The Meaning of 'Triumph"

¹tri·umph

noun \ˈtrī-əm(p)f\

: a great or important victory
: a great success or achievement

: the very happy and joyful feeling that comes from victory or success

It was here at the bottom of the NE ridge of Mt. Triumph that I realized that the word 'triumph' is clearly an elevated version of the word 'success'. Pun very much intended!
My climbing partner for the weekend, Chad, and I had just made our 10th or 11th rappel off the ridge after reaching the peak's summit at around 1PM and now, some 3.5 hours later, we had at last reached the not completely flat ground of the receding glacier that is slipping down below Triumph's East slope.

 

Breathtaken on Vesper Peak

Vesper Peak

This bottom photo is a zoom showing downtown Seattle. In the previous photo, this is also visible is you look closely.

Glah-Sear Peak

Glacier Peak – The most isolated of the Cascade volcanoes and the 5^th highest peak in the 42^nd State. It stands 7,500’ feet above the surrounding Glacier Peak Wilderness, yet despite this, the peak is difficult to see from all populated areas in Washington. In a state named after our country’s founder, Glacier Peak is the central source of Earth’s most precious resource:  pure H2O saturated with ancient dissolved minerals.  It is ironic then that the mountain named for its large moving masses of frozen compacted snow has the fastest receding glaciers in WA.

We won’t be the first to ski from the summit but if the world ends on 12.21.2012, we will be the last!

Terrain Map with Markers

A: Start riding bikes here - 1,350'

B: Stow bikes here and start hiking - 2,100'

C: White Pass - 6,000' (possible camp here the first night)

D: Glacier Gap - 7,600'' (possible base camp for summit bid)

E: Summit - 10,541' (23 miles from our car and only halfway done)

Thursday 24th -  Depart Seattle after work and camp at trailhead (A).
Friday 25th - Bike to Trailhead #649, then hike/ski to first camp (C).
Saturday 26th - Traverse to Glacier Gap (D). Depending on weather, camp could be high on Glacier Peak.
Sunday 27th - Summit, then ski back to basecamp (D). Depending on weather, camp that night may be as far as White Pass.
Monday 28th - Hike out to bikes, ride back to car (A). Eat!

North Fork Sauk Trail #649: Trailhead at 2100 ft, 35 miles roundtrip to the summit via White Pass, with about 10,500’ total gain. Difficult creek crossing at Red Creek, washed out bridge.
Due to road washout at MP 0.8 on FR 49 at 1500 ft, add 12 miles and about 600 ft of gain, for a grand total of 47 miles and over 11000 ft of gain.

Our Month in Alaska

There's hardly been any real time to sit down and do a post since our return. But that is a good thing because despite being back in the busy city, I've also been getting out every weekend - especially since the weather here has been so great lately! Here are my posts on the K2 Skis blog:

http://k2skis.com/news/2010/07/1-month-in-alaska-1st-half/

http://k2skis.com/news/2010/10/a-month-in-alaska-2nd-half/

I also have a YouTube channel with some videos:

http://www.youtube.com/chadbeeman

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Alaska 2010 - What About Food?

Probably the most common question we get is, "What kind of food will you be bringing?". Food for a month is a perplexing question but a couple months of packing like a squirrel have just about brought me to conclusion.

The challenge is to pack lightweight, nutritious food that will be appealing even after two weeks of it. I estimate consuming 5-6,000 calories per day over the course of a month with total needs growing slowly as the trip progresses.
Calories are of course the body's source of energy, and fat packs the most calories per gram that provides a perfect "slow burn". Olive oil, cheese, sausage, almonds and other nuts/seeds will provide high-quality fats that also work to keep our body's flame stoked deep into the night.
Fat does not burn as efficiently as carbohydrates though, and so carbs will be our main "lunch-on-the-move" energy source in the form of energy bars and gels, bread/crackers, M&M's, dried fruits and so on with, much of breakfast and dinners involving pasta, rice and lentils.
Protein is critical for sustaining muscles day after day and so we'll get that from powdered eggs and oatmeal at breakfast and from the dehydrated meats and veggies in our dinner.
Click on these photos to see some of what I will be bringing. There's the drinks/condiments/etc. and then the food for munching on throughout the day (minus cheese & sausage):

Alaska 2010 - Home Away From Home

So what does it take to have a reasonably "comfortable" time on an exposed glacier mountain landscape near the Arctic Circle?
Shelter comes to mind first - we will be using a hoop style tent made by Exped, called the Andromeda II. The hooped design is great for high winds and creates more head space inside the tent. This tent features a large vestibule which will undoubtedly be very handy for cooking and storing gear.
Also by Exped are the Down Mats that everyone who owns one raves about. These will pad, and most importantly, insulate us from the snow we will be sleeping on the entire trip. Bringing a mattress repair kit is a matter of survival because if one gets a leak, many frigid nights will follow without it.
Then there is the big puffy sleeping bag. I am bringing a Marmot 0-degree bag despite the likely fact that many nights will be much colder. One can always sleep in his clothes and/or munch on some almonds in the night to reignite the internal flame.
Of course there is no bathroom in the tent. A lightweight cotton rag and some anti-bacterial face wipes will be the closest thing to a shower. You can just imagine how much I am looking forward to thawing frozen clean-wipes inside my sleeping bag before I can wipe my face!
While it won't be anything like hanging out back at our warm homes in Seattle, these things go a long way towards providing us with a launching pad from which to start each day with refreshed motivation!

Alaska 2010 - Map Skills Test

Nasty weather abounds in the mountain ranges of Alaska. Specifically, raging winds and disorienting white-outs. So with our first major spring storm rolling in over the Pacific Ocean, we decided to test our skills with an effort to climb and ski from the summit rim of Mt. Rainier.
Map checking was not needed on Saturday as visibility was good in spite of the growing winds. At midnight, we awoke from our half-sleep and checked the weather. Winds were ridiculous at 10K which meant they would be insane at 14K and with zero visibility in the darkness and clouds, we exercised good mountain judgement by crawling back into our cozy down bags.
A few hours later as flat light filtered in, sure enough, we were at the onset of heavy snowfall in 40+mph winds! Would not have been a good time to still be going up...


After stuffing all the miniature comforts of home and glacier gear into our packs, the first items on any trip checklist, topo map and compass, stayed out. Plotting our first bearing downward, we witnessed firsthand the intense magnetic power an active volcano like Rainier attracts as our compass needle wavered slowly back and forth.
Fun little stories like, "I came to a stop on my skis but thought I was still moving, lost my balance and fell over", flourish under these circumstances. Another like "I fell down and suddenly thought I was riding on top of a small slab avalanche" are no fun so this drove us carefully onward.
So much fun and oh how perfect the snow was, if it had only been a sunny day it would have been the best day of the season! But we were there because it won't always be sunny in Alaska.

Alaska 2010 - Body Armor

Clothing is, of course, critical in an environment of radical temperature fluctuations like AK. On sunny days, the glacier and snow acts like a big mirror and can make it feel like a 90 degree day. On the other hand is below zero temps with 50mph blizzard winds that quickly forces snow and artic air thru any leak in your armor. Stay dry and you can generally stay warm. Sweat-wicking base layers that move moisture away from your skin and dry quickly are essential, as well as a solid wind/waterproof shell that can be vented when you heat up.
The standard expedition clothing system involves these two things as well as a mid layer as "active warmth" and a warm parka to throw over everything for snack breaks, setting up camp, etc.
Here is my packing list for Alaska with a question mark (?) by the items that could be left behind at Ultima Thule Lodge if deemed unnecessary, and an exclamation mark (!) by the items that I will be wearing as we are dropped off on the glacier:

BASE LAYER
Patagonia Active Sport Boxer Briefs (3 pair)
Icebreaker Merino Wool Boxer Briefs (2 Pair) !
Smartwool Sport NTS Bottoms
Smartwool Midweight Boot-Top Bottoms
Marmot Powerstretch ¾ Bottoms !
Patagonia Capilene 2 Short-Sleeve Crew Top ?
Patagonia Merino 2 Long-Sleeve Crew Top
Outdoor Research Sequence Short Sleeve Zip-Top
Outdoor Research Sequence Long Sleeve Zip-Top !
Patagonia R1 Fleece Pullover !

SHELLS
Marmot Cortina Softshell Pants !
Marmot ROM Softshell Jacket !
Outdoor Research Foray Gore-Tex Jacket
Outdoor Research Trio Gore-Tex Pants

INSULATION
Marmot Flurry Insulated Pants ?
Marmot Baffin Vest ?
Patagonia DAS Parka

HEAD
Outdoor Research Ninjaclava
Shred Alert Beanie !
Lightweight Wool Beanie ?
Fleece Ear Band
Sun Visor

HANDS
Outdoor Research Liner Gloves
Outdoor Research Omni Fleece Gloves !
Marmot Spring Glove ?
Black Diamond Patrol Gloves
Black Diamond Mercury Mitts

FEET
Liner Socks (2 pair)
Smartwool Ski Socks (3 Pair) !

EYES
Julbo Doglan Sunglasses !
Smith I/O Goggles

Big thanks to Yukon Trading Co. of Washington State and Alpin Sales of Colorado for their Marmot clothing contributions!!!

Alaska 2010 - The Goal

Plan: -Climb and then ski Mt. Bear and Mt. Bona as well as ski mountaineering on the untouched peaks in between. Bear and Bona are about 25 miles straight across from each other and we will likely attempt the larger of the two, Mt. Bona, first!!

Details:--Mt. Bear - 14,831' - 12th highest peak in Alaska
---------.----Mt. Bona - 16, 421' - 4th highest peak in Alaska
---------.----Wrangell St. Elias NP - Largest National Park in the US

Dates: -May 1st - June 1st, 2010

Alaska Sized Plans

Two years to the day after my first visit to Alaska, I will be returning to live a dream that has obsessed me for half of my 28 years – a month of exploring the remote Alaskan back country. Now before you think ‘cold’, and before you say “dangerous”, reflect on the biggest dream that you've kept alive throughout your life and fantasize of it’s fulfillment. That feeling is the substance of this trip!

Many ideas have come and gone while developing the most appealing version of the dream adventure: A climb of the tallest peak in N. America...no, too crowded. A ski traverse in the Chugach...no, who wants to hear helicopters flying around filming ski movies. A kayak trip through Prince William Sound...too much water and not enough mountain. Backpacking the Brooks Range...maybe next time!

Finally, version 2010 has taken shape through the somewhat random meeting of friends. 4 determined people have pounced on this single moment of opportunity. During a weather clearing (hopefully) in the first week of May, the baddest bush pilot in the world, Paul Claus, of Ultima Thule Outfitters will fly us in his Turbo Otter fitted with skis to the Upper Bernard Glacier dividing Mt. Bona and Mt. Bear. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park combined with Kluane National Park (Canada), makes up the largest protected mountain wilderness on earth and in 3 months, thanks to the skill set of Paul, we will find ourselves smack dab in the middle of it!

It is very difficult to find information & photos of this area as most people who visit Alaska head to one of the "less remote" national parks like Denali or Glacier Bay. There are no roads in the park and USGS maps provide the only real usable terrain info. A handful of trip reports printed in the American Alpine Journal from past mountaineers give us an idea of what challenges have been encountered while the remaining stories of this place go unpublished. This has only added to our drive to go there!

Over the coming weeks, I will detail our preparation here on this blog...

That Time of Year Again

.
: : 60 miles as the crow flies east of Seattle - Jade Lake : :

The Real Fountain of Youth

Round 2: After bad weather abruptly ended our trip up Mt. Olympus last year, I could hardly wait to see what I'd been missing! The 20+ mile hike in prevents one that wants to stop and eat the berries from a quick weekend return. So Ben and I set aside 4 full days, exactly one year after our initial attempt.
This particular trip for me was much more than simply another climb. Hiking from below 1,000' along a damp rain forest valley floor, then eventually higher to glacial moraine and beyond to the summit at 8,000', gives one an intimate account of the way an ecosystem supports itself and ultimately human life around it.

The Pacific NW has seen above average sun and temperatures this year and because of this, the Blue Glacier has lost all of it's annual snow leaving just the ancient, hard ice. After hearing and seeing all the happy wildlife in the forest, a step onto the glacier is literally stepping onto the source of life! Streams of pure, mineral-rich melt water meandered in all directions on the surface of the glacier. In one spot we discovered a stream gushing into a large glacier moulin that likely reached the lowest depths of the glacier!



A taste from this water, and we had many, is what I would imagine "drinking from the fountain of youth" would taste like! I find it a bit irritating that so many people view this as "unfiltered" when in fact thousands of years of environmental evolution is the shining example of what pureness and wholeness really is!

Eating fresh mountain berries, breathing pure mountain air, and drinking straight from a glacier - I do believe that I have tasted from the Fountain of Youth!

Exploring the Urban Jungle

Previously, when I thought of NYC, I thought of 'big city East Coast'. Then there are some who think of one of the largest cities in the Western World, and of course some think of "Yankees up North".
But I now understand that NYC is not about East, West, North, or South. NYC is about anything and everything, anytime and all the time!

Gear That I Use: Organization

This is the first installment of a mini-series in which I will detail some of the gear I am using out there. As with most activities, it takes years to fine-tune your system and with modern manufacturing, gear options abound.
The root word of packing is 'pack' so I'll start with that:

BD Sphynx 42L Backpack - Sleek, lightweight, and it has a hydration bladder sleeve. What keeps me buying this same model when one wears out, is the homogenous fit that it provides for my back.

OR Pack Liner - If it's going to be wet, this super light liner seals everything out. Plus, you can slip it, full with all your gear, from your soggy pack in one smooth pull after reaching camp. I put my tent (or bivy sack) in the bottom of my pack and pack everything else in the liner above it.

OR Zip Sack - The smallest size holds all of my toiletry and First-Aid items as well as my compass/GPS and most other personal accessories. What makes it special is that it unzips across the top so you can see all of your items with ease.

Granite Gear Stuff Sacks - These are color coordinated, mostly waterproof, and extremely light. I put my extra clothing in one and day snacks in another. If you don't stuff them to the absolute max, you can arrange them easily inside your pack so that every bit of space is used efficiently. Just try to keep the heaviest items closest to your back.

Plastic Baggies - Ahhh, the benefits of Petroleum. These really make the final difference in a well organized pack. Unfortunately I have found that on extended trips, they become more and more difficult to seal. I am looking for a re-usable replacement...

Another Jaw-Dropping Discovery

Mt. Shuksan has always had a special attraction for me. Every side of the mountain has a unique look and every time I am there, I can't help but think of the Swiss Alps. It is also adjacent to the glaciated volcano - Mt. Baker, making the location especially unique on our planet Earth.

The approach begins near Artist Point, where you drop almost a 1000' into a majestic forest valley before climbing back up again and passing the still-frozen, Lake Ann.
Our climbing route, Fisher Chimneys, is an intermediate and beautiful weaving line up the western flank of this very impressive mountain. It entails scrambling up rock and snow gullies, navigating two glaciers, and finally a rock climb on a striking ridge that seems to be above "the whole rest of the world". The downclimb though, is where the real effort is. We got out just after the sun had set on Sunday night following a weekend of pleasant sunrises, exhilarating days, and spectacular sunsets.

-Looking west to a shimmering Pacific Ocean-

-Sunset from the same spot above-

It is this area where a US record snowfall fell in 1998-99. Fortunately for us, that time of year is long gone and cloudless night skies revealed to us the most dazzling display of stars either of us had seen in months! You can tell that the mountains are happy for the change of season too - the color green is on full display as if to say, "wanna come out and play "!

-200' from the summit. Photo courtesy of Jon-