Making out your gear check

Yes, the title comes from the category "Before and After" from Wheel of fortune... So how much does a trip to the summit of Mount Rainier cost?

While going through my gear check list and seeing what items I had left to purchase (because I hadn't already spent enough), I started wondering how much I ended up spending on all this shit that I had to buy.

At first, I thought I made off pretty good. I had accumulated a lot of items from the service and through the years (See prior post "Thanks USAF") and with the help of Craigslist, ebay, REI coupons and Backcountry.com, had managed to find good deals and closeouts on many of the items I did have to purchase.

Still, looking at this list of gear I was required to have I was curious how much I did spend. Luckily, I save all my receipts; both digitally and a hard copy. I was able to make an itemized list of all the things I purchased with their price next to it:

Gloves – 58.95

Crampons – 170.00

Ice Ax – 67.00

Helmet – 50.00

Mountaineering Boots – 53.00

Harness – 80.00

Trekking Poles – 66.00

Snow Shoes – 63.73

Caribbeaners – 15.00

Compass – 37.42

Hiking Pants – 50.00

Lightweight Pants – 68.00

Full Zip Pants – 35.18

Down Coat – 76.00

Hat – 20.00

Baclava – 24.00

Gaiters – 35.00

Nalgene Bottles – 16.00

Stuff Sack – 37.00

Cup/Bowl – 8.00

Spork – 9.00

Rainier NP Pass – 30.00

Freedom of The Hills – 20.00

Rainier Climbing Guide – 14.00

Challenge of Rainier – 15.00

Transceiver Rental - 6.00

Add all that up and it comes to a grand total of 1134 and some change. This doesn't include the price of the guide/course which is 1355.00

I asked my two climbing partners if they had an itemized list of their gear as well. Cyrus immediately replied back with an itemized list that included the item, the brand and the cost. Looking over it I realized he had included all the gear he had collected over the years. He did later tell me "this is my life's investment in gear that will be in some way used for the trip". I added up everything he sent me. Talk about sticker shock: $4616. However, there was 700 dollars of travel related expenditures in his list because he decided to move to Minnesota. 

There are still a few more small items that I will need to buy such as ear plugs, duct tape,, sun screen and some other random essentials like toiletries. I also am responsible for my lunches and snacks but whether or not I'm on the summit of Rainier, or sitting in Lake Stevens, a guy has to eat. At most the rest of my random items will be under 50 dollars. On a good note, my REI dividend should be awesome next year!

So, total price for Cody to summit Rainier: 2539.00

Cost of spending three days hiking through Mt Rainier National Park and hanging out on the highest Volcano in the lower 48 with two badass friends: Priceless

Denali this weekend

Great post Cody!!

You're definitely kicking my butt in terms of working out... but I've been running, doing P90X Plyometrics and Yoga ("Best downward dog of your life...") and plan to climb Sable Mountain this weekend up in Denali National Park. We're staying at Teklanika campground and I wanted to find a closer hike to maximize my chance of seeing McKinley early in the morning before the clouds move in. Thanks Google Earth for allowing me to scope out the lay of the land before heading up there.

Sable Mountain with Mt. McKinely in the distance. Hopefully I'll be able to add a real photo after the weekend. 

-Patrick

How have you been training?

Now that we are down to the home stretch, I thought I would share my training experience with everyone. No one person is the same so what works for me may not work for you. I feel coming into this I had an advantage over my climbing partners (both very busy doctors). Ive been lucky enough to have a job that requires me to stay in good physical condition. Ive also been a member of the local Crossfit gym now for the past 18 months, which has definitely helped me out in my training to summit Rainier.

I thought I would post my training log just so everyone can see what type of physical training I have been doing. This doesn't include the day to day physical activities that life brings me, like shoveling gravel, painting houses or doing a hose drill at work. I must say I wish I was able to get more long hikes in. That would probably be the thing I would change if I had to do it all over again. On the other end of the spectrum, what I believe has really helped prepare me for this journey (we will see if I'm right in 3 weeks) are all the squats I have added to my workout. I've included squats into every workout in some different form. It could be front squats, which help prepare for the uphill portion while having weight on your back, back squats which strengthen all the muscles in your legs, or overhead squats to really strengthen your core. Other movements that are similar to squats are thrusters, clean and jerks, and snatch. Add these various squat movements in with the rest of the workout you've got a training program that will really help build the strength and endurance you need. Don't forget to target all the pillars of fitness (cardiovascular, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy).

This is my rough training log. It doesn't include warmups, stretching or cool downs which are part of all my workouts.

Jan 7^th – Lime Kiln Trail with Pat. 5.2 mile round trip, 625 ft elevation gain, 2:45 total time.
Jan 12^th – FRAN @ Crossfit Marysville (CFM)
Jan 14^th – Big Four trail with Pat. Snow conditions approx 2 feet deep. 2.2 round trip, 200 feet elevation   gain.
Jan 17^th – 4 rounds 8-10 reps bench-press (135lbs), followed by 60 seconds of double-unders.
                  12 min AMRAP 9 deadlifts (165lbs), 12 hand release pushups, 15 box jumps (24”)
Jan 23^rd – CFM: 50 wall balls (20lbs), 40 KB swings (70lbs) 30 burpees, 20 pull-ups, 10 man makers (45lbs)
Jan 24^th – CFM: Teams of 3 Row 5000m, Run 4000m, 300 wall balls
Jan 26^th – 7 rounds of 7 OH squats (85), 7 chest to bar pull ups
Jan 27^th – 5 sets of 5 reps back squat (135,155,155,175,185), 4 rounds of 300m row, 15 SDHP (85), 10 burpees
Jan 28^th – 1000m row, 10 rounds of 5 thrusters (105) on the minute. Got a call after 5 rounds.
Jan 29^th – Snow shoe lake 22 with Pat. 5.4 miles round trip, 1350ft elevation gain. Pat broke his boot about ½ mile from the lake, had to turn around.
Jan 31^st – Mazama snow shoe. 2 miles round trip, 800 feet elevation gain, deep snow.
Feb 2^nd – 5x5 front squat (135, 135, 155, 155, 155) 20 min AMRAP in teams of 2, 400m run, 20 KB swings (53), 15 squats, 10 burpees, 5 hand release pushups.
Feb 3^rd – CFM: 5 sets of 2-2-2 clean, 10 sec rest between, 3 min rest between rounds. 3 rounds 100 DU, 30 KB swings (53), 15 box jumps (24”), 3 min rest between each round.
Feb 4^th – 5 rounds of 30 pull ups/burpee box jumps (max out PU then finish remaining of 30 with burpee box jumps.
Feb 6^th – Row 5K 23:55
Feb 7^th – CFM: 4 rounds of 4 min with 2 min rest between rounds. 500m row, 30 KB swings (53), then max pull ups – 21
                  3 rounds of 6-8 bench press (95) and burn out pushups with 1 min rest between rounds
Feb 13^th – Work up to heavy C+J (95, 125, 145, 165, 175, 175, 185).
12 min AMRAP 5 C+J (135), 10 box jumps (24”), 20 double under
Feb 15^th – Row 5K 21:34
Feb 19^th – Snow Shoe Pilchuck. Heather Lake trailhead to Pilchuck trailhead, 5.4 miles each way with 1700 feet of elevation gain, 7 hours.
Feb 21^st – CFM: 3 rounds 10 chest to bar pull ups, 10 burpees, 8HSPU.
                  Split jerks (95, 115, 135, 155, 175, 185)
Feb 22^nd – CFM: In teams of 4 perform a 25 min AMRAP rotating through 4 stations. 400m run, 20 box jumps, 20 burpees, 20 wall balls (20). Don’t rotate stations until entire team is finished with their station. 3 rounds + 2 stations.
Feb 24^th - Stretching. Trial run of burpees (for 12.1 open WOD). 3 min AMRAP burpees: 43
Feb 25^th – CFM: 12.1 open WOD 7 min AMRAP burpees: 88.
                  OH squat 5x5 (45, 65, 95, 95, 115). OH squat burnout (65), OH squat burnout (45)
Feb 27^th – CFM: In teams of three, 15 min AMRAP rotating rounds 3 dead lifts (225), 6 pushups, 9 box jumps (24)
                  Rest 5 minutes, then 15 min AMRAP of 5 pull-ups, 10 burpees
Mar 1^st – CFM: 4 rounds power clean 1-1-1, rest thirty seconds, 15 CTB pulls-ups, rest one minute (135-155-185-195)
                  12 min AMRAP 5 power cleans (135), 10 box jumps (24”), 20 double unders
Mar 2^nd – 1-1-1 snatch (95, 115, 135, 145, 150 fail)
Mar 3^rd – CFM: 12.2 open WOD 10 min AMRAP snatch in increments of 30 @70, 135, 165, 210 (50)
Mar 4^th – 4 rounds 300m row, 30 double unders, 20 wall balls (18), 10 pull-ups
Mar 5^th-9^th – Rest week
Mar 10^th – CFM: 12.3 open WOD 18 min AMRAP 15 box jumps (24”), 12 push-press (115), 9 toes to bar (5 rounds +20)
Mar 11^th – 20 minutes stairs w/ pack (35)
                  5 rounds of 90 seconds 12 front squat (95), max hand release pushups, 1 min rest
Mar 13^th – 20 min stairs (40)
                  3 rounds 10 power cleans, 20 pull ups, 250m row
Mar 14^th – Back squat: 5 (155), 3 (185), 3 (195), 1 (210), 1 (235)
                  4 rounds of 2 min 30 kb swings (53), row for max yards, rest 2 min between rounds
Mar 15^th – CFM: 2 rounds Row 500m, 10 HSPU, 20 shoulder to OH (135), 25 box jumps (24), 30 D.U.
                  Every time you stop in the middle of a station do 3 burpees
Mar 16^th - CFM: 12.4 open WOD 12 min AMRAP 150 wallballs (20), 90 D.U., 18 muscle ups (182)
Mar 18^th – Stairs/400m run/2min rest/400m run
                  800m run, 100 KB swings (53), 800m run, 200 D.U., 800m run, 100 H.R. push ups
Mar 22^nd – Practice 12.5 – 3-6-9 thrusters and pull ups
Mar 23^rd – CFM: 12.5 open WOD 7 min AMRAP 3-6-9-12…. Thrusters (100) CTB pull-ups (68)
Mar 24^th – 10 min AMRAP 5 C+J (135) 10 CTB pull-ups
Mar 25^th – Snow shoe Lake Kelcema. 8.4 mi round trip, 1600 ft elevation gain, 6 hours
Mar 27^th – 3 rounds 9-6-3 unbroken HSPU
                  1 mile run, 150 D.U
Mar 29^th – 3- 6 min AMRAP’s 3 hang cleans (115), 6 front squat, 9 HSPU – rest 4 min
10 toes to bar, 15 HR push ups, 20 KB swings (53) – rest 4 mins
30 DU, 20 air squats
Mar 30^th – CFM: Squat cleans,
                  4 rounds for time (4 min max) 5 wall climbs, 10 med ball cleans, 20 box jumps, 30 DU
Mar 31^st – 50 cal row, 50 pull-ups, 50 ground to OH (95), 50 sit-ups, 50 KB swings (70), 50 cal row
Apr 3^rd – 3000m row for time
                  3 rounds with 2 min rest between rounds 200m sprint, 10 burpees
Apr 4^th – Camp Muir attempt approx 6 miles round trip, up to 8400 feet, 8 hours.
Apr 7^th – Stretch, work up to C+J, 10 rounds of 5 C+J and 10 pull-ups on the minute
Apr 9^th – Squat sets of 3 (95, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 225) Burn out @ 135 (8)
Apr 12^th – CFM: 5 rounds 200m run, 150m row, 20 DU – rest 1 min
                  5 rounds 10 SDHP (70 KB), 10 KB swings (70)
Apr 14^th – Ten 2 min rounds of row 250m, 5 burpees, max kb swings
Apr 18^th - Ten rounds of 2 C+J every minute 155, Row 2k
April 20 – 28 REST/PARTY IN CABO
May 3^rd – CFM: Max Split jerk (205 PR), 14 min AMRAP of 6 STOH, 9 HR push up, 12 TTB
May 4^th - Light squats, Tabata - Box jumps/Ball-slams/Dead-lifts (135)/Push press (75)
May 6^th - Row 3 k, 5 rounds of 10 C+J (135), 20 double unders
May 9^th – CFM: bench press 5-4-3-2-1 (135,155,155,175,185), 3 rounds - 500m row, rest 1 min, 400m run, rest 1 min - 15:38
May 11^th - Squats (135, 155, 185),50 squats for time (95)
40 pullups/20 STOH (85)/400m run - 30 pullups/20 STOH (65)/400m run - 10 pullups/20  STOH (45)/400m run
May 20^th – Row 3K
May 21^st – CFM: Work up to a heavy thruster, 20 min AMRAP 20 thrusters, 20 pull ups, 20 burpees
May 23^rd – CFM: 30 squat clean thrusters for time @115
May 24^th - 1000m row, 5min stairs, Seven rounds 8 back squat (95, 115, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175), 200m run, rest 1 min, 2k row 

OH Squat

Random workout (WOD) at CFM

Bird Ridge, Chugach State Park, AK

The UW School of Medicine graciously decided to send me to Anchorage for my OB/Gyn rotation so that I could train for climbing Mt. Rainer. Killer.

Over the first weekend of the rotation, I ventured south of Anchorage with my classmate, Travis Pecha, to climb Bird Ridge, a hike that I'm told is a favorite among the locals.

The 2.5 mile one-way hike starts at sea level and peaks at about 3400 feet (aka, straight the f*** up).

In lieu of my boot debacle at Lake 22 (see earlier post) and the fact that I've been pumping money into alpine gear, I regret to write that I was ill-prepared in regards to footwear for this adventure. Although I considered a few pairs of hiking boots from REI, Craigslist and even the local Sportsman Warehouse, I still hadn't found the right set up (basically looking for something waterproof, mid to high top, with a heel welt for my crampons just in case and not too expensive).

So, on the morning of the hike I had a choice to make.

Behind door number one were my old running shoes: sure, they took me across the finish line of my first (and only) marathon, but that was nearly 2 years ago. Plus they're about as impervious to water as cotton socks.

Behind door number two were my Koflach plastics alpines boots. Did I really feel like lugging 10 pound boots up the gravel hill? Rhetorical question, don't answer. I didn't. Plus they're built much more for snow and ice.

Behind door number three were my Romeos. Ah, my trusty Where-For-Art-Thou's. They're comfortable, they're leather and waterproof, they've got a bit of a toe lip that I was sure could handle my semi-auto crampons. Oh yeah, and they're completely flat soled and without any sole grips.

Easy decision, right?

Tossing on my Romeos and strapping up my alpine back filled with all my gear (most of it), I set out to summit our esteemed Bird Ridge.

View to the south looking up Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet

Things actually weren't too bad initially - other than the fact that snowshoeing all winter does not prepare one for vertical trial hikes. Travis - in his light weight Sportiva trail-running shoes and small backpack - was kicking my butt up the hill. But that's ok, the tortuous and the hair, right?

Wrong.

Snow! I'm used to this!

There were a few patches of snow - bigger than the one above - that I attempted to cross. With the slick-bottom Romeos - which held about as much traction as cast-iron pan cooking bacon - I felt flat on my face twice before deciding to put on the crampons. 

Perfect, the heels are too wide. Like 40% of Americans, my Romeos were too fat in the rear - the crampons wouldn't fit.  

Looking south into the Bird Valley 

Looking across Turnagain Arm at the Kenai Mountain Range

The false summit of Bird Peak

Instead, with each step I was forced to kick deep into the snow to prevent falling on my ass while attempting to refrain from shouting vulgarities at the passing trail runners who sped by me in Nikes, eyeing my 40-pound alpine pack with looks of frank bewilderment. Shuddup, I'm training! 

Looking north toward Powerline Pass and Suicide Peak

At that point, Travis had already made it up past the false summit to the true summit at 3400 feet. I estimate that my ascent brought me to about 3000 feet - not bad for wearing my Montagues and sliding all over the place.

Penguin Peak, south of Bird Ridge

-Patrick

Link to Bird Ridge details from Alaska State Trails Program: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aktrails/mapguides.htm 

Todays Forecast: Questionable, with a chance of shitty

"Hey guy, what'd you hear about the weather today?"...

I asked the British man ski touring past us.

"Well mate, it's not supposed to be that bad. Not supposed to be that good, either," he said, the thick ascent spitting through his gnarly British teeth.

Yesterday Cody and I attempted Mt. Rainier for the first time. Our goal was Camp Muir. Like most of our adventures this year, sometimes we don't know what we're doing because we're novice to this thing called mountaineering. Sometimes we're just idiots. Yesterday was a bit of both.

The adventure began at Paradise, 5400 ft in altitude. I had assigned myself the task of navigator, credentialed by reading the Navigation chapter from The Freedom of the Hills. Good thing I found that NPS bearings pdf because it was a complete white out the whole time, save for 10 minutes when the sun came out to illuminate the fact that we were self-belaying up a 60 degree slope of soft snow in snowshoes.

Map before the trip

Map after the trip (yeah, I had to pull in out a few times).

But that's getting ahead. First I led us to Alta Vista West, following a compass bearing of 330.5 degrees mag. Through a break in the trees we found a shoot toward Marmot Hill there encountering a group of three ski touring up toward Muir. We followed their tracks for awhile toward Panorama point. They decided to go right up the face, taking off their skis and hoofing it. We stayed left, following a small ridge out of the deep powder onto some firmer ground. Up ahead there was a patch of trees piercing through the snow just below the tree line.

"Left or right?" I asked Cody, whose look of bewilderment shouted I don't know but screamed Fuck off.

"Left."

Thus our adventure up the previously mentioned west slope of Panorama Point began.

Cody trekking like a boss.

The best view of the day, before his face got sunburned (a picture of that to come!). 

There we met back up with the skiers, and again followed their tracks bearing 12.5 degrees toward McClure Rock. To our left we briefly saw the steep rocks jetting through the snow as they lined the east side of the Nisqually. Climbing up toward Sugar Rock the snow started to get firmer; we decided to throw on the crampons and stayed right of the snow field, leaving a ridge between ourselves and the Paradise Glacier. It was good to finally get some crampon / ice ax work in.

Our excitement was short-lived, however, as the white out returned - luckily after we had hustled across a small avalanche shoot. With the white out came the deep powder. Envious of the skiers and frustrated with the heavy snowshoes, we stomped through the snow, only occasionally glimpsing long "ridges" in the hues of white that ended up being nothing more than a large mound of snow, probably sitting on some natural variation in the mountain face.

From there Cody scaled a snow wall in crampons, cutting through the snow down four or five feet. I made it left, coming up the side of the snow mound to meet Cody's tired body at the top.

That's when the wind started.

We walked for awhile, keeping the rocks on our right. Again we came upon the skiers, skiing down towards us and making way for "hot chocolate" in the car. After six hours of hiking, white out conditions and nobody else on that area of the mountain, it was time to eat lunch and head back. Thank goodness I had paid extra for 2 day shipping for my down coat ordered from SteepandCheap - oh wait, it took 4 days and was waiting on the doorstep after returning from our day at Rainier.

The return trip wasn't without memorable moments. Getting down the face of Panorama Point proved the most exciting. Since there was no way I was going to navigate us back down the same slope we came up, I figured we'd try to get down the same way the skiers got up. I found their path, but it ended and so I decided to work on glissading and self arrest skills. Everything was going well until the snow turned to ice and the small snowballs being kicked off my snowshoes started diving over a ledge like lemmings. It was quickly time to descend, being quite careful with the ice ax to get a solid self-belay.

West of Panorama point with Nisqually Glacier on right

MSR ice ax, given to me by my dad

As I suspected, we found our snowshoe tracks at the bottom, were earlier in the day we'd turned west and found our slope. The trek down the hill became easy at that point. Of course, it was still snowing and visibility was poor. Not to mention my beard contained a combination of ice, snot and tomato sauce from my pasta lunch.

Who said surgeon shouldn't have beards. I don't play for the Yankees.

I call this one the "Freddy Mercury"

Regardless, 3000 feet of gain up to 8400 feet (estimated). A successful first trip to Mt. Rainier, even if we're a bit stupid at times.

-Patrick

Crampons

I've been trying to find crampons on Craigslist for weeks now. I almost found the right pair, a set of Black Diamond Cyborgs, but thankfully the seller altruistically told me that they wouldn't be the best for Rainier. The frontpoints were modular and he said they tend to cut into snow/glacier ice.

Woah! Speaking like a mountaineer. How'd I figure some of this stuff out? A sweet site put out by the folks down at REI. Thanks!

http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/crampons+snow+ice+climbing.html

The seller said the Black Diamond Sabretooth crampons would be better. Don't think I'll shell out the $170 needed for new ones so back to CL for me...

Really, Mt. Pilchuck?

Having climbed Mt. Pilchuck numerous times, albeit always during summer months, both Cody and I decided it was time to ascend our hometown peak during the winter. Right.

Employing the patented McCarty start, which is similar to the alpine start but instead of trekking out at midnight we left Lake Stevens at 10am, we arrived at the Heather Lake unscathed - our under-britches only slightly streaked after avoiding a cluster F caused by a Pontiac TransAm trying to do donuts on the road to the trailhead. Not really, but some dude in a Jeep Cherokee almost opened his door into the radiator of Cody's rig. Snow makes people in the PNW demented, I swear.

The forest road up to the MP trailhead was blocked at Heather Lake. It can't be THAT far up to Pilchuck, right? Wrong.

"How far's this hike again?" - Cody Brooke

Especially on snow shoes.

Our spirits remained high for the first 4 miles until demoralization sank in at the sight of a cross-country skier (who siddled up behind and scared the living feces out of me, I might add) who benefited from our tracks nearly the entire way up. Although, making fresh prints in the 4-foot-deep snow made me feel like one hell of an American.

Fresh tracks up to the MP trailhead

A little higher up the demoralization turned to unbridled exhaustion based on a) the fact after 4 hours we hadn't even reached the MP trailhead yet and b) the damn skier was on his way down, coasting past us.

About that time, Cody died. Cause of death: left abductor muscle strain.

Cody dying

I, on the other hand, did not die.

Pat not dying

In the end, 10+ miles in 7 hours... capped off by our ubiquitous trip to Ixtapa!

Ixtapa being awesome

Delay of Game due to Rain

Pat and I came ready to snow shoe 10 miles up to Lake Kelcema from the bottom of Deer Creek Rd. While making a quick stop at the Verlot Ranger Station, we were enlightened on the fact that there were numerous avalanche spots all along the highway; including the trail we were planning on going up.

We decided to still head that way and just do a shorter length of the trail and turn around right before the avalanche shoots about 2.5 miles (which also was one of the better views along the hike). After we pulled in, geared up and started to walk up to the trail it started (or maybe we finally noticed) that it was raining very hard. A quick conversation led us both to believe that we should probably bag it on the grounds of rain, possible death due to avalanches and the fact that our destination/turn around point was the most dangerous part of the hike.

We still wanted to make what we could out of the day so after a quick recharge once getting home, I pulled out all my ropes, prussiks cords, caribeaners and anything else I had in the world of technical rescue. We started to go over and practice figure 8 type knots, basic belay systems and a few other things that would be essential to know before ascending Rainier. Why waste a good Washington winter day?

successful knots

Pat ready to climb something

Basic rope stuff from Rescue Tech I manual (copyrighted material)

Gear list

Slowly but surely I'm checking items off the Mt. Rainier gear list. One of my first orders of business was to find some insulated pants, just as much for zipping up as an outer layer during breaks and while in camp on Rainier as for lounging around my cozy Ballard apartment.

The decision between down and synthetic was an easy one because 1) down costs like $200 more than synthetic and 2) my roommate Travis, an avid climber, said I'd be find with synthetic. In his experience, there's no way I'd actually be hiking in them, synthetic does better in somewhat wetter environments and they'll keep me plenty warm especially with a layer or two underneath.

Thus, I went with the Patagonia Micro Puff Insulated Pant size large. At nearly 5'10'', the large is a perfect size and will easily slip on over other layers and the full-length zip will make it so I don't have to take off my crampons on the mountain to get warm. Plus, the price was right, ordered off of BackCountryUSA.com.

Best of all, they arrived the night before Seattle Snowstorm 2012 and I got to wear them in to work today. :-)

Probably my favorite part about ordering things online is the UPS delivery guys. Nobody else knocks on a front door like those guys, like they've got two sets of balls.


-Patrick

Link to Patagonia pants I bought: http://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-micro-puff-insulated-pant-mens