My SPOT personal locator beacon triangulates my position atop Tipsoo Peak prior to sending out an okay message to friends. I have taken the GPS Messenger out twice now and it’s been outstanding in pinpointing my positions. Thus far I have only used the device to send out okay and custom messages, but I am very well pleased with the service it provides. Hopefully I will never need to use it in a distress call situation, at which point my position becomes that of a rescue operation. Come tomorrow I will be climbing in some of Oregon’s most remote mountains, the Wallowas, and likely would not do it alone without SPOT as my lifeless companion.

My recent trip down through the southern Oregon Cascades proved rather eventful. Although I did not summit two of the peaks I had sought after I did have a fantastic time exploring new territory. My original intent was to climb Mount Scott, Mount Bailey, Howlock Mountain and Thielsen East Peak. Instead I climbed Scott, Tipsoo Peak and Howlock Mountain. I also had the privilege to slack-pack for 79 year old PCT runner Bob Holtel, aka Ultra-Buns. A full trip report on my days of adventure and climbing can be found here: http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/642509/the-holly-sawtooth.html.

One week ago my brother Isaac and I decided to make an attempt at climbing one of the more remote routes up Mt. Adams. We chose the Northwest Ridge because of this and a few other factors, such as its aspect to the sun and amount of snow remaining. The climb itself turned out to be more difficult than either of us had anticipated. Although we were comfortable during our ascent, in retrospect we both feel the route would’ve been dismissed had we known prior to our trip just how exposed and steep the terrain was. I am glad we were left in the dark on this one, considering the Northwest Ridge turned out to be the best climb of my life so far. A full trip report can be found at Summit Post: http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/639064/Agro-Adams-NWR.html.

Darren Dyk and I went out skating with a friend of his from out Mid-West. The guys name was Jonathan and although he kept to himself quite a bit he was rather pleasant company. Right, he’s also really talented when it comes to skateboarding: How’s a Tuck-Knee off a small overpass lip as a warm-up for ya? First try three times in a row no less.

Opening night for “Nuclear America” did not have as large a turnout as was hoped for or anticipated. Despite the small numbers wonderful coffee was still served, thanks to the fantastic Barista Jeffrey Scott, in a beautiful environment that has only been enhanced by the recent art. I highly recommend all make a point to stop in and enjoy an espresso while contemplating why WWIII has yet to take place.

My brother Isaac has been hard at work for his upcoming show titled “Nuclear Americana.” A large body of his work has been inspired by the 1950’s Nevada atomic testing operations and thus the title. The paintings were mounted only an hour ago and the show officially kicks off tomorrow night, lasting through the month of July. His show will definitely be worth heading out for and I hope to see a lot of friends there.

The Red E cafe
1006 N Killingsworth St., Portland, OR
Show starts at 6:30 and lasts until 10pm.

An approaching full moon typically signals an epic night of climbing. One month ago my brother Isaac and I attempted to climb Mt. Shasta under such conditions and failed - we vowed to return someday under similar conditions - and a month later with yet another full moon our plans for a second attempt were coming along nicely. Unfortunately the morning we were to head down to Mt. Shasta I began feeling ill and opted to cancel the trip. I then instead slept until noon. Now feeling rested and still eager to climb I was grateful to have such a mountain as Hood in my backyard.

Isaac and I set off for the mountain two hours behind schedule, but full of an amazing barbecued salmon dinner, arriving at Timberline by 2:00am. Conditions were clear, warm and light. Our headlamps remained turned off for practically the entirety of the ascent while a full moon illuminated the entire mountain. Lower down we passed several snow cats roving about with their bright headlights shining every which way and this felt like some sort of bad dream, but later up on the Palmer Glacier we found a bit of solitude. Other climbers began to emerge from the darkness as the day broke and to our expectations many seemed rather inexperienced. Making headway over the Hogsback and up the Old Chute we soon encountered a group of Four climbers who though roped together were not protected. Had one of these climbers fallen on this slope there would be little to no chance of an arrest or belay for any of them and all Four would be dragged a Thousand feet down toward a Fumarole. Ignorance is not bliss when playing with a mountain, and your life.

Working our way up through the crux was beautiful as we were surrounded by shimmering rime ice, but we knew this beauty came with its own price and that if we weren’t off the mountain soon we’d be playing dodge ball with falling ice. A minute later and Isaac rounded the summit ridge. Much to our delight the summit was empty. We spent a brief Fifteen minutes on top of Oregon without another sole in sight, just enough time to soak in the moment. The enjoyment lasts only so long as my mind is focused on the impending ice fall we’ll face on our down climb. Fortunately the ice fall had not intensified yet and we made a speedy and secure descent. After some fun glissades and a long downward slog to the lodge we’d completed our journey in exactly Ten hours.

Looking back and comparing this climb with our Winter ascent of Hood I find my confidence has grown considerably. I understand the risks and continue to keep an eye on all contributing factors to mountain dangers, but I am more comfortable with my abilities as well. Utilizing my own gear has also helped immensely, especially the Lowa Expert GTX boots and the Black Diamond Cyborg Pro crampons. Those crampons grip like glue, yet allow amazing maneuverability and are ultra light. Other gear notes: The Ten essentials, Ice Axe, glacier glasses, helmet, navigation, stove plus fuel (unused) and beta. Date of climb: 06.28.10.

After less than 3 hours of sleep I awoke feeling ill this morning due to dehydration and canceled my plans to climb Mt. Shasta. Shooting last night’s wedding simply did not allot enough time for me to properly rest. However, the wedding photos themselves I am pleased with and Green Butte Ridge isn’t going anywhere too soon, although I will likely have to wait until next year to climb that route. At any rate the Young newlyweds put on a great wedding and ought to enjoy their pictures. Andrew and Alexis Young pictured.

Summer came as quickly as many of Oregon’s sporadic winter cold snaps, in fact, that’s essentially what it broke out of. With the seasons changeover came a renewed desire to get a little wilderness exercise. After a full days work of running around serving coffee I decided to go for an easier hike and chose the nearby Angels Rest. Along for the ride was my newly purchased friend, Canon’s G11. It’s a point and shoot, digital SLR hybrid type of camera and takes wonderful photos. I will learn more about it on my upcoming trip to Mt. Shasta and will in turn write a review on it.

Mountaineering holds its fair share of risks and many dangers are associated with climbing in general. I am reminded of this with all of the tragedies that have occurred within the past year. My condolences go out to the families of Luke Gullberg, Katie Nolan and Anthony Vietti (Reid Headwall), of Tom Bennett (near Shasta’s summit) or most recently of Robert Wiebe (Coe glacier). My only hopes in these past matters are that the climbers knew Christ and that their families can rest in knowing they’ll be with God. Unfortunately such tragic events do take place and although I cannot predict when they may occur I can do my best to climb wisely and safely. I look forward to my second summit attempt on Mt. Shasta in the coming weeks.