Team Wilson's first Rainier

Uh, I think Team Wilson has met a milestone of sorts. Today I, Roger, and the Indestructible climbed Tiger Mountain South, Just outside of Issaquah and North Bend, WA. In the process, we added more than 1,000 feet of vertical elevation gain to the team's accumulated total, which had been 13,498 feet. That places our accumulated elevation gain beyond Mount Rainier's 14,409-foot elevation above sea level. That qualifies Team Wilson for its first Honorary Rainier, our training metric, pictured below left.

If we acquire four more Rainiers before July 2015, we've met the goal of 70,000 vertical feet ascended prior to the team's climb of Mount Adams.

Not only that, but we have moved from one-tenth of our objective of 100 one world futbols purchased during this campaign to one-eighth. Thirteen balls have been ordered to date.

Thank you for the participation and support.

Today's hike started at a parking lot adjacent to Highway 18 and ended at the summit of Tiger Mountain South, which apparently is an equestrian destination. Much of the trek involved logging roads, but the final ascent took us along a narrow path in which the ground was stirred up by horses that passed through thin brushland to the summit. Fortunately, the horses left nothing for us to step in.

Horse hitching log at heavily-logged summit of Tiger Mountain South.

At the top there were hitching rails, and horseshoes nailed down for the tethering of horses. The horseshoes also helped to tether Wilson, to keep him from wandering and getting lost.

Wilson, in his new tether, rests atop a stump, hitched to a horseshoe.

Here are today's stats:

Distance: 5.98 miles
Duration:   3 hours, 10 minutes.
Starting elevation: 1,449 feet;
Summit: 2,082 feet 
Elevation gained: 1,097
Note: There were places where the trail descended and re-ascended, and those two additional elevation gains amounted to 227 and 237 feet, adding a total of 464 feet to the 633 feet gained at the summit over the starting point.

I should add that in my last blog I challenged the statistics of the Map My Hike phone application because it disagreed with some other sources for elevation gains. However, in examining the image below, I realize that the application is using Google topographical maps, with clearly delineated elevation lines, and these seems to agree with the figures provided by Map My Hike.

Topographical map shows elevation gains for Map My Hike application.

 So until I have reason to believe otherwise, I'm using these figures. But I am also adjusting my elevation gain 10 percent downward from 1,097 to 987 feet gained, for a total elevation gain to date of 14,485 feet.

By the way, if anyone wants to hike with us, Team Wilson operates on the open enrollment principal.

Love,
Robert,
and Wilson