Sunday, October 2, 2011

Summer Snow


After a long, cold spring this past year, I was ready for the summer ski season. The massive accumulation of snow in the spring promised excellent coverage for the early summer and possible extending the season into August. By early July, the snow depth around the Mt. Baker Ski Area was over 30 feet in places. That led to a July 4th ski tour up Herman Saddle with plenty of coverage of the route from start to finish. The next on the list was Mt. Adams. I had not climbed to to summit since 1995- 16 years ago. I had been training on the stairs at the local park in preparation for the climb but was unsure if I would be fit enough for the challenge.

The rest of weekends in July were socked in with rain and clouds, making the trek to Mt. Adams not very appealing. So I waited.

The forecast for second weekend of August was perfect- sunny, light winds, and still enough snow to ski on the South Face of M. Adams. None of my ski buddies were available or similarly motivated to climb this 12,276 ft. peak, so it looked like I was going solo. Loading up my gear, skis, boots, and camp necessities, I set off up the mountain on Friday afternoon to get to my high camp at 8100 feet that evening.

Summit day started at 5 AM -a clear, blue sky day. The rest of the story is unveiled in my short film "SOLO". I hope it will be shown at a mountain film festival this fall or next depending on the submission cycles. Needless to say, it was an outstanding climb and ski descent that I will always remember.


The Trailer for Solo

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