Sunday, April 26, 2009, Nikki and I, and 22 others from Navy Outdoor Recreation, left base camp at 6 a.m. Sunburn, blisters, shin splints and the mountain took its toll on some of us, and thirteen hours more or less later, 11 of us had accomplished 8300 vertical feet, 12 miles and lots of smiles. This was absolutely the hardest physical challenge I have ever undertaken, and one of the most rewarding and beautiful places I have ever been. Mt. St. Helens is still an active volcano, and we were rewarded with beautiful weather, steam spewing vents, and excellent views of Adams, Rainier, and Hood. The warm weather and the steep slopes made for a very difficult climb in rather soft snow, and most of us had stripped down to shirtsleeves very early in the climb. The steepest parts of the slope made for excellent glissading, and we all had a very good time. Comraderie got some of us to the top... me being the oldest and last climber to summit....thank goodness for the encouragement of others! We toasted our success with Pomegranate Margaritas, complete with an volcanic ash garnish, at the summit, and are nursing our weary legs with pizza and beer as I write.
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