while doing all this cool stuff? The world's first philosopher (no not Anaximander or Thales of Miletus)was Solomon son of David born about 1000 BC. He concluded in his three books, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon that all the fun stuff we do here on earth is nothing more than warm breath on a cold morning, gone without a trace as soon as it is seen. I really don't want to agree with him, I drove, saw, tasted, touched, rode, and hiked. These things really happened. But did I change the world? Did my chasing after experiences really bring me deep and abiding joy? Am I a man who has beaten the odds and defeated the unquenchable forces of entropy? Is my kingdom really going to last from this millennium to the next?
You see why I don't want to agree with Solomon. If all my work counts for nothing in the grand scheme, if I am just one of my generation who has hopped on the stationary bicycle of history and ridden really really hard only to be replaced by the next generation, if you and I are stuck riding around the small cul-de-sac of existence waiting to live out our days, than I really am not all that I'm cracked up to be.
For those of you who have met me, have spent any amount of time with me, and are actually honest, then you know I am not all that awesome. I am vaguely interesting, but I am just like you, pursuing interesting experience, but all the while trying to deny that Solomon was right, "A vapor, a vapor, everything is a vapor."
I know that if I am really lucky, I'll have about 50 more years on this planet so while I still will run around chasing all the shiny things in life I rest in the fact that it's all a vapor and I don't need to worry about things too much, God's got it all under control and when the bad times in life hit I know He is good.
So today is a good day and the last 7 months have been really really good, but I know as Solomon said (not those stupid hippies who totally tried to ruin it):
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
To be clear I have had times of mourning, times of hatred, times of breaking down, times of losing, times of all sorts and kinds, but right now is a time of seeking, a time to learn, a time to grow, and a time to reflect on all that has happened.
So thank you all who have been part of my life and involved in these various seasons. I believe the next season is starting for me, I hope your next season will be challenging in a good way, because I know mine will be.
Peace
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
July 26th-27th Mount Adams Summit!!!
For Jen Z. to see what Adams is like and for everyone else to share in our amazing summit of Mount Adams. Pictures courtesy of Jen Gagne, our official photo documentarian. I also added some of my pictures (they are the really bad ones).
The Drive up to Adams at 6am
Me, Brandon, Andy C., Pavel Nosov, Mr. Chchran, Marie, and Jen Gagne
The mountain
Mount Hood from Mount Adams
Looking up past the trees to the false summit
Mount Hood from the tree line
Me ascending, check out the angle of the mountain
Mount St Helens from Mount Adams
Jen's Refridgerator, to keep our chocolate and pizza preserved
Our Campsite
The view from camp to the false summit
Pavel plays his harmonica as we watch this beautiful sunset from 10,000ft
One Word: GLORY
Jen embracing the gift God gave
The mountain's Shadow in the morning sun
Breaking camp on a cold morning
Ascending to the false summit took 4 long hours and check out the 38 degree angle on the slope.
On top of the false summit (11,500ft) looking toward the true summit
Looking southeast down on the false summit from the summit at 12,276ft!!
Looking West from the summit
Mount Rainier from Mount Adams
Looking west from Adams
The toast at the top, "nothing better than Grand Marnier on a day like today"
Jen on top of the 2nd tallest peak in Washington State
Pavel the mountain conqueror
The obligatory "Top of the Peak shot"
Jen rocking it at 12,276ft!!!
Pavel higher than he has ever been
The Drive up to Adams at 6am
Me, Brandon, Andy C., Pavel Nosov, Mr. Chchran, Marie, and Jen Gagne
The mountain
Mount Hood from Mount Adams
Looking up past the trees to the false summit
Mount Hood from the tree line
Me ascending, check out the angle of the mountain
Mount St Helens from Mount Adams
Jen's Refridgerator, to keep our chocolate and pizza preserved
Our Campsite
The view from camp to the false summit
Pavel plays his harmonica as we watch this beautiful sunset from 10,000ft
One Word: GLORY
Jen embracing the gift God gave
The mountain's Shadow in the morning sun
Breaking camp on a cold morning
Ascending to the false summit took 4 long hours and check out the 38 degree angle on the slope.
On top of the false summit (11,500ft) looking toward the true summit
Looking southeast down on the false summit from the summit at 12,276ft!!
Looking West from the summit
Mount Rainier from Mount Adams
Looking west from Adams
The toast at the top, "nothing better than Grand Marnier on a day like today"
Jen on top of the 2nd tallest peak in Washington State
Pavel the mountain conqueror
The obligatory "Top of the Peak shot"
Jen rocking it at 12,276ft!!!
Pavel higher than he has ever been
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Two Mount Adams hikes....12,281ft
Oh, and by the way I'll be doing it for the first time on the 26th and again on the 31st, that's two summits in 5 days.
I simply must make TWO HUGE apologies to anyone who reads this blog...
1) I am sorry for interrupting my recounting of adventures on the road, don't fear I will return soonish with fresh stories.
2) I am sorry for failing to use the abbreviation "Mt." whenever I refer to the great mountain known as Adams (or Klickitat by the local native tribes). However I have known good friends who have lost brothers and buddies on the dangerous mountains here in the Cascades, so I respect this peak, its two brother peaks, and its sister peak. They kill. I don't worship these peaks or anything, but I respect them.
With all that taken care of, let me tell you about the mountain, then I'll tell you about the hike, then I'll tell you about the gear and accommodations for the trip.
Elevation: 12,281 ft
2nd Biggest Volcano in Washington State
194th tallest peak in North America
Passes: Required for hiking above the Lunch Counter
Cost:
Camp sites run ~$15 a night
Food you buy yourself for Friday breakfast, the hike, and for the night after the hike ($12 a person)
Hiking pass ($10)
The Hike:
All my info about this summit comes second hand off people's blogs or from Dan from Mars Ballard, so take it with a big grain of salt.
This 13 mile round trip features a 6,704ft elevation gain across snow fields, glaciers, and barren tundra. It can be done in one day, that is not to say that the first time I try I will succeed. This is a non-technical summit requiring power-slogging (I of course mean that you just keep going and persevering). As Elliott has said in the past, "A long slog? Sounds fun, I'll slog it out any day." So anyone who wants to come with me will be in for one brutal day...or two if you're as crazy as I am.
The first 2 miles are in the trees over dry ground. The next obstacle will be a boulder field with a large amount of rapidly melting snow and ice. Every blogger has recommended reaching this field early in the day before the temperature rises too much, reducing mobility. The snow fields start after this point with a gentle grade all the way up to the Lunch Counter where many people choose to camp in the numerous wind protected campsites. The next 1.5-2 hours are steep with soft snow up to the false summit; the view is supposed to be legendary along this stretch. The effects of altitude will be brutal from the Lunch Counter on. A prolonged rest (acclimatization break) is recommended at the false summit because there is extensive cover from the continuous wind. Also drop all excess weight and pick it up on the way down. The last 600 vertical feet are the hardest part because this air is the thinnest of the whole hike. At the top, you can see hundreds of miles and the fraternal peaks. The way down is EPIC, well not as epic as my road trip, but still pretty sweet. You can glissade more that 65% of the way down including one part where you lose 2,700 ft without stopping! Reading others' experiences has led me to make two recommendations:
1) Practice Rest Stepping:
After the Lunch Counter, conserving your leg muscles and reducing your body's demand for oxygen will go a long way. Read THIS article and learn. Rest Stepping is a great method for exactly this sort of hike.
2) Altitude Sickness:
This is due to the body's reaction to lower oxygen levels above 10,000ft. Anyone who has done Muir with me knows what this feels like. According to other bloggers the best ways to combat this are to:
a) Take antioxidants like vitamin A,C, and E
b) Take a substance called Acetazolamide (Diamox) which can help prevent the effects if taken preemptively, unfortunately this substance dehydrates the user, and is dangerous if taken with Alcohol (I am skeptical about this one)
c) Take the herbal supplement Ginko Biloba
The Two Day July 25-26th Hike
We will leave Seattle at 9:00pm on Sunday July 24th and spend the night at my college friend's house in Portland. On Monday morning we will leave for Mount Adams and start our hike up to the "Lunch Counter" at about 9400ft where we will sleep and acclimatize. On Tuesday, we will hike to the 12,281ft summit and descend rapidly using our thermo sheets using the amazing ice chutes. The Plan is to be back in Seattle on Tuesday night.(6 people confirmed so far: Pavel, Jen, Eric, Andy, Andy's dad, and Me)
The One Day July 31st Hike
We will leave Seattle at 6:15pm on Friday night and head directly to Cold Springs Campground at the foot of Mount Adams. After a good night's sleep, we will ascend as far as possible, however a summit is unlikely since we will be hiking all 6700ft in a single day. We will go as far as is reasonable and safe. When we descend, fatigue is certain, so we shall camp back in Cold Springs Campground. The Plan is to return to Seattle on Sunday by about 3pm. (Two people confirmed so far: Sean and Me)
Gear:
A brand new Army Emergency Medical Kit (I will provide)
3 changes of cloths (two for camping (one for the drive) one for the hike
Sleeping bag or comforter
Tent (if you have one)
Cook Stove (if you have one)
Food for Friday morning that will top up you energy
Food for Friday night that can be cooked over fire or a camp stove
A towel for after the hike in the car
Food for the Hike, snaking is very important (I prefer baked good, trail mix, sandwiches, slices of cold pizza, etc)
Water for the hike ~2 Liters
Sun Glasses or Ski goggles with UV protection
Sun Screen SPF 30+
Ice Axes (optional)
A day backpack to carry water and food in for the 1 day option
A back packing pack for the 2 day option
A stalking cap, tuque , baclava, or hat
Gloves (for snow ball fights)
Strong boots with some water-proofing (Cramp-ons optional)
2 Large Black Garbage bags (for enjoying the long ice chutes on the snow fields)
Thermal Gear Top and bottom (Under-Armor or "long johns")
Heavy tuque hat
Thick wool socks (Maybe bring a second pair)
A scarf
Medium weight jacket (with some sort of liner & some rain resistance)
Accommodations:
We will be staying at the Cold Springs Campground (no water available) in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. I will bring a 3 man tent, cook stove, wood + white gasoline to light it, food for breakfast on Sunday before we go home, and 1 extra sleeping bag. For the Two day option, we will camp at the "Lunch Counter" at 9400ft.
Quotes from other Blogs:
"We glissaded down 2700 vertical ft to Lunch Counter. Without stopping. It took us 10 to 15 minutes to descend the slope that took us an hour and a half to climb."
-Dave & Iva's Blog
"Gorgeous views of Rainier awaited us at the summit. Barely visible under the snow were remains from a fire tower / sulphur mine that once was located at the top of Mt Adams." -Naffziger's Summit
Here is a funny story about Mount Adams:
Hall Kelley was a man from the early 1800s who became fascinated by the exploits of Lewis and Clark. He repeatedly tried to reach the Pacific Northwest overland, but due to finances and circumstance failed. He ended up heading to New Orleans and from there south to Veracruz and eventually up to Monterey. He then finally made it to the mouth of the Columbia River where he recovered from Malaria. He shipped out to Hawaii and eventually returned to Boston. In the end he showed himself to be a great organizer and leader of men and a strong influence on others who eventually came from the east and settled Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Now that isn't the funny story. Before he set out on his long, yet successful adventure he led an organization to rename the Cascade Mountain Range to the "Presidents Range." The idea was to name all the big mountains of this range after former U.S. Presidents. He failed in renaming the range, but succeeded in renaming one mountain after a president. He received approval to rename Mount Hood after President John Adams. But due to the inaccurate maps of the day and a careless cartographer the name "Mount Adams" was placed 30 miles east of Mount St. Helens and 40 miles north of Mount Hood on the official map of the area. Fortunately, or providentially if your are a Calvinist, there was a big mountain already at the exact location! Thus Mount Adams received its name.
I simply must make TWO HUGE apologies to anyone who reads this blog...
1) I am sorry for interrupting my recounting of adventures on the road, don't fear I will return soonish with fresh stories.
2) I am sorry for failing to use the abbreviation "Mt." whenever I refer to the great mountain known as Adams (or Klickitat by the local native tribes). However I have known good friends who have lost brothers and buddies on the dangerous mountains here in the Cascades, so I respect this peak, its two brother peaks, and its sister peak. They kill. I don't worship these peaks or anything, but I respect them.
With all that taken care of, let me tell you about the mountain, then I'll tell you about the hike, then I'll tell you about the gear and accommodations for the trip.
Elevation: 12,281 ft
2nd Biggest Volcano in Washington State
194th tallest peak in North America
Passes: Required for hiking above the Lunch Counter
Cost:
Camp sites run ~$15 a night
Food you buy yourself for Friday breakfast, the hike, and for the night after the hike ($12 a person)
Hiking pass ($10)
The Hike:
All my info about this summit comes second hand off people's blogs or from Dan from Mars Ballard, so take it with a big grain of salt.
This 13 mile round trip features a 6,704ft elevation gain across snow fields, glaciers, and barren tundra. It can be done in one day, that is not to say that the first time I try I will succeed. This is a non-technical summit requiring power-slogging (I of course mean that you just keep going and persevering). As Elliott has said in the past, "A long slog? Sounds fun, I'll slog it out any day." So anyone who wants to come with me will be in for one brutal day...or two if you're as crazy as I am.
The first 2 miles are in the trees over dry ground. The next obstacle will be a boulder field with a large amount of rapidly melting snow and ice. Every blogger has recommended reaching this field early in the day before the temperature rises too much, reducing mobility. The snow fields start after this point with a gentle grade all the way up to the Lunch Counter where many people choose to camp in the numerous wind protected campsites. The next 1.5-2 hours are steep with soft snow up to the false summit; the view is supposed to be legendary along this stretch. The effects of altitude will be brutal from the Lunch Counter on. A prolonged rest (acclimatization break) is recommended at the false summit because there is extensive cover from the continuous wind. Also drop all excess weight and pick it up on the way down. The last 600 vertical feet are the hardest part because this air is the thinnest of the whole hike. At the top, you can see hundreds of miles and the fraternal peaks. The way down is EPIC, well not as epic as my road trip, but still pretty sweet. You can glissade more that 65% of the way down including one part where you lose 2,700 ft without stopping! Reading others' experiences has led me to make two recommendations:
1) Practice Rest Stepping:
After the Lunch Counter, conserving your leg muscles and reducing your body's demand for oxygen will go a long way. Read THIS article and learn. Rest Stepping is a great method for exactly this sort of hike.
2) Altitude Sickness:
This is due to the body's reaction to lower oxygen levels above 10,000ft. Anyone who has done Muir with me knows what this feels like. According to other bloggers the best ways to combat this are to:
a) Take antioxidants like vitamin A,C, and E
b) Take a substance called Acetazolamide (Diamox) which can help prevent the effects if taken preemptively, unfortunately this substance dehydrates the user, and is dangerous if taken with Alcohol (I am skeptical about this one)
c) Take the herbal supplement Ginko Biloba
The Two Day July 25-26th Hike
We will leave Seattle at 9:00pm on Sunday July 24th and spend the night at my college friend's house in Portland. On Monday morning we will leave for Mount Adams and start our hike up to the "Lunch Counter" at about 9400ft where we will sleep and acclimatize. On Tuesday, we will hike to the 12,281ft summit and descend rapidly using our thermo sheets using the amazing ice chutes. The Plan is to be back in Seattle on Tuesday night.(6 people confirmed so far: Pavel, Jen, Eric, Andy, Andy's dad, and Me)
The One Day July 31st Hike
We will leave Seattle at 6:15pm on Friday night and head directly to Cold Springs Campground at the foot of Mount Adams. After a good night's sleep, we will ascend as far as possible, however a summit is unlikely since we will be hiking all 6700ft in a single day. We will go as far as is reasonable and safe. When we descend, fatigue is certain, so we shall camp back in Cold Springs Campground. The Plan is to return to Seattle on Sunday by about 3pm. (Two people confirmed so far: Sean and Me)
Gear:
A brand new Army Emergency Medical Kit (I will provide)
3 changes of cloths (two for camping (one for the drive) one for the hike
Sleeping bag or comforter
Tent (if you have one)
Cook Stove (if you have one)
Food for Friday morning that will top up you energy
Food for Friday night that can be cooked over fire or a camp stove
A towel for after the hike in the car
Food for the Hike, snaking is very important (I prefer baked good, trail mix, sandwiches, slices of cold pizza, etc)
Water for the hike ~2 Liters
Sun Glasses or Ski goggles with UV protection
Sun Screen SPF 30+
Ice Axes (optional)
A day backpack to carry water and food in for the 1 day option
A back packing pack for the 2 day option
A stalking cap, tuque , baclava, or hat
Gloves (for snow ball fights)
Strong boots with some water-proofing (Cramp-ons optional)
2 Large Black Garbage bags (for enjoying the long ice chutes on the snow fields)
Thermal Gear Top and bottom (Under-Armor or "long johns")
Heavy tuque hat
Thick wool socks (Maybe bring a second pair)
A scarf
Medium weight jacket (with some sort of liner & some rain resistance)
Accommodations:
We will be staying at the Cold Springs Campground (no water available) in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. I will bring a 3 man tent, cook stove, wood + white gasoline to light it, food for breakfast on Sunday before we go home, and 1 extra sleeping bag. For the Two day option, we will camp at the "Lunch Counter" at 9400ft.
Quotes from other Blogs:
"We glissaded down 2700 vertical ft to Lunch Counter. Without stopping. It took us 10 to 15 minutes to descend the slope that took us an hour and a half to climb."
-Dave & Iva's Blog
"Gorgeous views of Rainier awaited us at the summit. Barely visible under the snow were remains from a fire tower / sulphur mine that once was located at the top of Mt Adams." -Naffziger's Summit
Here is a funny story about Mount Adams:
Hall Kelley was a man from the early 1800s who became fascinated by the exploits of Lewis and Clark. He repeatedly tried to reach the Pacific Northwest overland, but due to finances and circumstance failed. He ended up heading to New Orleans and from there south to Veracruz and eventually up to Monterey. He then finally made it to the mouth of the Columbia River where he recovered from Malaria. He shipped out to Hawaii and eventually returned to Boston. In the end he showed himself to be a great organizer and leader of men and a strong influence on others who eventually came from the east and settled Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Now that isn't the funny story. Before he set out on his long, yet successful adventure he led an organization to rename the Cascade Mountain Range to the "Presidents Range." The idea was to name all the big mountains of this range after former U.S. Presidents. He failed in renaming the range, but succeeded in renaming one mountain after a president. He received approval to rename Mount Hood after President John Adams. But due to the inaccurate maps of the day and a careless cartographer the name "Mount Adams" was placed 30 miles east of Mount St. Helens and 40 miles north of Mount Hood on the official map of the area. Fortunately, or providentially if your are a Calvinist, there was a big mountain already at the exact location! Thus Mount Adams received its name.
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