This months challenge: busting a sweat

[creagdhubh]

Gotta add one more I found that I enjoy. This was taken out on the Coleman Glacier on Mt Baker while I was strolling around checking out the trail ahead. Was the only kilted climber that day.




And my summit team, father and son, at the top of Mt Baker 10,700ft. Not the tallest of mountains but one of the most glaciated in the Pacific Northwest except for Mt Rainer. Getting up at 1AM and on the summit by 630 and with the brisk gale winds we had I even had my wind pants on. I do maintain a little sanity.

Awesome!

My father and I are both avid mountaineers (have tackled all, but one, of Colorado's Fourteeners) and have been for most of our lives (I began climbing at age 5). My father summited the Grand Tetons twice (with Exum Mountain Guides), the past two summers and has been training extremely hard for his second summit attempt of Mt. Rainier this summer. I will be meeting him after his ascent of Mt. Rainier in Colorado to climb Mount of the Holy Cross, our last Fourteener then we have done them all! My father, who is 57 years of age, a retired Biologist and high school Biology teacher, and resides in Chesterfield, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis, where I'm originally from), also has plans to trek in the Himalayas around the base camp of Mt. Everest, climb several peaks in Mexico, and tackle Mt. McKinley in Alaska. He's quite the mountaineer, which makes sense...we are of Scottish Highland ancestry after all!

Here's a quote in which my father e-mailed me just yesterday:

"To those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties that they will not disclose to those who make no effort. That is the reward the mountains give to effort. And it is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly to those who will wrestle with them that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again. The mountains reserve their choice gifts for those who stand upon their summits."

-Sir Francis Younghusband

Climb on!