The first few weeks of good weather in a Pacific Northwest spring marks the beginning of alpine climbing season. Near the end of March, I went up Mt. Hood with three other climbers from my climbing club. Little did I know it, but this climb would be the seedling for bigger future climbs. Two of the climbers, Adrian and Peter were training for a Denali expedition in June. The third, Noel, is a newer climber, looking to get into bigger routes.
We climbed the on the South side of Mt. Hood, opting for the Old Chute route, the same one I'd already climbed twice. It was cold, but we had good weather and good snow conditions, so the climb went well. Since it was my first climb of the season, I had a little bit of trouble with the altitude around the Devil's Kitchen and Hogsback, just generally feeling "off". By the time we got to the summit, though, I was feeling well again.
Heading up toward the Old Chute.
Noel, Adrian, and Me just before reaching the summit (in the background).
Left to right: Peter, Adrian, Noel descending the Old Chute.
From this climb, I got an invite on the Denali expedition from Peter and Adrian. Though a Denali expedition is on my bucket list, I couldn't work out the 30+ days off of work I would need. Peter also ended up inviting me on a Mt. Rainier climb, another mountain high on my list. Peter is a very experienced alpine mountaineer and has climbed Rainier several times, so he would be an ideal leader for my first climb on Rainier.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
Winter and Surgery
It's been a while since I posted mostly because I haven't been too active. After the Wolf Rock adventure, winter came to Portland and ended the dry climbing season. Shortly after Wolf Rock, I discovered an umbilical hernia. I kept climbing indoors and playing soccer though. I didn't experience any pain. I just had to push the tissue back in every once in a while
For Christmas, my family went to Colorado to ski/snowboard. We had great conditions (cold and snowy) but unfortunately only got four days on the mountain. The front end of our trip was interrupted when we discovered a bad leak on the inlet of the water heater. We spent the first night and day going to Denver to buy a new water heater, then installing it. In the process, we discovered the old water heater had been hooked up backwards. We now have great hot water at the cabin.
After Colorado, I headed home to KY with my family. It was the first time I'd spent at home in a year. After discovering my hernia, I decided to have surgery while I was at home so that my dad could set it up and I'd have someone to drive me to and from the hospital. December 31st was the only option, so I had surgery on New Years Eve. Everything went very smoothly and I now have sutures holding the small hole behind my belly button closed. The actual surgery only took 20 minutes and I was only in the hospital for a few hours.
The worst part of the surgery was the recovery. I didn't actually have any pain or weakness, but the surgeon ordered me not to do any physical activity for six weeks. He didn't even want me to run. So I went to the gym every day and did the stair master to stay in shape. That and the weather are the primary reasons I haven't been very active lately. I just started climbing and playing indoor soccer again a few weeks ago.
The days are getting longer now and I'm hoping to start getting some climbing in. Maybe some winter climbs or new routes on Hood.
For Christmas, my family went to Colorado to ski/snowboard. We had great conditions (cold and snowy) but unfortunately only got four days on the mountain. The front end of our trip was interrupted when we discovered a bad leak on the inlet of the water heater. We spent the first night and day going to Denver to buy a new water heater, then installing it. In the process, we discovered the old water heater had been hooked up backwards. We now have great hot water at the cabin.
After Colorado, I headed home to KY with my family. It was the first time I'd spent at home in a year. After discovering my hernia, I decided to have surgery while I was at home so that my dad could set it up and I'd have someone to drive me to and from the hospital. December 31st was the only option, so I had surgery on New Years Eve. Everything went very smoothly and I now have sutures holding the small hole behind my belly button closed. The actual surgery only took 20 minutes and I was only in the hospital for a few hours.
The worst part of the surgery was the recovery. I didn't actually have any pain or weakness, but the surgeon ordered me not to do any physical activity for six weeks. He didn't even want me to run. So I went to the gym every day and did the stair master to stay in shape. That and the weather are the primary reasons I haven't been very active lately. I just started climbing and playing indoor soccer again a few weeks ago.
The days are getting longer now and I'm hoping to start getting some climbing in. Maybe some winter climbs or new routes on Hood.
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