So after all that worrying and preparing, the day of my hike went off without a hitch, after a summer of wondering whether I was even up for it. But I’d read that this is more or less a strenuous tourist’s hike and that even ascents of the much shorter Dog Mountain and Starvation Ridge are more difficult. Most accounts have the average round trip time listed as 7-12 hours, depending on your physical condition, and a few athletic people I’ve spoken to have done it in less.
The route can be broken into thirds: Ptarmigan Trail through the forest, the rock field along Monitor Ridge, and the scree along the final push. At daybreak, even the “gently” sloping dirt trail of the forest required some effort until my muscles warmed up a bit, which was disheartening considering that I’d read how easy that part was supposed to be. I did notice after a while that I was unnecessarily passing other heavy-breathing people who were stopping to rest more frequently, which probably contributed to my making good time up and down the mountain although for about seventy-five percent of the hike I honestly thought I would not be able to get to the top.
At the beginning of Monitor Ridge the crater rim materialized, and it hit me just how far away it was. Even though I was only gaining 4,500 feet from the trailhead, I had a heavy heart most of the way up. But Mount Adams was an almost constant companion over to the right, reminding me what a truly difficult climb looks like, with Mount Hood floating behind you in the distance, so I just had to grit my teeth and move my feet.
The route is marked by wooden posts jammed into the rocks as a rough guide, but it’s pretty much up to you to decide which set of footprints you trust. I would say, set your eyes on the next marker, but get there however’s easiest. Don’t descend too much from the main trail, because it’ll be harder to get back up when you need to. About halfway up the rock field, the boulder trail steepens even more sharply, appearing almost at a 45 degree angle. But if you use your full body to climb and have a good pair of gloves, it can be done. I came out of the whole thing with only a few scratches on my kees.
After about my third hour on the trail, the boulder field did taper off and I was left climbing along a long, vast sandy ridge to the summit with about twenty people ahead of me, staggering up at different paces along the last mile or so. This part seemed to drag on forever, something I’d read but couldn’t possibly be prepared for and have trouble describing. As I followed a man in front of me, the perfect clear day began to get a little chillier, and the sky color intensified. It was an effort just to take more than a couple steps at a time, so I just stared blearily at my feet for a while.
The next time I really focused upwards again, I saw a group of about five people sitting down eating and watching me and the others. I realized that they were at the summit and that I was actually close. With their eyes on me, I was actually able to push myself a little harder to the top and with my last thrust Mount Rainier popped up and I was looking into the lava dome. It was a peak experience in every sense of the term, and I felt flooded with accomlishment and awe.
It's relatively safe, and there were families on the trail as well as fit older couples. There’s almost no chance of being seriously injured on this hike, unless you fall into the crater, which is not out of the question I suppose. Carelessness on the boulders could result in some broken bones or twisted ankles, which would be a big problem, especially if you are alone like I was. But even in that case, there are 99 other hikers who’ve secured permits for that day, most of whom are incredibly friendly and helpful. You’re not going to get stranded by any means, but you may very well ruin someone else’s big day, so be responsible. Rockfall is also a possibility -those boulders are unexpectedly ominous and by no means stable.
Most people were dressed as if trotting down to the gym, but I think that's making things unnecessarily hard on yourself, especially on the boulders. At least take water, gloves and poles if you're at all uncertain. I had a camelback, a water bottle, trail mix, three power bars and used it all, as well as two bottles of powerade when I got back to the car. Sunglasses were a worry for me as a contact wearer, because I didn’t want to buy “goggles”, but I ended up just using my regular biking glasses and they seemed to provide enough coverage from dust. Another happy choice was my liner socks under heavier wool ones. I’m still not sure I like my boots, because I lost my footing more than anyone I saw on the way down, so the main thing you want is a grippy sole, Vibram preferably.
I’ve been hiking a lot this summer to prepare and it was a big deal for me – anyone who knows me is probably sick of the topic. I’m not sure whether the practicing helped me to finish, but I think it helped me finish quickly, and it introduced me to the sport that is probably going to help me manage this next miserable Portland winter. I know unequivocally that it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, a sentiment echoed by a lot of hikers at the top who were all as giddy and proud as me. And now, with a certain amount of foolish over-confidence embedded deeply into my bones, I’m shooting for Mount Whitney next year, and maybe Kilimanjaro after that. Something feels different now... I think I'm obsessed.
8/31/07
