Summer in the 206

Summer...round 2. The July high pressure system has settled in once again and we are being hit with a nice bout of warm and sunny weather. Last night found our team from Alpine Ascents on the summit of Mt. Rainier around 7:30 pm. I brought up the rear of the team with a couple struggling climbers, but we successfully got 5 climbers and 3 guides to the summit. That made summit #6 for me. A small number compared to the dozens of ascents other guides have, but I suppose it's fairly good for my first season with Alpine Ascents and guiding on Rainier. Everybody has to start somewhere.

a change in the air
faint smell of earth and new life
awakening now


Here I am in the final frontier, the great state of Alaska. It's only a small slice of such a vast amount of land, but I've enjoyed every day so far. It's day two for us in Haines and with the mostly clear skies above us, we're hoping to get up in the air to do some scouting over the surrounding mountains. Drake is our connection to the glacier and he stands up to the cliché ski plane pilot profile. A smaller and well built man, his greying hair flows back from the aviator sunglasses, giving him a look of flight even when he stands still. With our best interests in mind, he advises us on flying conditions and is excited for the flush of women our group has brought to his world.

Our group has shrunk by a couple folks, but we still have the core people whose passion has brought us all together. As the dynamics begin to form, our roles will become more defined. While we may not get the high pressure system that sat on this region for the last couple weeks, we will certainly have a memorable experience and a good story to bring back to our other lives.


a change in the light
soft warmth on skin with brightness
propelling forward

transitions

April will come and go like a delicate snowflake landing on the back of your hand, frozen in place with the backdrop of skin and life. Body heat will transfer to Nature's tiny work of art and the snowflake will move on, becoming water that one day might again take the form of snow. For now, I am packing my life into separate bags. Each one has a purpose. A final destination to which they will help propel me. In 48 hours, I fly to Alaska to sample a small part of the state. Upon my return, I will journey onto Rainier for a summer of guiding and the continuation of life on the snow. I won't be able to send out individual updates to everyone, so check back periodically for photos and/or words as to what I've been doing. Happy spring!