Lost Rope Muir Hut 9/13-14

[saxybrian]

I'll start this off by saying I left my rope at Muir on 9/13-14. If anyone picked it up, I'll buy you a beer or pay for shipping if it's far away. Send me an email at brianwthomas(@)g mail (dot) com

 

I had planned a single push up Rainier with a friend. I left work around 3pm, got home around 3:30, finished packing my gear and left the house at 4:45pm. Got to Paradise around 8:20 and left the lot around 8:35. On the way up, I felt really slow, then I realized having had Mexican food the night before and and only sleeping 5 hours. This could be the problem. I reached pebble creek at about 1:08 minutes into the climb with out my friend in sight (we were gonna meet up on the snowfield). I ate, drank and relaxed there for about 15 minutes. I put my shirt back on, and my jacket over me and headed up the snowfield.

 

From there up I seemed to be moving at a crawl. The upper snowfield provided some challenge w/o crampons, but was at the level where it seemed it would be a waste to put them on for a few hundred feet that you needed them, or to continue w/o them and have that little struggle. I made Muir at 3:50 from my start point. I got there, felt like crap from the lack of sleep, and the stomach issues I was having all day.

 

Decided to sleep in the hut while my buddy tagged along with another rope team and made the summit.

 

Overall, it was a fun trip, learned a bit about myself on the way up in the middle of the night by myself w/o another person in sight. My overall fun-meter on this trip was low due to the stomach issues and lack of sleep. Though I do think I could do it in a single push with a bit more training and a good night rest the day before. I think for this season I'm done with my climbs and may end up trying a ski from summit next season.

 

Until next time.

Brian