"Hike."

So a few days ago my friend Peter and I were talking about how we hadn't been out on a hike for a while.  Typical phrases were thrown out such as, "OH yeah, we should totally go on a hike sometime."  It was the type of interaction that people have on a normal basis - the purpose is often just to express desire or make plans in the far future, not to actually pursue or immediately satisfy a desire.  Well, not so with Peter.  His response to this new found deficiency was, "Want to go for a hike on Wednesday?"  I was probably silent for a few seconds as I adjusted to the shock.  Thoughts ran through my mind such as: "I have nothing to do on Wednesday.  I would love to go for a hike on Wednesday. My god, I could go on a hike on Wednesday. Weird.  I usually have to say "no" for some reason - but there isn't any "no", so, I guess I'll say YES. THIS IS SO STRANGE!" 

I over-think sometimes.    

So I said "YES!" and we went for a hike.  

"Hike" is a term that should be held lightly during the telling of this story.  You will understand why in a moment.  

To explain what happened next would take a few hundred hours, so I will synthesize.  

Peter worked as a climbing ranger on Mount Rainier for three years.  Nuff said? I think yes.  We were the only people there and we started at Paradise, which in the month of January is called "the arctic" (by me).  

  

When we arrived Peter had me put on boots he had brought in my size, a hat, an extra fleece, as well as wind pants he carried for me to put on later in order to slide on my ass down about 4 million feet of steep mountain snow and ice.  No big deal.  Just a hike.  If you need to stop or slow down while you are free-falling on your ass just drive the ski-poles you are holding into the ground beside you as hard as you can and flip over on your stomach.  No big deal.  (OH MY GOD I was FREAKING OUT.  I was a mighty explorer in the arctic and I could have died at ANY MOMENT.  It really was that cool.) 

We were on the mountain for over 6 hours, and my legs and arms and shoulders were TREMBLING from fatigue when we were done.  Picture this: you are "hiking" up a very steep hill (I think Peter said it was about a 38 degree angle? Translation: STEEP as FUCK) that is entirely snow and ice - there are no "trails" or "roads", none of th0se confining paths or petty benches.   Just snow and ice.  Okay so imagine you are walking up this hill, and with every step you take you plunge your two ski-pole things (yeah, I know, I have no mountain/ski lingo... bite me) into the snow/ice beside you to give yourself the illusion of safety, and then drive the edge of your foot into the ice/snow in front of/above you until there is a little place to PUT that foot, and then carefully shift your weight onto that foot and begin the process again.  If you fall you fall down the fucking mountain of ice and snow.  No big deal.  Just an icy death.  Peter was a fantastic guide, although part of being a good guide was saying soothing things like "So if you fall, keep your elbows in and kick your feet."  

Along the way Peter pointed out the waterfalls and rivers and streams (all frozen/covered in a shitload of snow and ice) - you could see evidence of this water through the patterns of the snow if you knew what to look for.  You could even HEAR the water running beneath you (AMAZING).   I felt like my soul was opened up and aired out on that mountain.  

It was a perfect day: from the top of our "hike" you could see Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens, as well as every peak and ridge directly around us, including of course the looming, gorgeous Mt. Rainier (I think it's the most wonderful mountain in the world).  Peter knew the names of all of the surrounding scenery, and told stories and histories about different ridges and peaks as if they were his children.  It was one of the most fascinating and exhilarating days of my life.  

Hiking will never be the same.  Neither will Mount Rainier.  Now as I sit in my beautiful new apartment and look at her when it chooses to show her gorgeous, sometimes modest self, I feel a kinship with her that I did not feel before.  

Hiking is cool.  Near death snow hiking with a climbing ranger is cooler.  

Comments

[Kensey]

mm... LAAAAME. Hahhahahah just kidding. This is like the coolest thing EVER. WOWEE

[Collin Brice]

How high did you climb?