If At First You Don't Succeed

    The last month has been full of adventures, along with some humbling moments, but even the ill-fated hikes have brought me reminders that will serve me in my preparation, so nothing is truly lost.  I had attempted Anti-Aircraft Peak a few weekends ago but instead got lost on Cougar Mountain for a couple hours.  I guess that's what happens when you mix an outdated guide book with unmarked trail forks.  I still got in a great hike and a reminder to wear sock liners too but was left with the disappointment of not reaching a destination with such an intriguing name.

The following weekend I made a second (and successful) attempt in the pouring rain.  With heightened wits and a better map I realized that the hike to the peak from the trail head was stupid short, like less than half a mile short. No wonder I got lost!  Desiring a decent hike with a climactic end, PeeWee and I went the long route and did a total of 6 miles in relatively heavy rain.  PeeWee made it .04 miles before quitting and required a lyft in my jacket the rest of the way.

This was a great hike and the rain made it that much better.  The trails were empty of people and the sounds of the rain trickling through the canopy was incredibly peaceful.  I came across some cool finds like a relatively recently burnt-out jeep in the woods and what seems to be an old WWII cement bunker hatch. A heavily soaked tree creaked with a growl in the wind and scared the BeJeebus out of me. I can laugh at myself now because I jumped back and started singing a song like Julie Andrews in a freaking lightning storm. It was also an EXCELLENT reminder that I ought to be carrying my knife when I hike alone. They didn't name it Cougar Mountain for nothing.

I have no idea how this jeep got back here!

WWII Anti-Aircraft bunker! Secret busted!

Since this is endurance training I often had to stop and remind myself to stop enjoying the nature so much and keep my body challenged.  I only had about 14 lbs on my back (plus the 7 lb pooch on front) so I was able to run some. After I had seen all I had come to see and my body was as saturated as it was going to get, I saw I had plenty of daylight, no place to be and energy reserves in my body. I knew I needed to keep going. I must train my body to work beyond pleasure hikes if I want hiking up Mt. Rainier to be pleasurable, or at least not brutally devastatingly painful. So I turned around short of the trail head in search of a place called "Fantastic Erratic." After conquering a snack on top of the enormous glacial boulder, we hiked back up a straight steady climb. Finally feeling a little worn, I questioned pushing myself to run as much as I could for the final steep leg but then I darn near stepped on a cute little snail making its way across the trail; welcomed snail medicine from The Universe to give myself permission to do the slow and steady. It's not supposed to be about pushing my body to exhaustion but rather to build up my body to prevent exhaustion.

Cuddle 'stache PNW style

Incidentally, in the week that followed I became sick with a cold/flu bug I picked up from the kids I work with at my day gig.  I had planned to go backpacking that weekend but rested up instead. It was frustrating to not be able to condition with the weeks lapsing before the climb.  By Sunday I convinced myself that a jaunt up Mt. Si was what the doctor ordered. Wrong. I made it about half way before conceding that I was harming my body more than conditioning it and at the rate I was going could run out of daylight. Of course it didn't help I was also attempting to lug up 4 bricks in my pack with a chest cold. I swear I am a smart person, I'm just darn willful sometimes.

Now that I am feeling much better, I've got a date with Mt. Si this weekend. :)



As always, please consider supporting me in my fundraising efforts to raise $5000 for Camp Korey, a non-profit summer camp for kids with serious life altering medical conditions.  Donations are tax deductible and can be made electronically here or by clicking the huge button below.

Camp Magic

In my early 20s my friends used to poke fun that most of my stories started with "This one time at summer camp," in part a nod to American Pie but more the ridiculous joy that my summer camp memories brought me.  I spent 7 whole or partial summers as a camp counselor (with an unaffiliated camp organization) to help pay forward the positive, empowering, life altering experience that summer camp was for me as a teenager.

Counselors talk about "Camp Magic" as both a whimsical feeling and an experience of controlled chaos. Camp is where the most ridiculous scenarios come true with seeming spontaneity. Whether it be pancakes for dinner or unraveling a Scooby Doo who-done-it mystery, around every corner is a surprise that is thoughtfully orchestrated and creates an air of camp magic. Everything is punctuated by enthusiasm and creativity without crossing into genuine chaos. Dinner may erupt into a full choreographed and costumed musical production. A nature walk to the swamp may turn into mud gushing like Swamp Thing. Canoeing the lake may become a winner-takes-all game of battle boats. Face painting may lead to Capture the Flag and full-on sword fern camouflage. The pouring rain can be a great time to slip'n'slide. Adventures and misadventures alike are character building, foster teamwork, creativity, empowerment, build self-esteem and most of all, sheer joy.
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Summer camp is a place where a kid gets to be a kid, where they can forget about all the troubles that wait for them in the muggle world. Often nobody "knows" the camper's outside life and the child is able to blossom into who-they-really-are, rather than who society tells them they are or ought to be. Nobody knows about that embarrassing time at school that "......." happened or that mean nickname that s/he is relentlessly called on the playground. Each child arrives with a blank slate to a crew of camp counselors who believe and show that child that s/he is the absolute coolest. Kids have more stress in their lives than we give them credit for. They carry the weight of their parents' stress as well as their own, and we live in a world that can be cruel at times.  Most kids who come to camp are able to leave these troubles behind for the most part.

The kids who come to Camp Korey share the growing pains of other kids but are also facing battles that other kids (and even adults) often just can't understand or fully appreciate. These kids live lives that are often dictated by doctor appointments, awkward medical equipment, physical limitations and self-doubt (or doubt imposed by others) about abilities, uncomfortable side-effects of medication, and their families' daunting medical bills. Kids with serious medical issues can feel like they are a burden to their families or peers. Middle school is already characterized by painful self-consciousness, and society has a way of noticing people who are different in a way that reminds a person that they are indeed "different" and it is not kind. Kids with life altering medical conditions cannot hide their wheelchair or oxygen tank or head bald from chemo. At Camp Korey every child has the same life altering affliction. They don't have to spend their time educating people on their condition. They are not seen as defined by their diagnosis. They are just like everyone else and starting their week of magic with a clean slate with camp counselors who believe and show them that they are the absolute coolest. They know that they are safe in a medically supportive environment so they can relax, have fun just being kids, and not feel "different."

I believe with my whole heart that Camp Korey will provide these young people with a strength that will carry them not only into the school year and their awkward teenage years but through-out their entire lives. This is why I am attempting the most difficult, scary & strenuous task of my life, climbing Mt. Rainier, to give this amazing life transforming gift to kids who truly deserve a vacation from their problems.

Please consider donating to Sally's Camp Korey Fundraising page. Sally has committed to raising $5,000 of LOVE before August 2014.