3 Days on Mt. Shasta!

Tuesday morning started with a 1 hour climb to Horse Camp, a quick lunch, then off to another 3 hour hike in to Hidden Valley (9400') where 34 climbers, 15 guides and several Breast Cancer Fund staffers set up base camp for the Wednesday morning climb. 

We awoke at 1:30am and headed up the mountain at 2:45 am.  Our group included guides Dane and Polly, climbers Kathy Mow, Carly Chomers, Geoffrey Grey-Cornelius, Juliet Moran and me.  By the time the sun rose on the West Face of Mt. Shasta, we were at 11,000'.  Carly and Kathy made early summits and headed down.  I was slowed by a bad case of stomach bug that had hit at base camp the night before.  I hoped to reach 13,000 before re-evaluating the situation and deciding on a possible early summit.  But the law of the guides rule, and at 12,500 my guide decided to send me down when we crossed paths with a small group heading back to base camp.  I was sorely disappointed and still am.  Can't help but feel like a failure when surrounded by 22 others who made it to the summit.  I know in my heart that I was prepared, but factors beyond my control played in. 

So here's the good news! I did more than I ever knew I could  - 12,500' is pretty damn high!  I raised nearly $12000 for the Breast Cancer Fund and I actually had a blast.  Who wouldn't love glissading -the act of sitting on your 'arse' and sliding down the mountain- which is exactly what we did, thereby saving 4 hours of down climbing!  And I feel great now-the old body held up very well.

On the way down, we all stopped at Horse Camp for an amazing pancake breakfast (me, still on the bland food diet unfortunately) and the traditional prayer flag ceremony.  I carried 28 prayer flags on the mountain, and the other climbers carried their own, as well.  At the ceremony we joined everyone's flags, in a VERY, VERY large circle and shared a very moving celebration and remembrance of all those touched by breast cancer.  

From Bunny Flat trailhead

Dane, our guide

Polly, amazing guide and dynamo

The East Coast Climb Team

Jim dressed to porter to base camp

Geoff, Mom and Dad before departure

Lunch at Horse Camp

Two youngest climber, Elly 15, Amanda 17

Lunch at Horse Camp before leaving for Hidden Valley

Team member Cady Jessup and her guide Brian - Cady is an amputee and got to 10,000 on this climb!

The spring at Horse Camp - they say the water has magical powers.

Horse Camp

Looking at Hidden Valley from Horse Camp

One climb team on Giddy Giddy Gulch on the way to Hidden Valley

Climbing to 9400', looking pretty fresh.  Sun hats mandatory.

Break on the way to Hidden Valley

The view from Hidden Valley across the valley

Setting up base camp

Kitchen/dining room at base camp.  From left Dane, Polly, Carly, Kathy and Geoff

Early morning breaking down camp after summit day.  We climbed Shasta on the right.  Shastina is on the left.

Polly and Dane munch on strawberry pancakes at Horse Camp on our way down.

Prayer Flags after the ceremony

Final Preparations for Tomorrow's Climb

The day started early with perfect weather and photo shoot for all our climb sponsors.  We donned snow pants, jackets, hats etc in 80degree weather while we smiled for the camera for some 20 sponsors, including ISIS, Ibex, Ahnu, Kleen Kanteen, Asolo, Clif/Luna, Camelbak, Leki, and more.

Then on to meet our guides, all 15 of them!  We were assigned climbing groups with 2 guides and 5 climbers in each, then commenced an all important gear check with our groups.  I'll spare you the details.

EXCEPT for a discussion of our 'target bags.'   The Shasta/Trinity Wilderness requires that we bring all human waste off the mountain....soooo, no poop left behind!  Hence, 'target bags.'  Included in said bag is a sheet of paper approx 11x14 with a target in the middle (for levity no doubt!), and two brown paper bags with a few ounces of cat litter in them.  Our job is to poo on the paper, wrap it up and deposit in double bags, then plastic, smooshed small to fit into our packs to bring off the mountain.  This has generated much laughter and buzz as we get used to the idea!

Spent the afternoon packing.  Then a great cookout by some supporters and a quiet night at home.

No pics today - too busy.  And no more posts til Thursday night.   But you can follow the Breast Cancer Fund Blog or at Breast Cancer Fund Facebook page for the climb.

Off we go to Hidden Valley (9400') tomorrow morning, then summit day on Wednesday and return to Bunny Flat trailhead on Thursday.  I am carrying 28 prayer flags and will post all the pics of the prayer flag ceremony on my return.

The Breast Cancer Fund Climb Against the Odds 2011 Officially Begins!

I imagined sleeping in this morning - our 'chalet' is so quiet and comfy.  Unfortunately my excitement is getting the best of me and I was up at 6:30, READY TO ROLL!

That and the fact that I had to check on our nesting Robin, "Red".  See, last night I stupidly turned on the outside light, on top of which sits her nest, with robinettes hatched recently.  At bedtime I nearly flipped out, fearing the heat from the lamp might have fried her sweet babies.  So, an early rise to assess the situation and I am glad to report that Red and babes are fine.

We attempted to circumnavigate Lake Siskiyou, about 7.5miles.  But a missing footbridge stopped our forward progress, and despite trying to bushwhack, we turned around and just savored the return.  All told 7.5 miles anyway.

Between now and Tuesday I am officially vegging out, no more big exercise bouts before the climb.

The climb's organizer, Connie George, arrived today.  An amazing woman who has made all of this happen.  A dynamo, our den mother of sorts. 

Tonight, our first get together as a team.  What an incredible evening.  I am humbled by being chosen one of two people chosen to carry talismans up the mountain.  As the story goes, the Breast Cancer Fund's founder, Andrea Martin, could not join the first Shasta climb 8 years ago because she was ill with a recurrence of cancer. She sent a talisman on the climb, to be carried by climbers to the summit.  As it turned out the talisman was carried by three women, the third finally achieving the summit.  When the climb was done, the talisman was returned to Andrea.  She died 3 weeks later.

Now two talismans are given to climbers to carry, and I was chosen, out of 34 climbers, to carry one.  I am humbled and honored.

A great night.  Tomorrow photo shoot for gear sponsors, gear check with guides and picking up rented gear at Fifth Season.

Lake Siskiyou hike.

Lake Siskiyou

Lake Siskiyou flowers

Lake Siskiyou

Looking like a hiker girl.

Organizing gear never ends

Connie George the climb organizer for the Breast Cancer Fund

Betsy and Jim at the Breast Cancer Fund dinner tonight

Hike to Horse Camp

We set off today from Bunny Flat trailhead to Horse Camp, a vertical gain of about 1000', ending at nearly 8000'.  The Sierra Club built the hut at Horse Camp in 1923!  The hut is a spot to stop and rest, fill water bottles with safe, spring water and generally schmooze the climbers who stop by on their way up or down the mountain.

The climb was fairly easy, over snow the whole way.  I could definitely feel the altitude on the steeper pitches, as I got short of breath and my heart raced.  A portend of things to come as we head out on Tuesday for our summit attempt.  It was a good time to try out new gear, to climb with new friends and old and to feel confident that we are ready for what is ahead.  From Horse Camp we could see our future base camp at Hidden Valley, about 2 hours above us.

Our biggest concern in this glorious weather is sunburn.  So covered skin and heads is important.  We could hike in shorts, it's so warm, but it's too hard to keep sunscreen on all those exposed body parts!
We realized today that we need to prioritize food, water and sunscreen access at all times!  Good thing our clothes and packs have LOTs of pockets.

After PB&J at Horse Camp we headed down only to meet some of our other climbers in 'snow school', learning the finer points of using crampons and ice axe, including self arrest and glissade techniques.

Then a great group dinner at the local organic Japanese restaurant before an early night.  Tomorrow all 34 climbers will finally be here and we will gather for dinner.

Let the festivities begin!

It felt great to be on this amazing mountain today.   To be healthy and strong, to be surrounded by others who share my desire to climb, to end breast cancer, and to be supported by so many who donated so generously.

Horse Camp today was still under snow to the roof line, so I borrowed this from Google.  But the view is exactly like this!

At Bunny Flat and ready to roll!

Heading up to Horse Camp

Sunscreen extraordinaire on Juliet!

Cathy's first hike EVER!  She thought she was just coming to support her daughter.  See what the mountains make you do!

Pali and Jim

Shasta from Horse Camp

Cindy, the caretaker of Horse Camp, at left. Schmoozing.

That's Hidden Valley base camp as seen from Horse Camp.

Horse Camp offers last toilets before heading up, up, up!

Snow School - the turquoise jackets are all Breast Cancer Fund climbers!

First Day in Mt. Shasta, CA.

Our travels took nearly 20 hours with a stopover in the lovely Las Vegas airport where we watched the strip from afar and the gamblers up close (yes, slot machines in the airport).  Lots of cranky people from the first moment we checked our bags today. Glad to be done with it for a while.

Driving north from Sacramento, the monoculture of food production made becoming a localvore look more appealing with each passing mile.  Knowing where you food comes from is a good thing. 

Finally, the mountain loomed directly ahead of us!  For about 90 miles we watched Shasta grow larger as the flatlands of agri-commerce morphed into glorious mountains.  We arrived late and crashed after a celebratory glass of wine, our bodies still on the east coast time of 1:00 am.

This morning the mountain is EVERYWHERE!  From every front stoop, every road there is a view of this amazing white giant.  The town is littered with 30-somethings itching to climb this weekend and a quick trip to Bunny Flat trailhead confirmed that nearly the whole Pacific NW is taking off for the summit today!  Lots of people, spirits high and hopeful, weather sublime and the mountain.

Stopped by the Fifth Season, the one and only outfitter in town, where we ran into Chris and Jenn Carr, the owners of Shasta Mountain Guides.  They were gracious and chatted us up, as if they weren't crazy out of their minds busy with the weekend ahead.

Hit the local health food store and were transported back to a very 60's hippy vibe.  Fun to be around, but honestly didn't know it still existed anywhere...

A hike around lake Siskiyou

Dinner in town with Burlington VT climber, Juliet Moran and her mom, plus another climber Betsy Gordon...we are starting to arrive and will all be here Sunday night to start the festivities.

Passing time on the flight playing 'Angry Birds'

'Red' is in residence with newly hatched babes outside our chalet

Outside the only outfitter in town, Fifth Season.

The mountain.

Bunny Flat trailhead

This is where we'll start the voyage.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow a 'dry run' to Horse Camp, a 3.6 mile round trip.  Pics to follow.

Mt. Washington May 2011

Beth, Juliet, Jim and I spent the night at Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch on a rainy May Friday night in preparation for climbing Mt. Washington on Saturday.  The AMC lodges are always fun to visit! The next morning we headed up the summer trail of Lion Head, and hit the summit about 4.5 hours later, amidst fog and 35 mph winds - that last hour was a challenge as we scrambled over the rocks.  Once on top, the obligatory photos and then a cushy shuttle ride down to protect our joints from possible injuries.  Wouldn't want an injury so close to Shasta!  A good day.  Notice the cool gear we sport from our Climb Against the Odds sponsors ISIS, Ibex, Leki and Osprey!

Juliet and I, the climbing twins!

Our fearless leader, Beth, aka Mountain Goat!

The best view of a foggy, windy day.