Wesley Eader, a dear friend of mine, sold me a near mint condition 1970’s Austro-Daimler (Puch Clubman) a couple of months back that has since shaped the world of outdoor recreation in my life. Recently another good friend, James Seymour, did a desperately needed overhaul tuneup of the bicycle, making its ride quite pleasurable. Despite many claims that I should ride long distances using a more efficient and modern bicycle the Clubman is exactly all I have ever wanted. And traveling over 135 kilometers yesterday with a smile plastered across my face speaks of my approval. Thank you Sean Burdeshaw for traveling the distance with me, and for doing so on a whim.

As per birthday request my brother Isaac and I climbed up Mount Hood a couple of Thursdays ago. We did not summit, even though we were but only a few hundred feet from doing so, due to the ice fall hazards fast approaching. However, we did run into a rare moment. Oregon Field Guide was documenting several teams of climbers through the Pearly Gates amongst other captures. Their episode on climbing the mountain won’t air until March of 2012, but it will be neat to see when it does.

Patience. It has been a long time coming and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if there were yet another problem to fix. However, for the time being, appearances lend me to believe my motorcycle is officially ready to roam freely amongst nearby regions. I don’t want to take it far just yet, due to the fact that I am hesitant all its kinks have been worked through, but after all the work done thus far I am more confident in fixing problems unforeseeable. Thank you to Dave Callison, Adam Wright and Gene over at Doc Brown’s Motorcycle Shop for all of the help and advice thus far. Now if I could just get the kill switch working!

Although the entire situation was beyond ominous, could I look back and say I was afraid? The answer, of course, is yes. No climbing experience has been as frightening as entering a dead-end gully taken off Leuthold Couloir’s proper route and at the end of such a gully nearly depleting all strength. Then the Lord sparred us within minutes from being taken out by a massive avalanche, something we learned of days later. Ominous? His presence. Thank you Jesus!

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1017852

A day spent with family on Mother’s Day later continued pressing southward solo to Mount Shasta. Being alone atop Casaval Ridge was both peaceful and a little frightening at times, but the trip was wholly worthwhile and not a moment passed when I felt in danger. Having captured nearly 3 hours of video on this trip I do plan to create a short narrative film on the climb. In the meantime here’s a brief account of the trip: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1017389

Receive a sunny day and be refreshed. Beside the climate, Oregon isn’t all that different geographically from some place tropical, say Hawaii or Peru. That isn’t to say those places don’t carry their own merit, on the contrary I think of them far grander, but it’s in an effort to embrace my own surroundings that I find myself no longer taking for granted the backyard so often overlooked. Thanks be to Saddle Mountain and the many splendorous coastal vistas it has to offer.

Portland rains. A lot. Someone told me today it is marked the second wettest city in the United States and I did not want to believe it. Avalanche danger atop the many nearby mountains hasn’t helped my stifled need for adventure, either, but at least all of this has provided some opportunity to finalize a few home tasks. The above image, taken of Isaac picking oranges in the California Sun, is both a reminder of [hopefully] things to come and part productivity in revamping my website. Who knows how long that one will take, though.

After a gentle day of cleaning house, reading Christ’s revelation and hiking a few thousand feet of Gorge cliff along the Columbia my brother Isaac and myself attended a quiet show at the Jade Lounge. Several friends sung, beat drums, blew harmonicas and plucked guitars to an intimate audience in this snug corner of southeast Portland. Cory Dauber here was the final act, alongside the sweet harmonizing vocals of Christa Blome, and aside from a desire to keep them on stage the show was quite wonderful. More evenings should be spent this way.

What a busy week. What a busy season! Busyness has been so immense as of late that I have lost sight of the importance of regular exercise. Physical lethargy has plagued me the past couple of months and I never thought I would get like this, since I have always been so active in the past. I must remember the significance, for body, soul and spirit, of getting out of the city one to two times a week to put in some exercise. Angels Rest at night is always beautiful!

Would somewhere around six months be too long a period to hold off on writing a climbing report? Perhaps, but this is the six summits report, so let’s just say I wrote a little for each mountain each month. Regardless of the details about my writers block, the details about the report itself can be found via the links below.
East Peak Homepage
East Peak Route Page
6 Summits, 32 Hours Trip Report