7/25/2005 04:34:00 PM|||Joel VandenBrink|||

So it surprises me that I didn't get an emails asking me if I was still alive. But, alas, as I type these words I am fully alive and look forward to watching the Tigers play the Mariners tonight. Now onto the real fun...

Tim Soerens, Josh Epperson, Brooke, and Myself left our parking lot at 10:30 am last sunday morning for the adventure that we had been planning for at least 10 months. After driving for 4 hours we found ourselves in the little town of Trout Lake along with an old man drinking a PBR on a porch and a small cafe that served us some great sandwiches to fill our stomaches before we headed for the parking lot at 5400 ft. Eight miles of dirt road later we hopped out of our car and slabbed on the sun tan lotion before hitting the trail for base camp at 9000 feet. The beginning mile or two was through forest before we made it above the timberline and into the pumice fields. Base Camp, also known as Lunch Counter, is located between two glaciers on a flat spot right at the base of the false summit. We arrived at Lunch Counter at 8:30 and set-up camp. It was here that I started to feel dizzy and light headed -- sure signs of altitude sickness. I tried to eat dinner but the smell of it made me feel even more sick, so after receiving the blessing of the team to go to bed I slid into my sleeping bag and attempted to fall asleep. Forty-Five minutes later I called Brooke over and we contemplated heading back down the mountain (as that is the only way to alleviate the altitude sickness). Josh came over and convinced me that I hadn't entered stage two altitude sickness and that it would be ok. Sure enough, I woke up in the morning and felt about 90% better -- just good enough to attempt to summit.

All four of us put on our cramp-ons and started the 3200 foot ascent to the summit. The short of the long is that 4 hours later we were at the top and could see every major peak in both Washington State and Oregon State -- as well as Mount Shasta.

After taking in the scenery we glissaded down and backed up base camp and headed down the rest of the mountain to the parking lot. All in all it took us 8.5 hours to get up the mountain and 3 to get down.

On the way out we stopped and got shakes at the same cafe that we filled our stomaches with on the way in.

It was a great trip -- and the start of a very good thing.

peace
joel

|||112233589451760262|||Mount Adams...abridged version7/26/2005 12:38:48 PM|||Anonymous|||What is the "very good thing?"

By the way, I'm extremely jealous...

Nate7/28/2005 06:39:26 AM|||Joel VandenBrink|||nate -
the very good thing, as I see it, is the fact that brooke liked this trip as much as i did and wants to summit another major peak. There is something quite wonderful about being on top of a large mountain and kissing your wife.

joel8/01/2005 02:10:47 PM|||Anonymous|||Beautiful! May many more mountainsides embrace the two of you together, and may many more mountaintops and unbelievable views find you embracing your beloved in your arms with all your heart.

Nate