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 Mountain Corgi monitoring
for Bears by mtncorgLeave a Comment
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 Wine and Porcinis along a
glacial stream by mtncorg
The picture shows a few King Porcini mushrooms found along the trail. Leave a Comment
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 a pretty duck even prettier
early morning light by richiecdisc
I have had my share of good luck but to be fair, I have been diligent about putting myself into position for it to happen often. Hiking around the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador in 2007, I got up very early from backpacking slumber to get myself to a lake that the day before was like a raging ocean. I had the faith that it might, just might be flat that morning. It was a mirror and I snapped quickly, with fury. Minutes later it was churning up, reflective no more. (continued below in Fondest Memory) Leave a Comment
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 smoke was an unlucky factor
that day by richiecdisc
A week later, I got my much coveted reflection of Rainier. It was not at dawn but early enough and it was good timing as it was a perfectly flat at that instant. Good luck, good timing. Two sides of the same thing or a philosophical debate? I'm not sure but I got the shot and I took it. Leave a Comment
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 catching whatever glimpse of
Mt. Hood by richiecdisc
I had got a few nice shots of the majestic one and oddly enough the best was from the deck of a brewpub in Parkdale, a small town in the foothills of the mountain. Though I was hoping for a lake to catch it in a mirror I had done no research in finding one. It was a small part of a six month trip and not everything could be planned or even known in full in advance. We were driving around the area for a couple days, checking out the brewpubs and catching what glimpses of Mount Hood that happened to turn up. It was very fly by the seat of our pants. We stumbled upon a lakeside campground outside of Government Camp, a ski village a few hours from Portland and it looked promising. (Concluded below in Fondest Memory) Leave a Comment
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 Mount Hood by goingsolo
After descending the steepest part of the chute, we had another area of relative steepness to descend before reaching the area below the Hogsback. The best way to descend is to step diagonally, crampons pointed downward, and dig the heel of your foot into the snow. The problem, for me, was that my ankle would roll with each step, which was incredibly painful.
I fell, numerous times, and just couldn't find a way to keep moving downward without stumbling. My legs practically gave out as I didn't have enough strength to hold my foot in the right position to make each step. The guide had to belay us for several feet down until nearly the end of the section. Frustrated by this, and by me, he stated that we had to do the last section of twenty or so feet on our own and that there would be no one coming to rescue us from this. I can understand the tough talk, but it hit me pretty hard. Biting back tears of embarassment, I staggered down the last few feet, painfully and disappointingly.
This definitely wasn't it. No one wants to be the person who holds up the entire team. I don't like quitting. Hate it actually.
At the next rest break, I took a few minutes to regroup, and apologized to my teammates and to the guide, all of whom were incredibly gracious. I pressed on, but with the weight of disappointment. I couldn't shake it, and decided instead to hold onto it. Not to beat myself up over it, but to learn from it and use it to help me prepare better in the future. Leave a Comment
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 Mount Hood by goingsolo
Still, it was an incredible moment, two years in the making. Looking at this photo, I can't help but think of the chain of events which began the previous year, a couple days after I returned from my unsuccessful trip to Mount Hood , which lead to this. After all the disappointment and dashed hopes and dreams, the sky finally cleared, the planets finally aligned and anything was possible. It was worth the wait and better than anything I could have ever dreamed. And I'm talking about the summit as well. Leave a Comment
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 Mount Hood by goingsolo
People climb for different reasons and its all but impossible to explain to others. Most of us can't really explain it to ourselves even. I struggled to articulate this concept when I wrote the travelogue below. There is a certain pull that drives us to hard to these hard to reach places, but for reasons ranging from solace to comfort to challenge and others. I think that, deep down, we all feel a sense of awe when we're standing above the cloud. As great as it is to share this moment with fellow climbers, and even greater with those we love, I think that all of us feel that it is our moment.
Perhaps I should have asked him if he agreed. Leave a Comment
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 Mount Hood by goingsolo
But a large number of people moving single file up a steep chute can be a recipe for disaster. All it takes is one misplaced footstep, a dislodged rock or one person slipping to create what can become a domino effect. Much like driving, you have to watch out for the actions of others as much as your own.
Our well trained guides knew this and steered us in another direction, away from the popular Hogsback route to one that they hoped would be isolated. That's one advantage when climbing a really big mountain with those that know it really well. Leave a Comment
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 Mount Hood by goingsolo
By this point, it was beginning to set light, as sunrise this time of year is around 5:30 a.m. There still wasn't enough light for picture taking though, which was too bad. Leave a Comment
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Local Merchants in Mount Hood
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