August 26, 2008

Waking up at an elevation of 7040' to find ice is scary. My fingers were frozen as I tried to pack my pack. I put my nearly frozen shoes on and brrrr....I was ready. I was wearing 4 layers of clothing when I began today's hike. I set about my hike crunching sleet when I walked. I was particulary cautious today. When 30-30 and I approached Packwood Glacier, it was icy. 30-30 suggested that I glissade. "Uh...not this year," I said. Instead, I sat down on the bumpy glacier and used my leg to push my pack down the glacier. I held my Spot tightly in one hand as I descended the glacier on my buttocks. 30-30 took movies of my hiking methods. At the glacier's bottom, I then tugged my pack by its pull cord as though it were a sled. It worked just fine. I was so relieved to have made it down the glacier until I saw what was next! I was stricken with fear when I saw the 45 degree angle of the side of the icy mountain that I was about to hike along. One slip or misstep and I was a gonner. I didn't look at the dropoff, I was too scared. 30-30's encouragement was nullified by my own racing thoughts and anger at myself for not having my YakTrax. I was unprepared for the sleet in WA. I lost 10 lbs. getting across the steep and icy mountainside. I was almost in the clear when another hiker shouted, " You better watch out. I'm coming down and rocks might fall." "Uh...let me get by first," I suggested. When I completed the hairy section, 30-30 pointed out to me all of the divets in the snow below us. "Those divet-looking things are from rocks falling," he shared. "Gee thanks." The beauty was spectacular as I climbed the knife's edge. A helicopter giving tours weaved in and out of the mountains. "Man, those passengers taking that tour are crazy," I said. "Look at how close that helicopter comes to the mountain." 30-30 replied, " "Funny thing is, Ladybug, is that those passengers are saying the same thing about you." Just look at those crazy hikers! Mt. Rainier showcased its beauty in The Goat Rocks Wilderness throughout most of t oday's hike. I barely took any breaks today b/c I wanted to reach White Pass in daylight. I just missed the six o'clock store closing, but 30-30 took good care of his hiking partner. He greeted me at the trailhead with a Mt. Dew and good news. We were going to hitchhike to Packwood (20 miles west) to get pizza, do laundry, and take a warm shower. Ahhhhh!