| Climbing Mount ShastaTopped by snow and
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| | instead of the tent. The edges pulled
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| glaciers, Mount Shasta rises up above
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| | loose in the wind again and again, until
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| everything else when you approach it from
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| | we pinned down one side with heavy rocks,
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| the north.As soon as I saw it, I wanted
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| | and wrapped the other side around us.
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| to be up there. We were coming south from
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| | Dust blew in, despite the tight wrap and
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| Oregon, after driving across the country
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| | rain. I was enjoying the adventure more
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| from Michigan. A detour to northern
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| | than John, who was very quiet. So I
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| California before heading home seemed
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| | talked until he fell asleep.Climbing
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| like a good idea to both of us."I wonder
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| | Mount Shasta"Apparently they start very
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| if we could climb it?" I asked. John just
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| | early," John grumbled. It was dark, but
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| nodded his head quietly, agreeing not to
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| | there were lights and noise from the
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| the climb, but to the fact that he was
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| | tents around us. I stood up, and I saw
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| wondering the same thing. I checked the
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| | lights on the mountain a thousand up. It
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| map. Mount Shasta is 14,162 feet above
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| | was 5:30 a.m. Hmm... climbers start
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| sea level. I liked the idea of climbing
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| | early. With that new insight, we packed
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| that high."Have you ever climbed a
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| | our daypacks, hid our big backpacks in
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| mountain," John asked me. I thought about
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| | the rocks, and stepped onto the ice.Helen
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| it for a while. "Not really. A lot of
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| | Lake was a mile of ups and downs, through
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| hills though."Mount Shasta City"Oh yes,"
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| | sun-dished ice. Then we reached the loose
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| the old woman at the visitor's center
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| | rock at the base of a steep slope, in
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| told us, "people climb Mount Shasta all
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| | Avalanche Gully. We started climbing
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| the time." John pointed out the glaciers
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| | Mount Shasta. an hour later, we quit."I
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| on the map she had given us. "Oh, well,
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| | can't do it," John gasped. "Can't get
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| did you bring crampons and ice axes?"
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| | enough air." We were at about 11,000
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| John looked at me, and I could only say,
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| | feet, and we knew there was less oxygen,
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| "I've heard of these things."We did have
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| | but this was the first time John had
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| some gear: backpacks, sleeping bags, and
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| | actually been this high on foot. I once
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| a tent. John had good hiking boots, but
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| | drove higher in Colorado, but apparently
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| mine were more like high-top shoes.
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| | driving wasn't a strenuous enough for me
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| Neither of us had ever used crampons or
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| | to notice the thinner air. I noticed it
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| an ice axe, so we went the few blocks
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| | here. We both did. We sat down and rested
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| across town to see what the guy at the
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| | for a minute."Are you sure," I asked. He
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| climbing store had to say."Have you done
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| | was - I wasn't. It was light now, and
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| any climbing before?" he asked us."A
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| | John didn't see any problem hiking down
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| little," I answered, remembering the
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| | the four hours to the car alone. I would
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| buildings we used to climb on as
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| | go on to the summit, and then come back
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| teenagers, and the rocks we had recently
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| | down by evening. I had to continue. Mount
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| scrambled up in Oregon. I figured we were
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| | Shasta was my first mountain, and I
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| ready for Mount Shasta."Well, you can't
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| | hadn't even used the poop bag
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| put crampons on those boots," he said to
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| | yet.Altitude SicknessThe "Red Bank" is a
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| John, "and you sure can't put them on
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| | line of broken cliffs above Avalanche
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| those," he told me, shaking his head at
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| | Gully. I scrambled, climbed, slipped on
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| my shoes. Crampons apparently need rigid
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| | ice, and eventually found a way up and
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| boots - our mountaineering lesson of the
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| | over. Then there were long steep slopes
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| day. We could rent them, but only if we
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| | covered in loose rocks, with a few bamboo
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| rented real mountaineering boots also.
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| | sticks marking the way. My route
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| "And you'll need ice axes, of course." I
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| | converged with that of the other
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| felt a pain in my wallet.Backpacking On
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| | climbers, who had come up the snow-slope
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| Mount Shasta (Too Poor For Climbing)A
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| | route with crampons and ice axes.After
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| speeding ticket in North Dakota had
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| | much climbing, I finally made it to the
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| strained the budget, and Mount Shasta was
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| | summit, which is called Misery hill,
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| another detour from the route and the
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| | because it isn't actually the summit. It
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| budget. We could, we decided, hike up the
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| | just seems like it should be. There was
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| mountain and do a little backpacking.
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| | still a mile of snow to cross, and then
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| Still, I had to ask, "Do people climb
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| | more rocky terrain. One snow field had
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| Shasta without gear?" The store owner
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| | three-foot-high peaks covering it, like a
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| realized that the sale was lost."It's
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| | huge merange pie.I rested a moment, and
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| been done," he answered impatiently."It's
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| | realized I'd been hearing a new sound.
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| been done," I reminded John as we drove
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| | Bang! Bang! Bang! It was the inside of my
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| up the road to Mount Shasta. He didn't
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| | head, which had never been so loud
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| answer, which was a good sign. I watched
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| | before. Hmm...interesting. I got used to
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| the Pine trees go by, and absentmindedly
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| | the noise and pain after an hour or so.I
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| poked a finger through a hole in my
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| | got used to the smell of sulphur too.
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| shoe."Old Ski Bowl Trailhead," John said.
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| | Mount Shasta, it turns out, is a volcano.
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| I looked over at the sign. "7,900 feet."
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| | When John Muir climbed it more than a
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| We were at the trailhead, along with
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| | hundred years earlier, he had to huddle
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| forty other cars, and it was early enough
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| | next to the hot sulphur gas vents to
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| to hit the trail.Mount Shasta Poop BagsWe
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| | survive a night near the peak. He was
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| looked at the registration forms, and had
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| | alternately freezing and burning.At The
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| a decision to make. There was a $10 fee
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| | Top Of Mount Shasta"So this is the top?"
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| to hike or climb above "Horse Camp," at
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| | I mumbled lamely to the guy who had just
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| 8,400 feet. John pointed to a pile of
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| | told me the John Muir story. Clouds, and
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| paper bags, each with a handful of cat
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| | smoke from forest fires, obscured the
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| litter in it, and a plastic bag to put it
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| | view in every direction, but it felt good
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| in. These were for carrying our excrement
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| | to be so high, and down to the east, I
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| off the mountain, a requirement above
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| | saw my first glacier, a few hundred feet
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| 10,000 feet. That clinched it. We put $10
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| | below."You can write your name in the
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| each in the envelope and dropped it in
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| | register there," the guy told me,
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| the slot. We couldn't pass up the
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| | pointing to something in the rocks.
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| opportunity to poop in a bag in the
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| | Guestbooks on top of mountains? Another
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| mountains. I took two for myself, in case
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| | lesson for the day. I signed in, wrote
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| of good luck.An easy trail took us to the
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| | some comment, and started down the
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| hut and spring at Horse Camp. We filled
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| | mountain.Sun cups, or whatever they call
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| our water bottles. The dayhikers looked
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| | those depresions in the snow, fill with
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| up at the mountain through cameras, while
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| | water in the warm afternoon sun - another
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| the climbers cooked noodles and discussed
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| | discovery. I'd climb out of one
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| weather reports. They looked at my shoes
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| | ten-foot-wide bowl and slide into the
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| and smiled at each other when I mentioned
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| | pond at the bottom of the next. This was
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| we might climb Mount Shasta.After Horse
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| | the pattern until I thankfully reached
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| Camp the trail gets steeper and rockier.
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| | the ankle-twisting mile of rocks piled up
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| The trees end at about 8,500 feet,
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| | below Helen Lake. Climbing down, I
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| leaving only grasses, flowers, and other
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| | realized, is more difficult than climbing
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| tundra plants. Then the trail gets lost
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| | up, or at least more dangerous.I found
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| in the rocks just before the steep climb
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| | the trail, my headache disappeared, I
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| up to Helen Lake.Wind And Rain At Helen
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| | reached the road, where John was waiting.
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| LakeThere is no lake. Helen lake is a
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| | By evening we were driving towards
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| more-or-less level area of snow and ice.
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| | Michigan, Mount Shasta hidden in the
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| At the edge, overlooking Horse Camp far
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| | clouds and smoke behind us. Oh, and yes,
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| below, there are dusty clearings in the
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| | I did get to use the poop bag. Somewhere
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| rocks where the climbers camp. We found
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| | around 11,500 feet, I think, which I
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| an empty spot and we set up camp. The
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| | remembered when I was looking through my
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| wind was howling. We were at 10,440
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| | pack. "Pull over at the nearest garbage
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| feet.About the time the rain started, I
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| | can," I told John.Steve Gillman is a
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| realized it might have been a bad idea to
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| | long-time backpacker, and advocate
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| talk John into bringing only a tarp,
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| | ultralight backpacking.
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