Great Success! Hood Summit on 6/22

Hello Supporters!

Well, another week has passed and there's great news to share with you on the training front! My uncle and I summited Mt. Hood successfully on Sunday at about 6:25am. The climb was spectacular, not too difficult and loads of fun.

Not only am I rejuvenated and more pumped than ever about Rainier, but I got to climb this mountain together with the man that introduced me to climbing, spending time outside and the West Coast: my uncle Bill. This climb was until now, the capstone to all of the experiences in the mountains with my uncle. Back in '97 I started coming out to the Bay Area for what started as a weekend in Tahoe, then a summer week in Yosemite. That one year of winter and summer in the Sierras did me in. Every year thereafter I began coming out to chill in the winter, then tackle something harder, longer and higher each summer. After graduating from high school, we crossed the Sierras in a week and climbed Mt. Whitney. Whitney's high, but nontechnical. Now, after graduating college, we did Hood. Hood is not as high, but much more technical involving rope management, crampons, ice axes, route finding and much more serious risk assessment. Check out some of the pics further down the page. The climb was absolutely spectacular, remarkably easy--thus allowing more time to enjoy and have fun up Bill. I can't wait to continue on.

On the fundraising side, you all have been fantastic. I challenged you to put me over a grand by July 1. Well, you did that within a day of the challenge; I obviously underestimated your generosity. AWESOME! Let's keep it up! My goal is to raise $3800 big ones by the day I summit Rainier. I can do it, but only with your generous help. Hit up the fundraising page and drop some support. Your donation goes directly towards BAWT, its programs and mission to get youth outdoors!

This weekend I'm going to take some time off and head down the coast for some surfing and camping. Then, I'll be back at it the following week in Yosemite for Mt. Lyell, the highest peak in the park at 13,114. If I feel like a real rockstar, I might have to throw in another peak on top of it! Summit day is fast approaching and I've got to keep up the pace.

Until my next post, enjoy these pics and check out a few more through Facebook. Friend me and I'll let you in on more fun.

Happy Trails,

Steve

Time for Mt. Hood

Good Friday Morning!

Well, I was planning on going in to work this morning for a bit, but my boss told me to take the entire day off. Nice.

Last weekend I didn't do any training. I would have loved to have headed up to the Sierras, but work sent me to Amsterdam for the weekend to meet the 90 plus Dutch kids that are coming to the States this year. Not only did I meet the kids, but I got to see a bit of Holland, and more importantly, meet with our great Dutch partners. Good weekend... one that was jam-packed and didn't even give me enough time to get over jet lag.

I've been back home since Sunday and climbing a bit in the gym, but mainly I've been trying to recuperate for this weekend, the huge step up to Rainier, Mt. Hood. Check out these gnarly pics! Above right is the peak and below is the final push to the summit through the "Pearly Gates". Although Hood isn't that high, about 11,200, it's heavily glaciated and a peak that routinely takes a few people a year. Whereas here in the Sierras peaks tend to be relatively smaller crags, Mt. Hood is a full, cascade volcano many times larger that any Sierra peak. The mountain is huge, creates its own weather and it truly stands alone from any other landform in its vicinity by at least 5000 feet. Hood is step up, a true stepping stone to the biggest, most challenging cascade volcano, Mt. Rainier.

I'm flying to Portland this evening, then headed up to the Timberline Lodge where, with my uncle, we will take classes in roped mountaineering, various self arrests, maybe some crevasse rescue and glacier travel. We'll retire early tomorrow, then wake up around midnight on Sunday morning and begin our long climb through the snow and up the South ridge, through the Hogsback and the Pearly Gates to the summit. Here's to hoping for great weather and an amazing time! I will report back early next week with photos and some cool thoughts.

Summer starts today and why not start out the new season with a donation to Bay Area Wilderness Training in my name? Now's the time that kids can get out on life-affirming wilderness trips--they're out of school, have lots of free time and the weather's perfect. Donate now to BAWT, help me reach my goal and help to get these great Nor. Cal youth outside! Just head on over to the Donation Page !

Many Thanks and Happy Trails!

June Update

Hello Out There!

It's been a while since I've updated this page, but I'm finally getting to it. Blogger has been throwing some hoops in my way, but I've finally managed to jump through them.

The past few months have been loaded with intense weekends in the mountains, training for the big climb. Last week I completed my first solo mountaineering climb up Mt. Dana: a normally long, high, but easy walk in summer, but when covered in snow, it becomes a full on peak complete with some great route finding. Gearing up with crampons and ice ax, I shot up the North Face through a few gullies, then walked along the corniced ridge to the summit. It was an amazing day and I felt really strong. I'm actually getting on track and I'm feeling confident that Rainier should not pose too many problems.

Before Dana, I hit a number of other spots: Donahue Pass in a snow storm, Matterhorn Peak winter ascent, Round Top winter ascent, a long slog up Clouds Rest from Yosemite Valley in snowshoes and various other rock climbs throughout Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra. It's been a busy spring and I'm super stoked.

Thanks to everyone that's been donating to date. We're up and past the $500 mark and I'm looking to get on up there one move at a time. If you haven't made your mark, please head on over to my Climbing for Kids donation page . Remember, you're donation goes directly to helping get inner city kids outside and into nature!