Mt. Rainier

Well, I apologize. I don't have any pictures of the climb itself. It was dark. It went quickly. The wind was horrible, blowing steadily at 35mph. Very few teams summitted. We were consistently one of the first or second teams all the way up the route. The D.C. is very, very crowded. Stopping is not tolerated. You will be passed by the train, and you won't likely get back on the track for some time. I had to take several mini-breaks on the way up, but we more or less continually plodded the entire route from 11,200 feet with only one short rest break. At one point I know Chris got a little concerned about me and the weather. He pulled up behind me while I gasped for air and counted 16 breaths (don't ask me why, I just started doing it on the way up and it seemed to help so I kept the number consistent) and said, "We have to keep moving or we'll have to think about bailing. Dig deep." It was all the encouragement I needed. I plodded up and finally at around 7am the summit crater came into view.

Unfortunately, the crater rim is not the summit, though many people who "climb" Rainier either by ignorance or convenience think it is the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain is a few hundred feet higher and a quarter-mile away. Yes, you have to walk over to the true summit at 14,410 feet to have climbed Rainier for real.

Chris and Brett (smoking, per usual) at the crater rim. I was rolled up in a ball on the rocks, slobbering, giggling and snapping a few pictures. Very few. Almost all of them have a glove finger in them. Including this one, upper right-hand corner. This is the best one I took.

Hypoxia bad.

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