Mt Rainier and Mt Hood

07/09-14/2008

History: Like Apollo Creed says at the end of Rocky III... "Ding, Ding". This was Round 5 for me and Mt Rainier.
August 2000 - Got a bit lost on the Disappointment Cleaver and the folks I was with were "demoralized" and wanted to head down with their tail between their legs.
July 2002 - Boiling Larry and I had permits and plane tickets, but I stupidly broke my elbow the week before leaving while playing roller hockey with a bunch of kids.
July 2005 - Jean and I had permits and plane tickets. Selling houses and buying a new house prevented up from even leaving town that week.
June 2006 - Permits and plane tickets once again to climb with the Bershaders and Bob Dawson. Jean broke her ankle a few weeks before on a training snow climb. I wasn't going to go without her.
July 2008 - Permits and plane tickets again! Helping Bob Dawson with his BMS group and being extremely careful to not break any bones in the weeks before leaving!

Itinerary: Leaving several days/chances to summit Rainier, or with perfect conditions and timing, a chance for Mt Hood also.
Wednesday - Early and direct flight, Denver to Seattle. Pick up 3 mini-vans, drive to White River Ranger station, pick up permits, and hike into Glacier Basin camp.
Thursday - Glacier Basin to Emmons Flats. Eat, hydrate, wake up at 11pm for a hopeful midnight start.
Friday - Wind prevented us from leaving until 2am. 4.5hrs up, 2hrs on the summit, jaunt to Liberty Cap, down. Pack up camp and slog out to the TH. An exhaustive drive to Packwood for a few hours of sleep.
Saturday - Eat, hydrate, eat, hydrate. Drive to Mt Hood for a couple hours of sleep in the parking lot. 11pm departure for the summit.
Sunday - Summit Mt Hood as the sun comes up! Boogie down and do the marathon drive back to Seattle for a shower and a couple hours of sleep.
Monday - Drag our asses to the airport for a 6am flight back to Denver, crawl into work.

The climbs: Click here for Mt Rainier, and click here for Mt Hood.