First milestones

Mount Si, 10,000 feet, 10 soccer balls

North Bend, WA: Yesterday Wilson did what 80-000 to 100,000 visitors do every year. He climbed Mount Si, the small mountain outside North Bend, WA that became a familiar fixture on national TV in the program, Twin Peaks. By ascending Mount Si, Wilson was there to witness another milestone -- my passing the 10,000-foot mark in elevation gained since my quest to climb Mount Adams began on August 29, 2014. This milestone represents one-seventh of my overall objective to climb 70,000 vertical feet before July 2015, when I will summit Adams. At the same time, readers have purchased 10 one world futbols, bringing this campaign to one-tenth of its objective of purchasing 100 indestructible soccer balls for children around the world by the time I climb Adams. The One World Futbol Project estimates that each ball benefits roughly 30 children. Using that statistic, the 10 balls purchased will benefit 300 children. Those wanting to purchase a ball may go to http://www.oneworldfutbol.com/campaigns/wilson/.

Thank you for your participation. It is deeply appreciated.

Wilson didn't make it to the very top of Mount Si. The Indestructable did not scale "The Haystack," the rock formation whose peak represents the highest elevation of the mountain. But Wilson did ascend a full 2,990 feet to the 3,763-foot level, and then planked a rock (see photo). Along the way he collected autographs and made friends, among them a 4-month old pre-toddler--Eevi--whose parents had included her on their hike up Mount Si. Eevi is the offspring of a Finnish mom (Anja) and a Ukrainian father (Alex) whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the end of our ascent.

Climbing Si is always a multicultural event, with many foreign-born hikers enjoying the experience. Also along the way were a middle-aged Greek man and his son, and two nurses who grew up in Czechoslovakia. That nursing experience came in handy when one of them fell while climbing up a rock field below the summit of Si, cutting her shin to the bone. Sue Butkus, a retired faculty member from Washington State University's extension service, and part of my hiking team yesterday, was next to her during the fall and provided first-aid materials that helped stop the bleeding and allow the young woman to make the long hike back down to the parking lot. We were also able to provide a roll of that elastic self-adhesive stretch tape to wrap around the bandage to provide additional support. You can never be too prepared.

Mount Si, by the way, is named for Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt, an early pioneer of the Pacific Northwest who built a cabin at the base of the mountain's peak in 1862, according to Wikipedia. The  online encyclopedia reports that Meritt raised vegetables and hogs and kept an orchard. He reportedly was a rugged man who sometimes hauled bacon to large settlements, played the fiddle and kept an Indian woman until his spouse, "Aunt Sally" arrived from the east and had other ideas about that. Merritt is buried in the old Fall City cemetery.


The Native American Legend of Mount Si: Here's another story you might be interested in regarding Mount Si, quoting Wikipedia:

Mount Si figures prominently in a Prometheus story from the Snoqualmie tribe. According to the story it is the dead body of Snoqualm, the moon. Snoqualm had ordered that a rope of cedar bark be stretched between the earth and the sky. But Fox and Blue Jay went up the rope and stole the sun from Snoqualm. Snoqualm chased them down the cedar rope, but it broke and he fell to his death. Fox then let the sun free in the sky and gave fire to the people. A face like Snoqualm's is visible on the rocks near the summit.

Below are the statistics for my progress toward climbing Mount Adams, and some photos taken today by me and Roger Matthews, my trainer, guide and hiking mentor.

Today's Hike: 7.24 miles
Time: 8 hours
Today's elevation gain: 2,998 feet
Packing: 13-pound backpack
Accumulation to date:  45.6 miles, 12,498 vertical feet

The motley crew: Me, Sue Butkus and Roger Matthews

An enormous mushroom popping up to greet us along the trail

Mt Si, as seen from the south side of the I-90 freeway, from Rattlesnake Ledge

The "Haystack," the highest point on Mount Si

Anja Bondarchuk with her 4-month-old newborn, Eevi. The baby took an instant liking to Wilson.

Wilson celebrated the ascent, the 10,000-foot milestone and the 10-ball milestone by planking Si.

Love,
Robert,
and Wilson

Si, in the rain

Today's Hike: 3.6 miles of Mount Si, near North Bend, WA
Time: 3.24 hours
Today's elevation gain: 1,404 feet
Packing: 13-pound backpack
Accumulation to date:  38.2 miles, 9,500 vertical feet


North Bend-- It rained today. Roger fashioned an umbrella attached to his backpack, and I wore a hooded rain jacket. The colors were a rich verdant hue. Mushrooms popped out joyfully. The hike was almost effortless, but we were wet, and aborted after two hours. We will return on sunny Sunday, when I plan to reach the top. Our hike, mapped:

White lines show trails; blue lines show streams.

Overcast and rain gave a wet, verdant, still-life feel.

The rain coaxed out giant mushrooms to greet us along the trail.

Roger tried to fasten an umbrella into his backpack to ward off the drizzle, then accepted the inevitable, and carried it.

At Snag Flats, where a forest fire spared the trees after tearing up a hillside, Roger lunched (background, left)  while Wilson rested on the boardwalk next to a very soaked backpack.

Love,
Robert,
and Wilson

Donor page created

Well, that was quick!

For those Wilson fans out there, One World Futbol Project has created a donor page for people who want to support Wilson and me in our quest to scale Mount Adams and raise money to send the world-famous indestructible soccer ball to kids in impoverished communities. I had barely announced my intentions to create this campaign page before it was already a done deal.

One generous donor has already stepped forward, a colleague of mine in the Seattle ballroom dance community who purchased the first four balls toward my rather limited objective of sponsoring 100 before July 26, 2015, the date of my 70th birthday.

You can track the record of this campaign on Wilson's page at oneworldfutbol.com/campaigns/wilson/. And for those who are so inclined, you may also purchase a ball one of two ways: You can buy a pair, and have one mailed to you; or you may buy as many individual balls as you like for $25 each and let the One World Futbol Project distribute them to kids somewhere in the world. As soon as 20 balls have been purchased, the project begins matching the donations with $5 for each ball purchased, and those extra funds can be used to purchase more balls.

Considering the fact that this drops the price to $20 per ball, and that the ball has a very long life span, this seems like a very economical gift. And for those of you who haven't been following this blog, I'd like to point out that I stuck a jack knife deep into Wilson and Wilson didn't deflate. This is one tough ball!

Wilson takes a trouncin' and keeps on bouncin'.

You may notice the "Help the children" headline on the right side of this page. That contains a link to the Wilson campaign / donation page.

I'd like to sign off with thanks from me and Wilson for the generous contribution from my dancing friend. At his age, he doesn't dance as much any more, but his gift will make some kid somewhere smile. Although his vision is diminishing with age, he can clearly see what this is all about.

Love,

Robert,
and Wilson

Hike 7: Peters Trail, Bainbridge Island

Today's Hike: at least 8 miles
Time: at least 5 hours
Today's elevation gain: 900 feet
Packing: 20# weight vest
Accumulation to date: at least 34.6 miles, 8,100 vertical feet
Hiking notes: Hike included Seattle city walk to and from Bainbridge Ferry and Peters Trail hike from Lynnwood Center, Bainbridge Island. Due to the failure of trip-logging cell-phone software, mileage and elevation gains were calculated conservatively, based on information derived from public domain information about the areas hiked.

Visuals:

David, Scotty and Emma Harvey signed wilson along the trail. David is a ballet dancer; Emma, a veterinarian. In a week they will be hiking in the United Kingdom.

Map of the Peters Trail hike, which terminates on Puget Sound

Wilson pauses to take in the woodland setting

Wilson is right at home with the graffitified water tower. Inset shows text of the poem just above Wilson.

Love,

Robert, and Wilson

Thank you for your support

How quickly  little problems are resolved. The solution came within a day. And within a week, Wilson will be able to hike totally free of claustrophobia, thanks to the suggestions that poured in when you readers realized how confining his tote bag was. Now fellow hikers will be able to see Wilson as he bobs his way uphill as we train for the Mount Adams climb, instead of him being hidden in an opaque bag that generates no curiosity.

The offending container

The process was fascinating in its brevity, and the solution turned out to be sex-linked. Male respondents showed an inclination to rely on a sports-connected solution, whereas female respondents followed a more distaff path. Of course, the solution--something only a mother would think of--came so quickly that the response sample was fairly small.

Roger, my hiking buddy, suggested a basketball net. He must think I'm some sort of macrame jedi knight who's going to figure out how to knot a basketball hoop shut and attach it to my backpack. Like that's going to happen. Knot! Uh, no, wait, I misspelled that. What I meant to say was "NOT!"

The first one to suggest the ultimate solution was Marilyn Rowan, the upperclasswoman with the flowing Rapunzelian locks who fixed her large eyes on me one night in the darkness of the high school auditorium and indelibly impressed on my memory what a Valkyrie must have looked like. Of course Marilyn is a little more matronly now, some 50 years later, but she has exploited her Germanic roots by visiting the Reichland many times over the years. Her Teutonic experience is turning out to be very helpful, because she also recently made suggestions on what to look for in October when Wilson and I go to Nuremberg to visit my first born and his lovely Frau Richman.

Anyway, Marilyn suggested  a seashell bag, which I've ordered from Amazon for $3.95 plus $3 shipping. It comes complete with a book for identifying sea shells. Well, I'm hiking, not diving, but I  think  I'm stuck with the book, for now. Goodwill Industries will be grateful. And Wilson will be noticed and autographed, which is what's appropriate for the Hiking Ambassador of the Indestructible One World Futbol.

The $3.95 solution

The only disappointment is that no-one offered me her mesh net tango pantyhose. That would have been a real conversation starter on the trail, but I have to go with what I got.

Again, thank you for your response. Now I have to get, because in just a few minutes, Wilson and I leave for the ferry to Bainbridge Island, and another hike.

Love,
Robert, and Wilson

A heartfelt plea for assistance

Capitol Hill, Seattle-- Geeze. I just woke up, and it's afternoon. I fell into a deep sleep early this morning after working into the wee hours trying to resolve a problem with Wilson, the Indestructible soccer ball.  I'm promoting sales of Wilson's siblings and cousins for the benefit of children the world over.

The problem involves how to carry Wilson when I'm hiking. You undoubtedly have heard from animal rights activists about the crummy way chickens and pigs are treated before they are slaughtered, frequently being kept in dark spaces with little opportunity for movement. Well, just look at the photo below.

Wilson peeks out of the opaque bag that currently is used for transport.

No way to treat a celebrity. That opaque, black plastic pouch is the only thing I have to carry Wilson in. The only time Wilson sees daylight is when I drag Wilson out of the bag to allow some interested party to autograph The Indestructible. That's no way to treat a celebrity. Hiding Wilson inside that bag while I'm hiking makes it difficult for other hikers to notice the ball. That inhibits their opportunity to meet and autograph Wilson.

How about a net? Roger, my hiking companion, has suggested that I carry Wilson in a net. I know Russian women have been reputed to do their shopping by carrying a little purse-net around. It collapses to nothing, but can then stretch out to hold many goods of various shapes. It's very clever and a real testimony to Russian ingenuity. I walked downtown to the Seattle Target store yesterday to see whether they carried them, but all the clerk could point out to me was a variety of shopping bags.I'm not sure how to look for a net-bag. Can any of your readers help me find one? If not, I have an alternate request:

Anyone have pantyhose? If no-one can suggest where to acquire one of those net-bags, perhaps some  of you ladies (or men, where appropriate, this being Seattle and all) could part with a pair of pantyhose -- the transparent kind, which I could carry Wilson in, making him more visible to those I encounter on the trail. I have no doubt that would facilitate conversation--or at the very least, curiosity.

Net pantyhose: What might be particularly useful (and fashionable) would be those pantyhose garments with the large scale net mesh motif, like Argentine tango dancers wear. You can't miss those things, even in a dim room. They knock my eyes out.

These might work.....

I'm not looking for the opaque nude look, but actually transparent pantyhose so that there won't be any colors to clash with Wilson's blue surface. If transparent isn't available, I would settle for a hot pink that would stand out  against the green foliage of the Northwest mountains and the flat colors of barren landscapes such as deserts.

Are you the right size? For those of you willing to give up your pantyhose for the cause, I've tried to come up with dimensions to determine whether yours would be an appropriate size.
  
Size depends on application. One option is that we slip Wilson into a single pantyhose leg. The other, and likely more practical solution is that we convey him in what I would think of as the "basket" of the pantyhose, binding it shut with safety pins that gather the waistband together snugly. Or, if someone would like to install a zipper along the waistband prior to donation, that would work too. And it would speed up the autograph process.

This second alternative would have the added benefit of retaining two free pantyhose legs, which I could then wrap around my forehead from opposite directions a couple of times, tying the loops together to form  a sweatband that would help dissipate heat and moisture during the most vigorous hikes. Wilson would then ride between my shoulder blades, just above my back pack, making it so much easier to capture the attention of hikers in a hurry.

Condition not important. Don't worry about the condition of the pantyhose. I've seen people on the street with intentionally worn out clothing, like those jeans with holes in the knees. A distressed pantyhose would present a very contemporary hiking fashion statement.

As for the size of the pantyhose, Employing a used  piece of dental floss, which is accurate because it doesn't stretch, I measured Wilson's circumference at 27 5/8 inches. so we can apply an old formula developed by Archimedes to determine how big the thigh portions or basket portions of the pantyhose should be. Archimedes, whom I believe died in 212 B.C., was the famous mathematician and streaker who ran naked through the streets of Syracuse yelling "Eureka!" I think it was Syracuse.

Using his formula, which he actually attributed to someone named Eudoxus, about whom I know almost nothing, we figure the diameter of Wilson's sphere (and therefore the thickness of the pantyhose leg) by dividing Wilson's circumference by  the number, π (roughly 3.14159). That yields a figure of 8.7933 inches thick. So if you're a hefty donor who's big in the thigh, or a particularly petite donor who's small in the hips, you may be a  good candidate for a pantyhose donation for the cause. For example, I know a stunningly beautiful tall, quite slender and lithesome yoga instructor in Reno whom I've loved for years and whose pantyhose I've never seen, but I'm confident they would work OK.

Net-bag preferred. Of course, I would really prefer that someone direct me to a place where I can find those net-bags, because then no-one would have to give up their pantyhose. But if you do send pantyhose, it should be laundered prior to donation.  You knew that, of course.

Please e-mail your suggestions to dancingpotter@gmail.com. Regardless of the outcome, you know I'll post a photo and acknowledge all those who help me resolve this problem -- unless you would like to remain anonymous for whatever reason.

Love,
Robert and Wilson

Wilson arrives, hikes, and makes friends

Near North Bend, WA--Wilson, my mascot soccer ball for my oneworldfutbol/Mt. Adams quest, arrived yesterday in a nondescript brown cardboard box. Today, I and my hiking partner, Roger Matthews, field tested Wilson  by climbing Little Si, which rises on the Western flank of Mt. Si near North Bend, WA. The field test involved packing him up the mountain, introducing him to people we encountered along the way, and stabbing him to demonstrate that he was indeed a virtually indestructible soccer ball.

Steam rises from Cascade foothills in clear view of Little Si near North Bend, WA

It was an overcast day with steam rising from the hills, but not chilly -- very conducive to a hike. The sun didn't make an appearance until we were ready to descend.

It didn't take long for Wilson to make friends. At a stopping point we chatted with a couple of young women hikers then asked them whether they would be willing to autograph Wilson.  Two other women hikers joined us and we told them of the indestructible soccer ball, 800,000 of which have already been distributed to children in more than 160 countries around the globe.. One of them was particularly interested  because she worked for a non-profit.

Wilson makes friends: From the left, Ashleigh, Lola (the pooch), Rebecca, Jessica, Wilson and Hope.

The interchange provided an opportunity to test Wilson's mettle. I opened a pocket knife and drove it into Wilson right up to the hilt. Wilson didn't even blink, whimper or deflate.

Remember those Timex demo ads where a watch is put through a grueling test and survives? The tag line was that Timex watches took a lickin' and kept on tickin'. Well, Wilson took a trouncin' and kept on bouncin'. The knife didn't faze him.

Lisa, a home schooler  hiking with her daughter, witnessed Wilson's resiliency.

Near the top, I thought I would enrich Wilson's experience by reliving something I did on Little Si three years ago while training for service in Peru. I decided to perform a plank. That's me, below, planking by a cliff on Little Si. Wilson got into the game by planking right beside me.

Déjà vu: virtually the same plank in the same place as in 2011, except Wilson wasn't here three years ago

At the top, I performed my double-reverse two-point supine plank, something I had learned how to do 50 years ago at the University of Washington. Not in a class. I learned this important skill from a fellow dormie. It has stayed with me my entire life. You'll note I'm doing an iron cross; I just thought I'd add that on to make it more interesting.

The double reverse two-point supine plank with iron cross.

Lacking feet and a head to suspend from, Wilson had to settle with lying on my lap for the double-reverse two-point supine plank. It was a bit of a trick for Wilson, being round and all, because it's hard to know when Wilson is "supine."

The campaign to raise money for these soccer balls is starting to shape up. In a few days oneworldfutbol.com will have a folder on their Web site that will constitute Wilson's page. donations can then be made in Wilson's name, and the proceeds will pay for Wilson's siblings and cousins to be distributed to children all over the world. I'll be telling you more about the distribution process.

Meanwhile, I'm planning our next hike, and this time I will have business cards to distribute. I purchased a stamp to add a message on the back side of my Vistaprint business cards, making it easy for people to follow the campaign. I'm kind of optimistic, based on the response from the individuals I met today.

The red line follows the path up Little Si. White line is Mt. Si hike

Not much more to say at this time, except for the latest statistics:

Today's hike: 4 miles
Today's time: 4 hours
Today's elevation gain: 1,300 feet
Packing: 20-pound weight vest
Accumiulation to date: 26.6 miles and 7,200 vertical feet gained--one tenth of the way to goal.

Total hikes since Aug. 29: 6

Additional stats: Roger Matthews believes he has shed 5 pounds. He wants to shed at least 30 by next year. I have the easier job: I want to shed 8, which will put me at 185 pounds.


Love,
Robert, Roger and Wilson

Roger autographs Wilson

Roger, Wilson and me at the summit of Little Si

Hike 5: Poo Poo Point *

Sept. 16, Issaquah WA:  Roger and I hiked to Poo Poo point on Tiger Mountain, following the Chirico Trail.
 

From the knoll at trail's end, onlookers can watch a hanglider launch his personal search for an updraft.

Poo Poo Point is a small knoll on a shoulder of West Tiger Mountain. The spot is a launch site for paragliders, many of whom backpack their gear up the Chirico Trail that leads from the field where the hang gliders land to their launch point.

Here are the latest stats on today's training hike:

Distance: 3.59 miles
Time:  4 hours
Elevation gain: 1760 feet
Packing: 20-pound weight vest and 10-pound back pack.

Accumulation to date: 22.6 miles and 5,900 vertical feet gained.
* 5 hikes since Aug. 29: Rattlesnake Ledge (twice), McDonald Mountain, Snow Lake and Poo Poo Point.

Immediately below is a map of today's hike, using the Map My Hike application on my Verizon 3G Incredible (droid) phone, and the mapmyhike.com Web site:

Love,
Robert

The indestructible one world futbol

A fund raiser for the world's children

Wilson, my hiking companion

Greetings.
In yesterday's blog, I laid out my objectives in training for Mount Adams:

• Ascending at least 70,000 verticle feet before my 70th birthday.
• Hoping to make it to 100,000 feet.
• Climbing to the top of Mount Adams by the time I'm 70 (weather cooperating).

Now here's what I also hope to accomplish: I would like to send hundreds of indestructible soccer balls like the one pictured at the top of this post to children who can use them all over the world.

To promote this idea, I will be hiking with one of those balls, and passing out business cards with the oneworldfutbol.com Web address on the back of each card. When people ask me why I'm carrying a soccer ball, I will explain that "Wilson," my traveling companion, is the good will ambassador for the one world futbol program. I will ask them to autograph Wilson, and I will hand them a business card with this blog address on it, so they can follow the adventures of me and Wilson, and, perhaps, make a donation that gives some child, somewhere in the world, a virtually indestructible toy.

Every time I reach another 10,000-foot milestone, I'll be reminding you of the program.

I'm not asking for pledges. I've never liked asking for money. That's a personal decision between you and your wallet. But I am asking you to think about the children who could benefit from this program. And I'm asking you to share the concept of an indestructible toy that can survive in the world's most hostile environments.

Here are two links about the program:

• The one world futbol Web site: oneworldfutbol.com
• A Katie Couric report about the program: The Amazing Soccer Ball That’s Virtually Indestructible  

I hope you'll take part. And I would love to hear from any of you who wish to write to me.

Love,
Robert

Uh...and Wilson

Snow Lake

Tracking the stats to Adams

Today, managing to keep up with my friend, Leila, I climbed to the crest of the Snow Lake trail (Exit 52 near Washington's Snoqualmie Pass), descended to the lake, and then retraced our steps for a distance of 8 miles and an elevation gain of 1,000 vertical feet. (http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/snow-lake-1)

Stunning Snow Lake, September 14, 2014. Hike starts at exit 52 near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

A new direction: Today's hike represents a slight mid-course correction. In anticipation of a more aggressive program for my 70th Birthday hike, I'm going to start accumulating statistics. I'm counting four hikes, beginning with a hike on Rattlesnake Ledge Aug. 29 with my friend, Tammi: 4 miles, and a 1,160-foot elevation gain.

I climbed Rattlesnake Ledge a second time this fall on Sept. 7 with Roger Matthews. Then, on Sepember 12, Roger and I  hiked 3.2 miles up McDonald Mountain near Kangley, WA, for a 1,000-foot gain.


So the accumulation at this point is roughly 19 miles and 4,200 vertical feet.

I have established what I believe is a realistic training objective prior to climbing Adams--70,000 vertical feet. My real objective, however, is a  100,000 feet vertical gain before July 26, 2015, not counting the Adams climb, which will be an additional 6,000 vertical feet.

If anyone wants to join me on these training climbs, I'd love to have you along.

Why the stats? In the next blog I'll be telling you why I'm keeping these stats.

Love,

Robert

Second Training Hike

McDonald Mountain's old logging road hike 

 Sept. 12, 2014 near Kangley, WA--This is a pretty rough trail, with several of ups and downs over gullies and berms in the early part of the hike. These gullies and berms are designed to keep the old road from being used. In places the path slopes  steeply enough to justify cutting some foot holds for hikers to keep them from falling. That's what Roger is doing in the photo below.

Roger Matthews cuts out a foot hold on a steep incline

 Map screen capture: Below is Roger's screen capture of the map of the hike, using the mapmyhike software and Web site:

The green box with arrow shows where the hike began.

This was not a high energy day for us. We started at 10 a.m., returned to the trail head at 2 p.m. and traveled only 3.3 miles, with a 1,000 foot elevation gain. Our next hike will be Poo Poo point in Issaquah, on Tuesday, Sept. 17. That will be more challenging.

Highlights for today's hike: Meeting another hiker on the trail who was heading for his summer cabin on the opposite side of the mountain, and encountering a bow hunter looking for his next meal.

Washington Trails Association Web page for the hike: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mcdonald-mountain.

Love,

Robert

First training hike

Popsickles, angina, Mountain Rescue,
GPS maps, and two degrees of separation

View of Rattlesnake Ledge from Rattlesnake Lake

Rattlesnake Ledge, Sept. 7--This  was supposed to be just an ordinary conditioning hike, with an elevation gain of 1,175 feet, but it had a couple of surprises. One of the things I've told hikers in the past is that there's a refreshment stand at the top of the hike. In this case, it proved to be true. Two young men had lugged an ice chest to just below the outcrop that is Rattlesnake ledge, and they were selling popsickles for $2.

But the biggest event of the day was the helicopter medivac of a man having chest pains at the top of the trail. The rescue crew passed us on the way up, and help was still arriving as we descended. The help came from Explorer Search and Rescue as well as professionals. One young woman came up the trail carrying the basket litter, and a young man carried the frame the litter would rest on. It had one wheel for the 1.9 mile-ride down to the waiting chopper.

The scenic path down--not all stretches were this accommodating

Rescue crew wheels patient toward waiting chopper

Copter awaits patient. After I shot the photo I noticed the man in the foreground.

Two volunteers haul away the basket stretcher and wheel as the patient is loaded into the helicopter.

As it turned out, one of the mountain rescue volunteers awaiting the descent of the rescue crew had an indirect connection with Roger: In 1979, Art Farash took the Seattle Mountaineers climbing course along with Roger and his mother, Zella. And Art and Zella summited Mount St. Helens together as their required glacier climb.

 

Roger and Art Farash

Art also served as a guard at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, along with one of Roger's relatives. Small world.

Map showing our hiking route / the rescue route

All that excitement aside, the most relevant development for our plans to scale Mount Adams next year came in the form of mapping technology. Roger has a program on his smart phone that uses GPS technology to track our hiking route. The route is then published on mapmyhike.com. The program keeps track of distance, elevation gain and calories burned, along with other data. The Web site boasts "70 million routes to choose from," and is largely free. Here's one  map Roger downloaded from the site, at the end of the day, including text inserts showing where the action took place.

Roger went so far as to post a video on the Internet relating to the rescue adventure. For those so inclined, you may find it here: https://vimeo.com/105676358




Love,

Robert

View of beach at Rattlesnake Lake

Why "Brimstone?"

Because, that's another word for sulfur. In 1929 and 1930, a businessman named Wade Dean filed mining claims for the sulfur on Adams' summit plateau. He moved a drilling machine to the summit and drilled test pits, but the quality of the ore didn't justify the venture and the project was abandoned in the 1950s.

Adams is a stratovolcano, with a volume of 85 cubic miles, putting it ahead of Rainier in size (despite Rainier's 14,409-foot elevation) and second only to Shasta in the category of Cascade stratovolcanoes. According to Wikipedia, its main cone was built when Adams was covered by a glacier in the last ice age. When lava came in contact with the ice, it shattered. Constant heat and caustic gasses have broken down much of its rock into clays, iron oxides, quartz and sulfur-rich compounds which were the basis for considering the sulfur mine. The mountain's false summit is 11,500 feet. The highest point is a small lava cone 800 feet higher.

Adams has not erupted in 1,400 years, but is not considered to be extinct.

The original reason for climbing Mount Adams was to get in condition for a Peruvian trip in 2011, which included a brief stay in Cuzco, which is situated at 11,200 feet. When you climb Adams, you are literally walking on water, because of the large snow cover, and in the summer, the ambient temperature over the snowfields is quite warm. I consumed so much water in the 2011 climb that there was too little remaining to make the final ascent.

So this hike is a bit of a grudge re-match. Next year I'll be four years older -- 70 -- and we will be better prepared.

Post Script: Last blog I said I was training with ankle weights. I've since been advised that doing training climbs with those goes against how our bodies work, and I've been persuaded to let my shoulders do the heavy lifting, not my feet.

Love,

Robert

 Can you imagine us years from today,
Sharing a park bench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy…

Actually, no. I can't imagine me spending my 70th birthday on a park bench, unless it's situated on the false summit of Mount Adams with a view of all creation. I hiked Adams in 2011 but failed to make the final 3,000-foot climb to the summit due to a shortage of water. This time things will be different.

When Simon and Garfunkle released "Old Friends" in 1968, I didn't have the slightest notion of what 70 would be like. But with only a year to go, it's looking pretty good. Using ice axe and crampons, it will take me an exhausting few hours to make the final 3,000-foot ascent, but only about 10 minutes for the glissade back down on a plastic tarp. My 2011 elderly hiking Buddy, Roger Matthews (he's already 70), claims he's up for it. That's why I'm publishing this blog now, so he can't back out.

This journey of 1,000 miles began with a notion and a conversation. The conditioning has already begun. I'm hiking with a 20-pound weight vest and 5-pound ankle weights along with backpacks. I'll be doing a couple hikes a week this fall, then perhaps the southwest in the winter for some spectacular hikes.

Unlike with many of my blogs, this one has a very limited audience. The point is not to inform; the point is to keep us on point. There's no backing out now.

More to come...