Faith In The Father
It was the summer of 1998. It would be my third trip up Mount Rainier. As a junior in high school, It would by my son Ryan’s second climb. We would be accompanied by my great friend and biking, xc-skiing and climbing partner Lawrence, and a new friend and experienced mountaineer Marty. With it’s peak at 14,411, Mount Rainier is not just another 14er. Though similar in elevation to many of the Colorado 14ers it stands heads and shoulders above as a challenge. Technical skills, adequate equipment, and physical fitness are mandatory. It is a serious climb requiring a significant amount of climbing equipment and bulky cold weather gear. This necessitates that you carry a very large pack to hold everything. Backpacks are like suitcases in the sense that short trips require a small suitcase, and long extended trips require a larger one. You never want to carry a larger pack than you need, and I have packs of many sizes, but this climb would require we take our largest ...