It has been a great summer for my mountain pursuits. So far I have been fortunate to bag a number of training climbs, plus Wy’East… Tahoma… Olympus… Loowit… backpacking in the Alpine Lakes…. What more could I ask for? Kaleetan, that’s what. Tom proposed a group outing to the North Cascades, but only I was … Continue reading Kaleetan Peak→
That night I tossed in the sleeping bag, made a bit of urine, dreamed of the route, adjusted my layers when chilled… I slept in total for a few hours. Another party passed by quietly circa 12:30 AM, but otherwise there were no surprises that night, except for the tent getting buffeted by gusts of … Continue reading Tahoma via Kautz Ice Chute: Day 3→
In Puyallup mythology, Loowit (AKA Mt St Helens) was the object of affection from two god-brothers: Wy’East (AKA Mt Hood) and Klickitat (AKA Mt Adams). When they could not stop their quarrels, their father Sahale struck them all down, and they formed into the volcanoes we see today. In Cowlitz mythology, things are different: Tahoma … Continue reading Loowit→
Here is a video summary of the day’s climb. This version without soundtrack, so you can hear the snow and the wind, and our chatter…. This version with the soundtrack that hummed in my mind during the ascent… I slept fine that night. For the most part. An odd feature of being guided is that … Continue reading Tahoma via Kautz Ice Chute: Day 2→
Tahoma (AKA Mt. Rainier) is one of my favorite mountains… I am fortunate to be 4 for 5 up there, twice on the Emmons and thrice on the DC, most recently as a team leader in July 2017. It is a sacred place for me, actually, and always provides that unique combination of challenge and … Continue reading Tahoma via Kautz Ice Chute: Day 1→
posted: June 23, 2019
Paul Pottinger’s Adventures from the Top of the World