I climbed Mt. Rainier in September 1969 with Phursumba as one of our guides. He was newly arrived at Rainier Mountaineering, as I recall. I worked at the front desk of Paradise Inn and lived in a dorm nearby so I was used to the altitude. I was in college, and other employees and I used to go up to Camp Muir every now and then. Phursumba was a bit of a hit with the girls who worked at Paradise, he was tall, handsome, kind and sweet. He made many summit ascents leading climbers. The day we employees climbed I don't remember any other climbing parties. It seemed we had the mountain to ourselves. We slept at Camp Muir and rose at 2:30 a.m. because we needed to be on the summit by 12 noon. This was to avoid avalanche danger from the warmth of the afternoon sun. Phursumba went up the mountain with ease. For me, it was the most strenuous thing I've ever done, but so worth it. Thanks to Phursumba and the other wonderful guides.
