The SUMMIT (part 2)

After the giant pancake was eaten....well, most of it anyways, we headed to weigh our packs...I thought mine would be lighter than last year....and it was by 2 pounds! 34# altogether including water.

I was feeling pretty well for most of the climb on Tuesday. The day was gorgeous! Clear sky and temperature in the 80's. We hiked together and made it 6 miles in with a 2,000' elevation climb. Because we were earlier than last year we also got a very nice site to camp....with lots of marmots and chipmunks! 

We filtered water and set up camp...I wasn't feeling badly yet but I couldn't eat. Everyone else feasted on Mac and Cheese, Chicken/potatoes/veggies and Chili Mac....I tried to keep hydrated....I drank Gatorade all night so I would be hydrated for the summit in the a.m.

The moon was a few days waning from full and lit up the entire area...it looked like a gray moonscape when I got up before sunrise.

We hit the trail around 7:30....

On the way to the top I began feeling more nauseous...but I kept plugging along. The Captain hung back with me and another man joined us...he was the only one of his group of 8 to summit...and he was feeling worse than I was...at one point he said, "God bless your snail pace!"

When we finally got to the summit after crossing an ice field, I sat on a warm rock and rested...then we took a ton of pictures.

I signed us in and hit the "EASY" button from Staples that someone put in the sign in box. I also added to the sign in box:

Woody, Fred, Ned Flanders and Mr. Potato Head! Daughter #1 added a "Honk if Pluto is a planet," bumper sticker....if you look closely you can see the group in the upper left corner of the box.

...made it!

...made it!

This was taken at the 94 switchbacks...the trail to the summit goes behind and along the ridgeline of those mountains behind....below shows the steepness between swithcbacks...

Daughter #1 with the Captain and I on the switchback below and Dan from Wisconsin taking a breather below us...

Then, at the top, I met a guy I went to elementary school with! Small world even on top of it!

Then we visited where we left the captain's dad and our dog's ashes last trip to the summit...and we prepared for our decent...

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*CONQUOR A MOUNTAIN*