I’m Doing It

Once I put the idea of doing it in my mind, I was set on it. June 13th, I gathered all my backpacking gear, my tent, sleeping bag, etc., and started watching as many videos as I could to mentally prepare myself. After what I thought was a successful day of learning safety tips and how to approach it, I was far from wrong.

The following day, June 14th, I was mentally 100% ready to take on this expedition. At the time, I was also help coach a 3/4th grade AAU team, which had practice that same day from 6-8. Although it didn’t get done till late evening, I had already set my mind on going and gathered all the equipment I needed so there was no chance I was going to back out. Once the practice ended, I sprinted to the car, filled up my tank, and hit the road.

Once I was on the road, I realized I was missing one thing, crampons...Maybe single handedly the most important item I needed if I even wanted to make it anywhere near the top. With time and the location I was in against me, I had to stop at a nearby Sportsman Wearhouse in Walnut Grove, WA.

With it now being 8;15pm and only 45 minutes until the store closes, their selection for these items were so slim, the best pair of “crampons" I could find were the ones I bought in the picture to the right...Absolutely terrible.

But yet again, I told myself I was too far in to quit and go home now and hopped back and my car and proceeded on with the journey. The night had a little bit of overcast and with it being a solo mission, it definitely got started to get spooky as the mountains started to engulf my car and I and the only thing I could hear besides my music was the faint sounds of wolves in the background

The “crampons” I used to summit the mountain.

A pull off along Yale Lake at 9:30pm.