It's sometime in the morning...early. I don't know what time it is. I just know one thing. I have to pee. I wonder how long it will be until the sun comes up? If it's not long, maybe I can hold it. I'd rather just stay in bed and go later. What if I get up now, then go back to bed only to discover that it's already almost time to get up? That would be annoying. But what if it's still really early? Then I'll lie here in misery missing several hours of good sleep. Okay. I'm just gonna go for it. By the time I get back to my sleeping bag, I'm shivering...literally shaking. I zip my sleeping bag back up all the way. I search for the drawstring turning my bag into a mummy bag. That eliminates the entrance of any of that chilly night air into my bag and onto my skin. Before long, I quit shaking and begin to warm back up. Okay. It was probably worth it. Now I can get some more sleep. Phew! I almost get used to this routine over the next week-and-a-half.
As we'll learn on this trip, Mount Rainier's weather is deceptive. The night was clear and we wake up to a beautiful blue sky. I anticipate a lovely day. The weather will tease you. You'll see blue patches. Heck! You'll see tons of blue! It doesn't matter. The clouds come. The fog comes. You won't see the mountain for hours...or days. We begin to wonder if the mountain is even there.
The climb out of Golden Lakes is tough (we leave around 8:20), but eventually we come out on top. Hiking through the green water fountains, again I carry my trekking poles rather than try to find a place to plant them in between the overgrowth. I take a brief break to clean the junk out of my shoes. By the time the hike is done on the 14th, I really wish I had brought gaiters. This is one of those times. Not only do they keep your feet and legs dry (so I'm told) when there's dew on the ground or it has just rained, but they keep pebbles, twigs, dirt, and debris from falling into your shoes or boots.Off we go. Apparently, I pissed off a bee or a hornet. It stings me on the inside of my right ankle. I can't express the intensity of the pain. Matt wonders why I'm screaming and doing a one-legged dance. I guess the gaiters would help out here, too. Oh, well. Although the pain subsides, it hurts for hours more. Over the next several days, my ankle swells up. A ranger later tells me that if it's not getting worse after several days, I'll probably be okay. I figured, but it didn't hurt to ask.
As usual, we hear the roar of a big river well before we get there. This time, it's the North Puyallup. This is a beautiful river and it's easy to get down to. After crossing the huge, solid, timer frame bridge, we climb a short distance up the trail away from the bridge, drop our packs, grab some grub, and scamper back down to the bridge and down to the water down what is almost a set of steps carved in the rock. I like it when it's this easy. As usual, I snap a few pictures first thing. Then Matt and I each some cheese and salami, drink some of our own water, and just relax by the roar of the river for a few minutes. While Matt continues to eat and rest, I run up to the bridge with my tripod and camera and continue taking pictures of the river and distant hills that are backed by clouds, behind which Mount Rainier is hiding we later find out.We've had a relatively easy hike so far, but the map tells us we've got some pain and suffering ahead. Just before we head out, we meet a couple guys who have just come from Klapatche Park. One of them tells us the climb is not steep, but it's long. By the end of today, he will have become the brunt of many a joke. You see, he had been smoking crack, and yet we had believed him. As it turns out, the climb is not that long. This is clear by the map. What one might also surmise from the map is that there are some ridiculously steep sections ahead. Time and again, as I'm climbing almost straight up, I make a wise crack. Oh no! It's not steep, but it's loooonnnnng! I guess one's perspective when going downhill isn't the same as when going up.
We've been warned that there's no convenient water at Klapatche Park, so we stop at a stream part way up the switchbacks. After about forty minutes, I've got my two quarts full. During this long, tiring exercise, Matt and I determine that the ball valve on my MSR WaterWorks II isn't sealing properly and on the pump stroke, half the water is going back out the hose. This is rather frustrating. As Matt begins to fill up his bottles, I press on ahead up this "not very steep, but long" hillside. By the end, I'm basically climbing a frickin' ladder. By the top, I'm sweating like a pig. I stop to rest and drink half a liter of my precious water while I'm at it. Thankfully, this is it. It's an easy stroll to Klapatche Park.I arrive at around 5:00. I find a site and begin setting up camp. Not long after, Matt shows up. We get the tent set up and unpack our stuff. We hear reports of a bear. In fact, Matt just saw it on his way in. One thing I really want to get a picture of on this hike is a bear. A goat is number two on my list.
Having arrived just after I did, a father, son, and daughter, Kerri, from Florida, had also seen the bear. Kerri says she isn't doing anything so she'll show me where she saw the bear. Sweet! A guide to show me right where the beast is. We walk to the edge of camp about 35 yards down the trail and she stops and points to the top of Aurora Peak, just across what was once a lake, Aurora Lake, but is now only a dry lakebed. So much for a guided tour. Matt and I set off in that direction, which will take us to St. Andrews Lake, another lake with not much water in it. We don't see a bear, but we do see some deer, some beautiful landscapes (clouds and all), and some blueberries that we don't hesitate to eat. We will eat our share of blueberries on this trip. They are plentiful and delicious.
At about 9:00, one of the guys from the party we stayed with at Mowich River and Golden Lakes comes running down the trail saying The Mountain is out. He knows I'm into photography and is kind enough to tip me off. Although it's well after sunset and getting darker, I manage to get a few shots. Several of us hang out and chat about...well, not much. We just enjoy The Mountain together.The clouds begin to roll in again and we break up. Matt and I still haven't had dinner and it's beginning to get darn chilly. We head back to our site. Kerri asks if she can join us. She's not thrilled about spending a week-and-a-half with her dad and brother and relishes the time talking to other humans. We hang out for a while, Matt and I eating and getting warmed up, Kerri watching and getting colder. Eventually, she says goodnight and heads off to her zero-degree bag.
Not long after that, Matt and I hit the sack. Tonight, I leave my tank top on. As it turns out, it helps me not stick to the bag so much. I sleep with it on for the rest of the trip.
Photos of the Hike
No comments:
Post a Comment