4 to go!

160 feet and four balls. We're within reach. It's almost time to climb Adams.
On Tuesday, Wilson and I made another ascent of Mount Si, encouraged by two female traveling companions, (including a former Czech track star) who set a gentle pace that Wilson and I had trouble keeping up with. We made it to the lookout at the base of Mt. Si's famous "Haystack"  in two hours and 45 minutes. Nothing to write home about for some hikers, but a almost a record for me.

Setting the pace for the hike was Jara Popelkova, a Czech woman who was a young track star in her country when the Soviets took over, and who defected. She is in top shape and has served as a national parks guide; she is well conditioned for mountain hiking.

160 feet from goal: Arlene Levy, Wilson, me, and Jara Popelkova, who set the pace for Tuesday's climb of Mount Si.

One particularly rewarding moment in Tuesday's hike involved running into Curtis, a tall, blond hiker who is training for Rainier. Curtis sometimes packs his 24-pound toddler on his back along with other gear. He adopted his son and flew to Ethiopia when the child was 20-months old, to bring him back to the states. And while in Ethiopia, he saw what children use for soccer balls there -- including deflated standard balls that they kick around. He didn't require any explanation of the value of a One World Futbol.

It makes me wonder: By last Saturday, Team Wilson had raised 93 balls. Now the figure is 96. Do we thank Curtis for the sudden growth spurt? Unfortunately, we don't get the names of all donors. All I know is that I handed him my card with this blog address, and we are now within four balls of the 100-ball goal we set when we started the Wilson campaign to raise money for these virtually indestructible soccer balls. More than a million have been sent where they are badly needed areas where children have nothing to play soccer with but rag balls, deflated soccer balls,plastic bottles, and the like.

And the Wilson campaign to raise those 100 balls is also within 160 feet of the goal of 70,000 feet of elevation gain prior to climbing Mount Adams.

There remains a fly in the ointment. My original guide and hiking companion, Roger Matthews, has a problem with his Achilles tendon. He's seeing a doctor about that. And there's a concern that there won't be enough snow on Mount Adams; the south face of Adams is quite rocky, but most of the time it's a gentle snow field; you climb that side before the snow melts.

The snow was melting early this year, but snowfall has resumed, and now the question is the optimum time to climb.

If Roger's foot improves in time and the snow is there, the climb is a certainty. If not...

I don't want to think about that.

Love,

Robert, and
Wilson