Mount Conness Summit Bid - Part I

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Mount Conness Summit Bid

I arrived at the group camp site promptly at 7am. I drove down from the upper campground, figuring I’d be tired after the climb and would not want to trek the probably less than extra ¼ mile back to my space. Additionally, I wanted access to my other pair of boots in case I changed my mind about which ones to use. Steve had recommended the mountaineering boots, but I wanted to leave my options open.

Wow! Things had surely changed overnight and I am thankful I decided to get my own campsite. The tents were lined up one next to each other with maybe a foot in between. Some folks were up and milling about, having coffee and starting their day.

I heard that people had continued to arrive at all hours of the night, as well as some getting up at 4:30am to start their hikes, so sleep was light in the group area. My campground was very quiet yet I sleep did not reach me until after 3am.

I introduce myself to people as I pass by. It’s a little weird not knowing anyone, but that’s what I’m here for, to meet people who like to play outside and up high.

I head over to Steve and notice he’s kicking back in his p.j.’s and down booties. Apparently not ready to go just yet. He notices me staring at the booties. Which reminds me I forgot to bring mine, but it wasn’t very cold. Then he gives me the bad news. He is feeling very ill from the altitude and will not be able to go on a climb today. Dang!

I’m sorry for Steve. He drove all this distance, risking the fires polluting the air like we all did, just to be ruled by discomfort in paradise. Hopefully he can recover enough to enjoy his stay at camp anyway.

Where does that leave me? I look around and ask “Is there anyone else doing an activity today that I can participate in?” There is a young couple near me and Ville, the husband, says that his wife is looking for a partner and I could go with her. I ask which way she is going and he says the North Ridge of Mount Conness.

Great! I read this was a slow, sandy Class 3 trail with a little scramble climbing, but no technical skills required. I ask if need ice axe and crampons and he says no. Perfect.

Then he asks me, “Do you have a harness?” “A harness?” I repeat. “No.” Casually he turns and asks if anyone has a harness and helmet I could borrow and immediately another man goes into his tent and produces the equipment without further word.

I let them know I don’t have any experience and he says there is just one area to repel and I’m stoked to try it! Why not! He asks if I have rock shoes. “What are rock shoes?” They are special shoes that make you stick to the rock better. Oh. I don’t have those.

I explain my two choices are heavy 4 lb each unbendable mountaineering boots, or my regular, quite stout, Soloman water proof hiking boots, which are also about 2.5 each. It’s decided the Soloman’s are the best choice between the two.

My soon to be climbing partner, Maikki turns to me to let me know that she’s slow. I tell her so am I. No really, I mean it. I’m hoping she means it as well because I want to be able keep up. Ville asks if I have ever repelled. “No.” I see a glance from Maikki a look that says “oh great”. And who can blame her. No one wants to babysit on their epic journey! I explain both my experience and inexperience, but add that I am fearless and a fast learner. They seem unconcerned appear to be a super chill couple. I think we’ll all get along splendidly and I’m thrilled to have someone to play with!

Maikki and Ville are here from Finland finishing their post-doctorate work in biology. I later learn that Maikki is a common nickname in Finland. Pronounced like “hey Mikey, he likes it!” with a pause to allow pronunciation of the second “k”. They have a most adorable 10 month old baby, Kaius. This is Kaius’ first camping trip and he is loving it! He is interested in everything and having a great time just watching. Such a good baby! Ville has a cool baby backpack carrier and plans on accompanying Maikki and I the first few miles on the approach. Then just us girls will carry on.

Maikki says it should be about 9 hours total which is fine by me. My only comparison is Shasta, and that climb lasted 18.5 hours so I feel like I should be okay with 9. I inquire as to how much water she is bringing. 2 liters. Really? That’s all for 9 hours? I’m going to bring 4, just in case.

Considering they are just getting up and formulating a plan, the family is ready to go in short order and we are on the trail by 8am. A little later than everyone would have liked, but that’s okay. It’s a beautiful day and the fires are not visible. Yet.

The approach is approximately 4 miles with about 1,700 feet of elevation change. It starts by meandering around beautiful Saddleback Lake. The trail is rocky and flat and the scenery couldn’t be better. We’ve barely gone a mile and the morning chill is gone and I’m ready to shed some of my layers.

Ville offers to take back my extra clothing on his return, as we will be coming down the mountain a different direction. I take him up on that kind gesture and once we reach the first meadow and stash my scarf and long johns in the bushes. No need to carry extra weight.

The trail leads around the west side of Saddleback Lake with sprawling meadows and massive peaks rising in all directions. What a paradise! We head up and over a small granite incline. It’s decided I’ll be the sole picture taker on the climb so as to not carry two cameras. I love documenting, so I’m good with this decision.

Okay, these two are not slow. Ville is quite tall and his lady is obviously used to keeping pace. I stop to snap a picture and find myself quite far behind. I don’t want to rush though, or I’ll wear myself out before we even get started.

Rounding another bend we see a pretty waterfall. Spectacular! Once over the next little rise Greenstone Lake comes into view. Wow! I stop for one last look back at Saddleback Lake as we round the ridge and then she’s gone from sight.

Once that happens Mount Conness comes into view. Bang! I must say, it’s been really pleasant to have a relatively flat first few miles to warm up the ole bod. I ask the age of my hiking companions. I always curious about the demographic for certain activities. Maikki is 35 and Ville will be 37 on the 13^th. A fellow Virgo! We rule. So again I find myself representing the older set, but hey, someone has to do it.

We reach the Conness Lakes in about 2 hours which is on par. The lakes radiate like liquid ice full of magic and light in that seemingly unnatural color you find in alpine water.

We stop here to rest, have a bite to eat and Maikki feeds the baby. It’s a beautiful scene really. This lovely family gives me hope for the future. I walk down to the water and dip my hat and get my hair wet. It’s very hot already and it’s time for us to start climbing.

This is as far as Ville is going so he reviews the way up with Maikki although she has studied the route the night before. “Just up the hill there will be an obvious large sandy trail, you can’t miss it.” I ask for a quick review as well and it’s restated we just follow the ridgeline to the top. Sounds like a no brainer and we both have maps, so off we go!

We don’t see any obvious trail, but decide to just keep heading up in the direction of the ridge, knowing we will eventually hit it. And we do. It’s littered with rocks but nice to know we are on track. We rise above the Conness Lakes and the view is spectacular! The water color changes with the elevation, creating a backdrop like no other. It seems we’ve gone so far already, but really, we’ve only just begun.

Soon the trail ends and we hit the spine of the north ridge. Here the going gets tough. It’s large talus that needs to be climbed up and over, down and around and on and on and on. I know she told me, but I ask again “and this is the easy part?” Yes! Once we get on the 3^rd tower it gets tougher. Ok. . . This isn’t that easy for me but I’m game.

The book says we need to dip below climbers left of the 1^st tower. We aren’t in a position at this angle to see the towers, only the boulders that surround us and we carry on. There is no obvious trail so we start to climb down on the east side of the ridge like the book says. The moves at this point become sketchy. Stuff I’ve seen only briefly in the movies. Reaching around a protruding smooth rock, to a grab hold of a tiny handhold to support oneself on a 2 inch ledge. Really?

I look down and we’re now above the glaciers. The drop is not straight down, it’s inverted. It is this moment that I get the slap in the face. Not that I didn’t take the climb serious to begin with, but if we are doing this type of work there is zero room for failure. My focus must be complete and I can have no fear.

Maikki breaks my thoughts saying “good climbing!” Encouragement! Yes! She says it took her a couple years of climbing to be brave enough to try some of the moves we’ve just done and this makes me feel better about my abilities. You see, I’ve never rock climbed before. It seems somewhat logical with regards to leverage, points of contact and momentum, but I intend to stay humble and focused until I’m safely back down.

We creep further along then decide to stop reference the book again. It seems to direct us here, but we are at a dead end. I look down. “Look!” I announce it as if I’ve just discovered the secret of the world. “A trail! “ And it leads right up from the bottom to the top, in which case we could avoid all these rocks! I’m excited now! We can just head down to the trail and all will be well!

Maikki flashes me her stunning smile and says, “Yes, but we would miss all the fun and spectacular views!” Silly girl. . . Yea, but the trail. . .

Unfortunately we are at a dead end and need to back climb. It was scary enough for me to get where we are so I’m not excited about the return but know it is imperative for me to be brave and confident. Careful calculation is the recipe for success here. Also, since we went the wrong way, maybe it means the “right” way will be easier! Yes!

Once we get back to where we diverted, we find the correct route and proceed over the first set of teeth. We can see the towers now, and realize we were not even on the first tower, which is why the directions in the book had failed. I check in again, “So . . this is the easy part?” “Yes, it gets harder on the second tower and some Class 5 work on the third”. Ok. I’m not sure what all that specifically means, but I do want to get to the top and I’m willing to find out.

Now I can clearly see the third tower and it concerns me. It’s steeper than all get up, and smooth and shiny. I just can’t imagine how we will get up that. I ask Maikki again, “so. . . we’re climbing up that? It seems impossible” “Yes, there are some nice handholds along the right side of the spine.” Ultimate confidence. Okay.

She had warned me earlier there was a point of no return and for me it I feel I had already passed it. I don’t know that I would have been able to go back down if I wanted to. I was all in and determined to reach the summit. Let’s do this!

Having that shiny 3^rd tower looming ahead of me though, I still really can’t wrap my tiny brain around how we are going to climb up it. But my partners’ confidence is something I believe in and also know that my survival requires my own.

This is hard work! Yikes! We finally reach the top of the second tower which is where we will have a bite to eat and set up for the rappel. I choke down ½ of a pb&j and some dried pinnaple and strawberries. I’m not hungry but know I need to eat. Maikki instructs me on how to put the harness on. Legs through the holes and cinch it up tight around the waste. The harness doesn’t fit me perfectly, it’s a little large in the waste, but it’s good enough. Next, move the belay device to the center of the harness and I’m ready to be roped in.

I’m not nervous about this part and am actually quite thankful to now be tied to something! As she ropes me in, Maikki explains some of the most common, and deadly, mistakes climbers make in securing their belay ropes.

Always make sure both loops are secured into the carbiner once through the belay device. Then triple check that the gate is closed. Click, click, click. Triple check, triple check, triple check. Got it. She also adds a secondary, backup rope for me to lead the rope down as I rappel. Advising me that even if I let go with both hands I will not fall.

She connects the rope to the anchor points, then to me, then to herself. She explains what will happen next. She’ll go down first, but I need to hang over the side and wait. The tension of her weight will be on the rope as she descends, then it will be my turn. Okay.

She goes over the edge and instructs me to do the same and then just hang out there. I lean back over the edge, suspended in the air. I’m in position and down she goes. I can see it’s quite important for me to keep my parts out of the way of the rope. I call down to ask where the rope should be. For now, the rope should be in between my legs. Then when it’s my turn to rappel, I need to have the rope on my right side, since I am right handed. Got it.

She reaches the next set of anchor points set in the granite. She calls up that the guide book says only X feet of rope is needed to make it all the way down to where we need to be. The choices are to go for it and hope the rope is long enough, or rappel to the next set of anchor points, remove the rope, reconnect, and do it all over again. She decides to go all the way down. Ok.

As I dangle and wait for my turn, I glance at my looming nemesis. The 3^rd tower. Once we rappel down we start the free climb up that slick looking granite face. I’m starting to get nervous so I put those feelings down fast. But how the hell are we going to get up that? This seems like madness and we haven’t gotten to the “hard” part yet. I love a good challenge, but I am way out of my league here, both physically and with regards to my lack of skills. But I’m here, and I’m planning on making it. Failure is not an option and mental control is essential.



TO BE CONTINUED. . .

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www.chellesjewelry.org

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