Prayer and Fasting - Calling upon the powerful name of Jesus.

I am going to focus on Prayer and Fasting and reading some scriptures on Wednesday October 27th. 

Prayer and Fasting

By God’s design, perilous times shall come (2 Tim 3:1).  The turmoil in our world is waking people up and many are turning to God seeking help.  The road that lies ahead is unknown to us, but we do know the God who holds our future.  God is a kind and loving God that will not impose himself upon you.  He is waiting for you to make a move towards him.  He put a natural desire and instinct into your heart to search and desire a higher power.  The need for prayer and fasting is ever increasing in our world.  The attacks of the enemy, Satan, upon our lives, family, livelihood, are real and we need to call upon the Lord for help.  Prayer is simply talking to God.  It helps us build a relationship with him and focuses our attention to Him so he can guide us.  One of the methods we can really let the Lord know we are seriously in need is to humble ourselves in prayer AND fasting.  When you stop feeding yourself, it heightens your senses to God.  It takes away the comfort and energy our flesh desires.  When prayer is combined, we are more in tune with the Lord and some things will happen that otherwise simply won’t.  We are feeding our spiritual man while we deny our flesh.  Fasting is not a fun and enjoyable thing to do.  But the benefits of Prayer and Fasting can be truly amazing and out of this world.

The Word of God is full of examples of Prayer and Fasting.  Seeking God pulls on His heart and supernatural events can and DO happen.  Make a move to God and he will make a move to you.

Joel 2:12 - Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

Mark 9:29 - And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Isaiah 58:6 - Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Ezra 8:21-23 - 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.  22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.  23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

Nehemiah 1:4 - And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God’s Provision

There is Power in the name of Jesus.  When you ask of the Lord, do it in the name of Jesus.  The man called Jesus was God robed in a fleshly body to live among us and be a teacher and servant (1 Tim 3:16, Isaiah 9:6).  His life on earth demonstrated how we ought to live.  His ultimate show of love to us was to allow his own creation of mankind to crucify his body being the ultimate blood sacrifice (John 3:16).  The name of this man, Jesus Christ, contains all power of God (Matthew 28:18) and we must do all things in His name (Col 3:17).  For there is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:10-12).

John 14:1-14 - 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

We worry too much about God’s provision.  We mean so much more to God than the animals he takes care of.  

Matthew 6:26 - Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

Matthew 7:7-8 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The name of Jesus is powerful.  Use it in prayer.  Use it in all that you do.  Give thanks unto Jesus.

Matthew 28:18-20 - 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Acts 4:10-12 - 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Col 3:17 - And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

I Tim 3:16 - And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Psalm 18:6 - In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

I hope these scriptures are encouraging to you.  Let his Word be a guiding light in your life.  Seek Him in prayer.  God has more in store for you.  Don’t stop here.  Let me know if I can be of help to you.   I’d love to share God’s word and my testimony with you.

~Aaron

Coronavirus 3D Printed Face Shields

If you're interested in helping out with the Covid-19 Pandemic and you have a 3D Printer, consider making some face shields.

Hospital staff normally do not wear face shields.  Due to the highly contagious nature of this virus, hospital staff are now all trying to wear these, so naturally there is a huge shortage.  Disinfecting requirements also drive up the need for additional shields.  Hospital staff are spending precious time away from their dying patients sterilizing PPE since they have to reuse it.

This blogpost is highlighting a Swedish design that is approved for usage in many hospitals.  It's simple, no moving parts, and fast & easy to print.  Link to STL files:  https://3dverkstan.se/protective-visor/protective-visor-versions/
I am printing the North American version that has 6 pegs to attach the shield.

I am directing my efforts to my local community.  There is a Facebook group setup to collect these face shields and distribute to the local hospitals (Enumclaw plateau area, St Elizabeth Hospital)

Facebook Group


See here for more info on the Swedish design.  protective-visor-by-3dverkstan

Shield Material:  We are using clear report covers for the shield material.  Available on Amazon Here

The holes on the shield are basically 2 sets of standard 3-ring binder hole punches spaced 1 inch apart.  Place shield in a 3-ring hole puncher and position center hole 1/2" away from from center and punch 3 holes.  Shift over 1 inch to the other side of center and punch the last 3 holes.  Practice on a sheet of paper till you master it.

Printing:  Use PETG or ABS.  PETG is much easier to print.  ABS will take some extra skills to print.  Most of my material on hand was ABS so that's what I used.  I finally got a good print after I turned off my cooling fans and put a dab of glue-stick on the curly-q ends.  Don't use PLA.  It's not robust enough to withstand usage and chemicals for sterilization.

Print it 100% with all perimeters (no in-fill).  I set it to 9 perimeters and 3 top and bottom layers.  Print time was about 1hr for 2 frames.  2 Shields can nest onto one print if your bed is large enough (250x200mm) and you rotate the fames about 20 deg.  My printer is a Prusa MK2S.  Additional info: Print Guide 

Rainier Summit July 16, 2013

Well, I started this blog post in July and I never finished...until now in September...

Dave Hahn has summited Mount Everest 15 times.  People ask the question, "Why??".  Well, I'm not quite sure, but he says that every time he climbs the mountain there is something new.  I can definitely agree to that statement.  I personally would be content with one summit of that mountain and appreciative that I made it down alive.  I suppose I could feel this same way about Rainier, but I can't.  It's visible from my front yard, it's cheap to climb,  and I can summit and eat dinner at a nice restaurant all in the same day.

Climbing Rainier for the 2nd time in as many years has no comparison to Dave Hahn, but on my puny scale it was a unique experience and was very fun.  The journey from Paradise up to the Ingraham Flats was mostly the same, but from the Cleaver on it was a new mountain for me.

The journey started as it has many other times.  Alarm clock goes off around 2:30AM and I hop out of bed.  The coffee is prepped so I just turn it on.  I pour a bowl of granola cereal and enjoy a cup of coffee.  Now I'm awake enough to shower for the last time for 2 days!  I put on all my gear including boots and gaiters.  The car is ready to go and Preston and I meet up and head for McDonalds.  McDonalds changed their breakfast hours to 4am so we could enjoy a sausage egg McMuffin instead of a double cheeseburger (who eats burgers at 4am anyways?).

Early Monday morning on Mt Rainier is pretty peaceful.  There are no crowds and the check-in process with the climbing rangers is painless.  They are always happy to share the latest route conditions and wish us a safe climb.

"Start".  The stop watch begins at Paradise and we begin our trek to Camp Muir.  We are climbing at around 1100ft/hr making great time.  I've learned to keep ahead of my thirst and energy levels by eating and drinking as I hike.  My food and water are conveniently located on my pack so I can access as I keep hiking.  Eating and drinking after you feel the need means you're too late and you're going to feel much more fatigued.  Somewhere around 8,000 ft we stop for a break and chat with a skier.  I'm looking at my watch and my hopes of making it to Muir under 4hrs are diminishing.  The conversation ends and I kick it into high gear and finish my climb in 3hrs, 48minutes with 55lbs on my back.  Preston finished his climb at just a few minutes over 4hrs for his personal best time too.

A proud sweating thumbs up

The camp is pretty open and we setup in the public shelter.  The afternoon is spent leisurely eating and chatting with all the climbers.  We wander over to the Ranger hut and get their input on the DC route.  They describe the route as having two variations from the top of the cleaver (left or right).  The left route has a crevasse with a large snow bridge separated by a 2 ft gap to step across.  They said the bridge was somewhere around 25ft long and a huge cavern was visible at the gap going down 300+ ft!  They said keep good spacing on your rope cause you'd have quite a ride when that bridge breaks!  The right route is brand new and the guide service had just finished shoveling a boot path up to the summit!  The decision was simple for us!  Right on!

We got our ropes and glacier gear all prepped and got in bed around 7pm.  Midnight came pretty quick and I was eating my breakfast and saying a few short prayers for God's protection.  For some reason we were really slow that morning and ended up being one of the last parties out of camp.  Something didn't agree with Preston's stomach and he was going slower than normal.  I was in the lead and I kept the rope pretty tight the whole way.  Bowel movement #1 occurred at the base of the cleaver.  I thought I was safe 20ft away, but the uphill wind brought a terrible aroma my way!  Preston feels "good as new" and we keep going.  It was a little difficult navigating up the cleaver this year for some reason.  We got off course a few times and wound up scrambling up some really lousy loose terrain.

Sunrise at approximately 12,500ft

At the top of the cleaver we approach the route junction.  We head right and see a party of 4 ahead of us.  It was still dark and we began to hear a roar on the mountain.  It was a ways off and we were not sure of the ice fall location.  We didn't think too much of it and kept hiking.  The crux of the whole route was ahead of us.  A short 30ft, 45-50deg, wall was ahead of us above a crevasse ladder.  We wait probably 30-45 minutes before our turn to ascend the wall.  The guide service placed a fixed line and it was comforting to hang onto that rope and sink in the ice axe for 4pts of contact with the mountain.

The wall just above the cleaver on the "right" route

Above this we crossed a snow bridge and passed between a couple spectacular crevasses.  We experienced nothing near this cool last year.  The route traversed out onto the Emmons Glacier before switch backing all the way to the summit.  Several more crevasses were to be crossed with a small stride.  The wind coming down this side of the mountain was pretty fierce at times.  More than once we had to stop and hunch over on our ice axes to stay glued to the mountain.  The wind gusts were very strong and very sudden.

Crossing a snow bridge next to some spectacular crevasses

Preston crossing the snow bridge

Looking into a crevasse

Despite all the delays and stomach issues, we managed to reach the summit only 30 minutes later than last year.  The air temperature was not too cold and we enjoyed another summit.  The wind was probably 40-50 mph.  My trusty iPhone 5 came in strong and I place two phone calls:  one to my wife and one to my mother.  I sign my name in the summit registry (the best alibi I can think of) and we head back down the mountain (after BM#2 in the crater!).  Both of us are a bit apprehensive about going down that wall just above the cleaver.  We attach a prussic knot on the fixed line and work our way down to the bottom without incident.  We make it to the top of the cleaver and BM#3 kicks in and all the blue bags are gone.  I'm lucky my stomach was cooperating since I gave all my supplies away!

Summit time

We glance over to our right to look at the left route.  That's when we realize where all that noise came from earlier that morning.  A large ice chunk broke loose and covered a section of the trail.  Fortunately nobody had traveled that direction that day and we were sure happy about our decision to go right.

The "Left" route was hit by ice fall at 4am

The trek down the cleaver is as miserable as I remember it but I do a better job keeping myself fed and hydrated this time.  We get to Muir and take a short break before packing up all the gear.  The weather began to turn and we watched a cloud surround the upper mountain and dump rain (maybe snow).  The weather forecast was accurate and we hit our pleasant weather window just as the forecast predicted.  Unfortunately, the storm worked it's way down the mountain and we got caught in some of that rain before reaching the car.

Notice the cloud development above

Another successful summit with great new memories.  The route was much different than last year and made for a great trip.  Last year was a "Walk up" and this year was not.  It gave us a new sense of accomplishment going through that small amount of technical climbing.  Good times.

Thanks for reading.

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta Summit

 

I spent Memorial Day weekend down in Mount Shasta California with my family and my good friend and his wife.  The trip included a successful summit of Mt Shasta, great eating, a little bit of sight seeing, and plenty of relaxation.  

Unfortunately, the trip began pretty rough with a 24hr sickness my wife suffered.  I came home early from work on Wednesday to take care of the kids while she rested.  I came into the house to 3 little girls sitting around a couple cartons of ice cream!  The baby gate to the pantry was torn down and there was a stool in there for someone to reach a high shelf to pull down some bags and coffee filters.  Coffee filters were placed everywhere in the house.  They wreaked havoc elsewhere in the house and I'll stop to keep this brief.  Wow! I regret not taking a few pictures to laugh about when they're older!  I also discovered that we had booked the vacation rental home for Thursday through Monday (booked in early April) and we were planning on leaving on Friday morning!  Not sure how I goofed on the dates, but we ended up leaving at 11pm on Wednesday and drove all night and arrived in town at 7:30am to eat breakfast at the Black Bear Diner in Mount Shasta.  It actually was a pleasant surprise to go on vacation a day early.  My productivity at work wasn't too great anyways with my excitement of the vacation :)  Anyways, we ate a hearty breakfast at the diner and then drove up to Bunny Flats to scope out the trailhead and pickup the climbing fee envelopes.  We drove back down and went to see if the house was ready.  We arrived at the house too soon and went back into town to kill some more time.  Then I noticed a clanging noise under the car.  Discovered that a rear shock was broke!  Fortunately there was a Les Schwab in town and we were able to get it fixed free of charge (warranty repair).

The woes of the beginning of the trip were now OVER.  We checked into the house at 1pm and were amazed.  The description on the Internet didn't do justice to this place.  We had rented a two bedroom fully furnished home with a nice deck looking directly at Mount Shasta.  The house was on a 3 acre farm with goats & chickens and a little creek flowing through it.  The animals kept the kids entertained.  The goats were fun and never seemed to stop eating whatever weeds you stuck through the fence.  We enjoyed all the fresh eggs we could eat.

Thursday was very sunny, but unusually cold and the mountain was the only thing hiding behind some clouds.  The next day the mountain was perfectly clear and Preston and I were very excited to get on the trail.

Here's the details of the climb...

5/25/13:  We left Bunny Flats trailhead at 8 AM (Elev. 6,950ft).  We climbed up to Helen Lake (Elev 10,450ft) and arrived at 11:30am.  Preston and I were fully rested that morning and climbed at 1,000ft/hr which is a pretty good pace.  We setup camp and started boiling snow to refill our water and to cook our Mountain House meals (Chicken and Rice...mmmm).  Considering our fast pace to basecamp and our high energy levels, we considered going for the summit that afternoon and descending all the way to the car by headlamp.

We decided to take a 2hr nap and decide on the summit at that point.  We awoke at 2pm and consulted the ranger and he advised us not to. He said clouds were rolling in and would stay thru the evening. He told us that a  perfect weather window was coming in the late evening thru 11 am the next day.  Sure enough, the clouds came in that afternoon so we just milled around camp until about 6pm.  One of the other parties was descending to base camp that day and discovered a mouse had pooped all over their cooking pots and he was still around under their tent.  After about 10 minutes, we got the mouse to run away from the tent and he met his fate.  We tossed his body down the moraine to discourage other mice from entering camp (haha).  After hearing the ranger talk about "leave no trace" for the 5th time and his passion for packing out poop, we decided it was time to get horizontal and rest up for the summit climb.

5/26/13

We awoke at 1 am to beautiful clear skies and a full moon.  The temp was 20 deg. with no wind.  I had cell service, so I made a video to send to my wife.  Breakfast consisted of a muffin, candy bar, and some Sante Fe spicy trailmix.  My clothing layers were long johns, Mt Hardwear soft shell pants, white Columbia shirt, black first ascent hoodie, Acts 2:38 fleece ;) , REI Shuksan hard shell, Mountain Hardear gloves and a Buff (great product from REI). 

A guy named Greg asked to climb with us because his other climbing partners were sick from the altitude. We agreed and had a moment of prayer before our departure.  We left base camp at 2:15 am. We climbed quickly to 11,800 ft and realized I was missing a glove (DOH!!).  I told the guys to take a quick break while I went to see where I dropped my glove.  I used my GPS to stay on my tracks and ended up descending 450 ft and found my glove.  I huffed it back up and threw my backpack on and we kept climbing.  No break for me due to my carelessness.  We continued to climb up avalanche gulch and stayed to the right of the Heart. Directly above the right side of the heart was a chimney that was currently the main route and recommended by the ranger.  We ascended to the top of the chimney and the little hill to 13,200 ft.  This leg of the journey was the steepest part of the whole climb.  The temps dropped to 10 deg and winds increased to 30 MPH.  I stopped and put on more layers (all of them!).  I had a balaclava on the hoodie, mt hardwear beanie, and covered my face with my buff. Then I put on my Mountain Hardwear parka and took off my helmet because the rockfall danger was gone.  That was the coldest climbing conditions I've been in. I wasn't getting sweaty or too warm climbing in my parka.  The experience of climbing in this cold was very insightful since I always pack these extra layers, but I never have to use them.  I was very comfortable in these layers so I know I could withstand even colder temperatures. 

The steepest part do the climb was over now and we were now at the base of Misery Hill.  Misery Hill is a gentle slope that ascends about 600 ft to the summit plateau.  The long slog and the altitude makes it miserable.  The altitude was starting to get to me as far as my wind. Just walking across the flat plateau was exhausting. The summit was a ~100ft tall rock at the end of a ridge line. The trail continued past the summit and cuts back along the ridge for a gentle climb up to the summit. I arrived at 7am and sounded my joyful "summit time baby!" cheer. I looked down from the summit and watched Preston and Greg approach the summit. We enjoyed the summit taking pictures and I was able to make a few phone calls. I was even able to have a FaceTime call. We began the descent at 8am and arrived back to base camp by 10:20am. The snow was still hard and glissading was not very fun. It was rough on our backsides and gear.

The clouds were rolling in just as predicted.  Many climbers were headed into those clouds.  We were very blessed to have had such a perfect weather window for climbing.  We packed up camp and left about 11am back to the trailhead. Arrived at bunny flats at 1:15pm. From about 8:30am all the way to the trailhead, a steady stream of climbers were ascending the mountain. I would estimate 300 climbers were going up that Saturday morning.  I couldn't have asked for a better climbing experience.  We avoided the crowds and nailed the best weather window during the whole holiday weekend.  Wow!  Thank you Jesus.

We made the quick drive back to the house and showered up before going out to dinner to our traditional Mexican meal.  The rest of the trip consisted of a trip to the annual mushroom festival.  An unusual theme, but really it was just like any other festival but with a few mushroom booths and lawn ornaments.  We had a BBQ Sunday evening and I consumed 2 of the tastiest burgers known to planet Earth.  We finely chopped up a package of bacon and mixed it into the hamburger.  This resulted in fire hazard on the grill, but it put a nice crunch to the outside of the burger trapping in the moisture for a very tasty juicy burger.  Topped it with bacon, and bacon grease fried onion, and the usual lettuce tomato and condiments.  Probably the most unhealthy thing I've consumed, but when you've climbed a 14,000 ft mountain you can get away with eating like that a little bit.

What a trip.  What bummer to return to the real world of alarm clocks, demanding bosses, deadlines, & house chores!

Thanks for reading.

Rainier Summit

On July 24 at 7AM, I reached the climax of big goal in my life.  How big of a goal?  14,409 ft worth of goal to be exact!

How it all started...

When I was a teenager, I worked a job fixing lawn mowers.  My boss signed up to climb Mt Rainier through a fund raising effort.  I think it was the climb for clean air (lung cancer research).  I was inspired to climb that mountain ever since.  Several years past and I was out of college but still had no real plans to climb that mountain.  Being married with three children kept me busy and exercise wasn't much of a priority and I continued to grow out of shape.  Now, most people wouldn't consider me fat, but at 200lbs, I knew I was fat and out of shape.

Then one fine day in May of 2010, a group of my friends went hiking around the North Bend area, a little east off of I-90.  We did a day hike that day and came back a week later to do an overnighter in the same area.  That lit a fire in me as I discovered my new hobby.  I grew up in the woods so I have always been comfortable stomping around in the brush, exploring, and climbing tall trees.  I enjoy myself so much being out in the woods away from the busyness in my life and all the comfortable amenities of my home.  Sleeping on the ground in a tent is something I like to do!  Many summer nights of my youth were spent under the stars in my sleeping bag in my back yard and waking up soaked from the morning dew.

I continued to plan backpacking trips with my friends and invest in the REI company :)  I also began to train with a 55lb backpack 2-3 times/week after work.  Before I knew it, my calves were rock hard and I had shed 30 lbs.  Then one sunny Friday at work in July of 2011, I got the idea to go hike up to Camp Muir on Mt Rainier.  I can't even remember what sparked that.  I made a few phone calls and the next day, three of us went up to Camp Muir for a very memorable experience.  I even made a video of that fun day.  This was my first time being exposed up close to the majesty of the mountains.  I was truly hooked at this point and determined it was time to figure out how to get to the top of this mountain.

For most who want to climb Rainier, a guide service is the way to go.  For me, I didn't see climbing as a one time event, so I pursued formal training so I could do this myself without the need of a guide. Thanks to a coworker, I was introduced to the great climbing class called BOEALPS (Boeing Alpine Society).  This is a club through Boeing for mountaineering.  I enrolled in their Basic Climbing Course (BCC).  The class was a very intense 3 months of my life with lectures every Wednesday evening and an all day outing every Saturday.  Saturday events always started at 7am ready to hike at the trailhead.  Many of the outings were 3 hours away drive time, so you can imagine these were very long days.  I thoroughly enjoyed the class, but I was very happy when it was over as I got a big chunk of my life back.  My wife was even more happy when it was over!  The final climb of my team was on Mt Shuksan.  This mountain is actually more technical than the basic route of Mt Rainier.  It was excellent training for Rainier.

After graduating BOEALPS, I now had all the skills necessary to go climb just about any mountain in Washington, including Rainier.  I did a warmup climb on Mt Baker.  We didn't summit that trip due to weather, but we did get some great exposure to glacier travel and stepping over hidden crevasses!

Now it was time to climb Rainier...

Climbing mountains is a dangerous hobby for sure and it is especially dangerous if you ignore the weather.  I don't care to be macho and climb through stormy weather.  I enjoy the snow and the cold, but those great views are really what I'm after.  I plan to encounter serious weather conditions for every climb, but I hope for great weather.  I tend to carry a rather heavy pack as a result of my conservative approach.  I have extra clothing layers and a couple days worth of extra food to survive quite an ordeal.  Anyways, my first attempt at Rainier ended due to a Summer storm.  We were camped at Muir poised for the summit bid when we awoke at midnight to 60 MPH winds, snow, and temperatures in the teens to low 20s.  I believe that works out to be a -22 wind chill.  I had never experience coldness like that.  I went out to take some video of the storm and a small amount of skin on my face was exposed to the wind.  After I got back inside the shelter, my face hurt in that spot similar to a burn.  Definitely not climbing weather!!  The storm lifted the next day around noon.  We climbed up another 1000 ft for practice and then descended back down to Paradise since our schedule didn't allow us to stay another night.

On the way home, I penciled in another shot at the mountain in 3 weeks (the next available days in our busy schedule).  On July 23rd we pulled out of my driveway at 4am on our way to stand on top of Washington's highest peak.  We reach Paradise and check in with the climbing rangers as we had our reservations all lined up.  By 6:45am we are hiking up to Camp Muir.  The weather that day was forecasted to be mostly cloudy.  Indeed it was, but only to about 8000 feet.  It's such a nice view being on the mountain and looking down on the clouds.  Most people only see that from an airplane, but you can easily (well not exactly easy) see this from the ground too!

Camp Muir looking down on the clouds.

Muir Snowfield, approx 8000ft.

After 5hrs we reach our base camp.  We unpack and climb into our sleeping bags for a much needed nap.  About 2 hrs later we get up and cook dinner.  I enjoyed my freeze dried lasagna and a cup of hot apple cider. 

Climbing on a Monday and getting to Muir by noon has always landed me a spot in the public shelter in the three times I've slept at Muir.  Some people don't care for the shelter as it can get smelly and noisy in there and I totally understand that.  On our previous climb while we waited out the storm, I had a terrible headache that went away as soon as I got outside the hut.  All those camp stoves running inside was making me sick even with the ventilation fans running.  The abundance of flatulence (I contributed a lot myself) didn't help matters either.

Outside the weather was fantastic.  I would guess temperatures were in the upper 40s and not a cloud was above us as far as we could see.  I climbed up to the rock peak next to Muir and snapped a few photos.

Camp Muir

Cowlitz Glacier and Cathedral Gap.

It was now 5pm and it was time to lighten our packs in preparation for the summit bid.  Around 7pm we were finally done dinking around and went to sleep.  The weather was so nice that night that the front door of the shelter was left wide open.  We were not even awoken by any wind.  The loudest sounds that night were folks who should have had their tonsils removed as a child and the folks who had intestinal pressure differentials with the surrounding atmosphere.  It was like some sort of unspoken competition in the hut that night as several climbers competed for the loudest depressurization maneuver.

My alarm goes off at 11:00pm.  I spend the next 30 minutes reading my Bible and quietly praying and thinking about the great event before me.  The culmination of more than a year of careful training and preparation was now about to begin.  At 11:30 my friend Preston and I get out of our sleeping bags and eat our breakfast.  I ate a Costco chocolate muffin, a Poptart, some beef jerky, and some trail mix.  Then we put on our boots, gaiters, crampons, and climbing harnesses.  The weather was so nice that we got ready outside the shelter which kept the noise down for the people still asleep.  At 1am we have a moment of prayer and then begin our climb into the darkness up high.  We were the second climbing team out of Camp Muir that morning.  After reaching Cathedral Gap, I turn around and see a literal train of headlamps behind us.  After climbing the up the kitty litter rock consistency of Catherdral Gap, we were once again back on snow approaching Ingraham Flats.  A few more teams in front of us come into view as their base camp was Ingraham Flats.  Around 11,200 ft we approach our first crevasse that required us to step across about a 2ft gap...no big deal.  We climb a little higher and cross a few more crevasses until the route begins to traverse under the ice fall of the Ingraham Glacier.  The traverse continues until we are on the Disappointment Cleaver.  The Cleaver is a rock ridgeline that separates the Ingraham and Emmons glaciers.  It's a 1500 foot climb of switch backs on mostly rock.  On top of the Cleaver we land back on snow and continue up the glacier.

Above the cleaver we can begin to see the sun peak over the horizon.  The light begins to expose us to terrifying yet absolutely beautiful scenery.  Ice blocks the size of 10 story apartment buildings hanging on the edges of glaciers were nearby.

13,000 feet as the sun rises.

Getting ready to cross a snow bridge over a crevasse.

Our trail switched backed up the mountain next to bottomless crevasses.  Without the roped protection of each other, one slip could be fatal.  At all times we have to remain focused and concentrated on keeping our feet securely on the mountain and be ready to arrest to protect each other in the event of a slip or fall into a hidden crevasse.

The altitude begins to take it's toll on Preston as he becomes very fatigued.  I managed to stay in good condition as I stay well hydrated and fed as I climbed up.  My mind continued to play out the scenario of what I would do if one of us got sick or decided to stop climbing.  Turning around was really not anywhere near the top of my list of possible actions.  Dragging them with the rope, threatening, abandonment were more of my thought processes!  I was definitely fearful of some reason that could threaten our chance at the summit.  At the slightest complaint from Preston, I very forcefully told him to be quiet and commanded him to be positive and that we WERE GOING TO SUMMIT!!!  The human body surely begins to complain during the climb, but it ends up being more of a mental challenge to just focus on the summit and accept the fact you're exhausted and in pain.

At one of our breaks, a climbing guide passes me by the name of Dave Hahn.  Dave has popped up from time to time in the novels I've read on mountaineering.  Now that guy currently with 14 Everest summits was walking past me!  I very casually say, "Hi Dave!"  He says hi and wonders how I know him.  I tell him he's a famous climber and he replies, "Yeah, I tell that to people too!"

We continue to climb as I watch the elevation steadily rise on my GPS altimeter.  Preston keeps asking me how high we are and continually is disappointed in what I tell him as his internal altimeter is climbing at a much higher rate of ascent!  I'm told by other climbers that we will be close when we can begin to see rocks signaling the crater rim.  I see the rocks and now I really start to realize that I'm actually going to summit this mountain.  As I approach the crater rim, I begin to thank God in amazement that I'm actually reaching the top.  The weather is magnificent.  Not a cloud in the sky and not even a breeze worth mentioning.  We descend down into the center of the crater and take off our packs and unclip from the rope.  It's now just a short walk across the crater up to the true summit of Rainier called Columbia Crest.  Shortly below the summit is the register.  It's a notepad inside of an ammunition box.  It was a very proud moment for me to put my name down.  I wait for Preston to put his name down and then we continue the very short hike up to the true summit.  That short distance put us on top in the path of a little bit of cold wind.

Climbers crossing the crater

My name in the summit registry

Preston's turn to sign the register

Down at Camp Muir before our ascent, I prayed a simple prayer that I could have cell service on top of the mountain.  I turned my phone off of airplane mode and forgot about it.  On top of the summit, I hear my phone go off as I received a couple text messages from my wife.  I quickly pull out my phone and call my wife and for a few minutes joyfully describing to her the summit.  That was definitely the icing on the cake, the cherry on top!!  Thank you Jesus!  My wife has endured quite a lot and been very patient with me in this endeavor leading up to this very moment.  It was so precious to be able to spend that moment with her on the phone.

We spend about an hour on top taking pictures and soaking the joy of the summit.  I met up again with Dave Hahn and had my picture taken with him.

Me and Preston

Me and Dave Hahn

Time for the descent...

The descent was something that I underestimated.  It took us 6hrs to go up to the summit from Muir and it took us 4hrs to come back down.  On every trip after I reach the summit, I'm always a bit anxious to get back down to comfort and safety.  This trip was no exception, but we were not able to descend quickly due to the dangerous terrain as well as our fatigued bodies were not up to it.  Neither one of us did a very good job eating and drinking on the way down.  We finally make it back to Muir by noon and had zero desire to continue down to Paradise.  I shoved down some water and cookies and crawl in my sleeping bag.  We both had a 2hr nap and awoke feeling fully recharged.  We melt some more snow to refill our water bottles and cook up some instant mashed potatoes.  By 4pm we are ready and begin the descent down to Paradise.  The glissading wasn't that great, but we did take advantage of it where we could.  I began to think of all the times I've traveled up to Muir and asked the climbers that were coming down if they had summited.  Now I was walking down myself was a great sense of accomplishment.  I looked back at the mountain from time to time realizing I was up there not too long ago and wondering how I did it.

Mt Rainier from 7000 ft.

By 6pm we arrive at Paradise.  Now it was time to return the climbing permit to the ranger station.  On this form you fill out how many people returned from the party and how many summited, the date, etc.  Three weeks prior I had to put a big fat zero for the number summited.  Now it felt pretty good to put down that # 2.  Wish it had been 3 as a good friend of mine couldn't make the trip due to his work schedule.  That just means I have another excuse to go climb so I can help him reach the summit!

I learned a lot of little things from my BOEALPS class.  One thing I learned was that you need to prepare for the trip back home off the mountain.  I never gave that much thought in the past.  I learned that you pack comfortable clothes to change into and have some good drinks stashed in the car to help you recover and prevent cramping.  Then the next thing BOEALPS taught that I had already learned quite well is to EAT!!  Normally we stop somewhere on the way home (usually Mexican food) but this time we went all the way back home and waited for our wives to join us on this celebratory dinner.

Now it's time to organize all the pictures and video I took of the trip.  I had such a great time working towards this goal.  Climbing for me is definitely not over, but has just began.  I now have the confidence and skill to continue to climb other peaks.  Washington is full of many mountains that people are not very familiar with.  I have got a lot of exploring to do!  Thanks for reading.

~Aaron

https://picasaweb.google.com/aaronmercado/RainierSummit

Mountaineering Books

If you plan to be serious about mountaineering, you will need to read a few books.  There are many classic mountaineering adventure stories out there and I am slowly making my way through them.  Here's a few listed along with a few comments.  



Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer:  This is a relatively recent book on a fatal Mt Everest expedition.  Certainly a great read with a very gripping story.




Minus 148, by Art Davidson.  This book is about a small expedition that set out to be the first to Summit Mt Mckinley (Denali) in the winter.  These guys were nuts!!  The bottom of the windchill chart they were familiar with was minus 148 degrees F.  They knew it had to be that or worse with the -40 degree 100 MPH winds they felt!  I thourougly enjoyed this book.


Addicted to Danger, by Jim Wickwire.  I stumbled across this book in a thrift store.  It's even an autographed copy!  I picked it up before a flight to California and I couldn't put it down until I was back in Seattle!  This a memoir of Jim Wickwire who is a retired Seattle Attorney and Mountaineer.  Jim has climbed with many of the famous American mountaineers like the Whittakers.  Jim will take you on a whole bunch of his life's adventures in the mountains as he flirted in the face death.  Your emotions will be touched as he describes tragic events where his fellow climbers died beside him.  The title is a true depiction of Jim Wickwire.



Annapurna, by Maurice Herzog.  This an older book about the first French expedition to summit Annapurna in the Himalayas.  The book was originally written in French and was translated into English.  The book starts off a little slow and I struggled to get engaged at first.  I kept reading it since I knew it was  a classic mountaineering book (Jim Wickwire mentions it as a book he read in his youth that inspired him to climb).  The slow start of the book actually reflects the actual adventure of Annapurna.  It is a very long approach to get to Annapurna and much of the book details the trip leading up to the base of the mountain. The book gets a little gruesome at the end as the climbers extremities are amputated by the expedition Dr Oudot...


Freedom of the Hills, by the Mountaineers.  This is the book that every camper, climber, mountaineer, etc needs to read.  This is essentially a mountaineering textbook covering everything you need to know from crevasse rescue down to how many calories you need to consume from carbs, fats, proteins...


In all the adventure books I've read so far, I end up climbing up these mountains in my imagination just as you would do with whatever book you're reading.  I think there is a lot of value in preparing mentally for the climb.  Police and Military training focus heavily on mental preparation.  Think up the situations that you may face and imagine how you would overcome the situation and what gear would you need to survive.  Frequently up in the mountains we need to be able to improvise when things are not going well.  Here's are some simple examples and some things I should have done...
It was fast approaching dark so I hastily pitched my tent on some lousy uneven ground.  All night I was sliding off my sleeping pad and I hardly slept.  Next to me was all my gear.  Why didn't I just stuff my gear under one side of the sleeping pad to make me level or provide a barrier?  One time I woke up to a frozen tent (about 5 degrees) and my boots were frozen stiff.  Why didn't I put them in the bottom of my sleeping bag?  Trust me, that mistake won't happen again.  I still remember the frozen toes thawing out in the bathtub.  Or, what if I dropped my gloves up high on the mountain and they slide off a cliff?  Will my hands freeze?  How about pulling out a pair of socks to put over my hands?  In distress and high altitude, the mental capacity shrinks, so one needs to have some background knowledge to lean on.  Hopefully as I read these novels, I can learn from the other climbers and tuck away this info for a timely need up on the slopes.  Thankfully, I serve a God who will make the difference for me when I fail to be prepared.

Camp Muir

Well, the Mercado Mountaineer had a great little adventure up to Camp Muir on Mt Rainier in Late October.  I've been up to Muir in the summer and the terrain is completely different in October.  The Muir snowfield in the summer is littered with soft snow and thousands of boot tracks.  Not so in October.  The snow is perfectly flat and hard.  My crampons barely sunk into the hard icy snow.  Ok, now let me backup a little bit...

After coming down from Mt Adams on Labor Day weekend, I was getting cabin fever down at 500 ft.  I needed to get back up to 10,000 ft where there is peace and solitude on the mountain.  I find the mountains to be such a wonderful place.  Of course the mountain has no feelings about who decides to climb her slopes, so proper gear and preparation are key to making the mountain a wonderful place.  Otherwise, the conditions can ruin your experience and even claim your life.  I can now say navigating  through a white-out for over an hour was not too scary while trusting in my GPS and compass.

My experiences on the mountain are so wonderful that I have a great desire to share these experiences with those who I am close too.  I took a good friend up in June.  He will never forget that experience.  I decided to take my brother-in-law up to Muir on this October trip.

After checking the mountain weather forecast, I realized crampons were going to be required.  The forecast called for 10-15 degrees and 15-20 Mph winds (-9 wind chill).  Looking back, I realized it was a little ballsy to take up my brother who has no mountaineering experience as well as subjecting him to the dicey weather conditions at 10,000 feet in late October.  At about the 9000 ft level I stopped to turn around to check on my bro.  I began to walk back a little to see where he was at.  My crampon dug in unexpectedly and I went down on my knees.  Before I knew it, I was sliding down out of control with no ice axe in my hands, just trekking poles.  I was able to arrest by dragging my feet.  I was fortunate to have this fall on a less steep section of the trail.  I was headed for a very steep section littered with sharp rocks that would have caused major if not fatal bodily harm!  I consider this scare of great value since it put some much needed fear into me.  Immediately my fears went to my brother because of his inexperience.  He was fine and I stressed to him to just take slow methodical steps up to the top.  I had an ice axe, but I decided not to use it since my brother did not have one and he wouldn't of been able to make much use of it if I gave it to him.  Due to my little scare, our time spent up at Camp Muir was a little rushed as I was uneasy about the downward trip ahead of us.  It was 3:30 and Sunset was at 6pm.  Consequently, I forgot to get some good photos of us together at the top.  We did have a much needed warm meal that we cooked inside the public shelter.  We each ate a mountain house meal and drank a cup of hot cider.

In the 45 minutes we spent at the top, the snow picked up as well as a little bit of wind.  With my GPS in hand, we walked into the white abyss and blindly traveled back down.  The whiteout lasted about an hour.  I stopped every few minutes to unzip my coat and pull out the cozy GPS in my chest pocket to check our heading.  By the way, I highly reccomend the Garmin 62ST handheld GPS.  I was able to turn in on when we left our car and keep it on until we returned 9 hours later with still 75% battery charge.  The tracks it records was key to my peace of mind while walking down the mountain in the whiteout.

In the dark, about 7pm, we made it back to the car and thanked God for a safe trip to Muir.

I am going to take away a few lessons learned from climbing on Rainier this time of year:

• Wear a helmet on that steep and hard icy stuff!
• Ditch the trekking poles when you get to the Muir snowfield.  Pull out the ice axe.
• Roping up together would be a good idea too.
• Always bring the crampons.  (we would have NEVER made it up that terrain without them)
• Always have a GPS and compass with you (which is one of the 10 essentials)

It was a great trip and the little bit of adversity and fear I experienced is something I will cherish and it will be a strength to me on future climbs.

Thanks for reading.
~Aaron