Ben's Adventure Blog: The Last Epic

So I have been meaning to post this for sometime now, but what will all the chaos of moving, finding a job and getting settled I just haven't had time; plus we just got the internet today. First I'll give a quick update on how things are going out here in Colorado.

Things are going pretty well....aside from the whole no job thing. Colorado is pretty sweet, overall and I am glad to be back.

So on to the Epic!

This was my last outdoor activity in Idaho and I wanted it too be something momentous. For that I needed to do something that would be poignant, hard and challenging, but doable in one day, due to time constraints. First of all I suppose it is just in my nature for something to be challenging, or I could even go as far to say, for it to be worth doing; for me there has to be a bit of suffering involved. Doubly so if it going to be something "epic" or a summation of my outdoor activities somewhere.

So my original plan was to do a week long backpacking trip in the Sawtooths, though due to time constraints and lack of interest by friends I gave this plan up and settled on climbing McDonald Peak. McDonald Peak is one of the more accessible climbs in the Sawtooths, especially in the winter, or spring since it does not require a extremely long approach. Plus it is right behind the family cabin, so I have played around on its lower slopes quite a bit while during my times in the Stanley Basin.

So on Wednesday after my last final I hurried home and scooped up the dog, my pack, snowshoes and kissed Jennifer good bye.

"See ya tommarow!"

I wanted to be up in the Sun Valley area by five pm so I could rent some skis, since skiing is always preferable to snowshoeing, but I didn't actually get out of Boise, until around four thirty. Fortunately I remebered the Eco-Lounge in Boise; I had been trying to get a hold of the store for a couple days, but always got no answer. As I drove out of town I decided to give one last call.

"Eco-Lounge"

"Yeah, are you guys still renting out backcountry gear?"

"What like skis?"

"Yeah, like telemark skis and boots."

"We only have alpine touring stuff"

"Ok that will work, I'll be right there."

It is much better to ski than slog around in snowshoes, if for anything, its for the ride back down the mountain.

So I drove up through Sun Valley to get the key to the cabin and drove to the approach road that goes to the summer homes at the base of the peak. I drove in aways, but was then stopped by excessive amounts of snow and mud.

I packed up the skis and rest of the gear and started the long slog into the cabin. Reaching the cabin after an exhausting slog, Kulgogi and I quickly fell asleep in preparation of our alpine start for the assault on the peak.

"Errrg EEEERggggg EEEERrrrgg" The alarm went off at the happy hour of four in the morning and I immediatly slapped the snooze, a few times। Around five I finally woke up and stumbled downstairs to warm up my breakfast of champions; smores Poptarts mmmmmh, nutrious.

Kulgogi and I struggled out the door and into the morning darkness. We quickly made it to the bottom of the ridge and I dropped off my kicker skins and my hiking boots. Or I should say hiking boot, apparently I had dropped one earlier. So after a bit of swearing I began the boot pack through the snowless forest up to the snowline.

After a bit I reached enough snow to skin on and began the long slog up the mountain.

And up

Until we finally reached the summit block

We pushed on into the alpine and the mountain got much steeper. I dropped the skis next to a rock outcropping and started kicking steps into the hard snow for the last hundred yards or so to the summit.

Don't I look overjoyed to be sucking wind at 10000ft?

Soon it was all worth it though, as I summited and took in the awesome view of the Sawtooths.

After taking in the view for few minutes I glissaded back down the mountain to my skis and then enjoyed 4,000 feet of corn back down to the gear that I stashed earlier. I went and collected my errant boot and walked back to the car. There I enjoyed one last view of my accomplishment and drove back to Boise.