Mt. Langley Prep & Reminiscing With "From the Still"

Isn't this cool? Here is our route to the summit of Mt. Langley. This was made with our cool little GPS device:

The first major switch-backs that you see after where the Cottonwood Lakes are at (about 11,500), we will be encountering slushy snow. This may require snow-shoes.

The rub of going ultralight is just like it sounds--you don't want any extra weight to slow you down, and snow shoes are just that. Plus they not easily carried on day packs. As of this moment, we are not sure if we will move faster with extra weight but have the use of snow shoes, or leave the snow shoes behind and move slickly over the snow. This is all dependent on the depth of the snow; the deeper it is, the more we are going to regret leaving snow-shoes behind as we poke holes through the snow.

The overnight temperatures above that altitude are dipping below freezing, however we will be approaching this area mid-day, so the "ice" will have melted into slushy snow. I am thinking that snow shoes are going to be a good idea and worth the extra weight.

Anyway, the preperations are going well and everyone is excited. We have a team of five going; three of us having climbed together before. However, Kyle at From the Still who has also previously shared outdoor adventures with me, evesdropped on a little conversation he says I had on my last trip to Middle Palisade:

TF6S: This place used to be off limits, man, 'cause some drunk freshman fell off. He went right down the middle, smacking his head on every beam, man. I hear it doesn't hurt after the first couple though. Autopsy said he had one beer, how many did you have?

Bugle Bum: Four.

TF6S: You're dead, man, you're so dead. Look at the blood stains right there.

Cut to Summit: TF6S takes in the view

TF6S: Would you look at this f*cking town man. It's dead. Imagine how people out there right now are f*cking man. Just going at it.

I don't know if this was a actual conversation. It sure sounds like something from Dazed And Confused, but I can't be certain. We are making plans for a trip to the hill country soon; maybe I should reconsider...

Hmmm, this is an odd conversation considering my climbing companion Bugle Bum is mormon, and thus highly unlikely to be drinking beer at 14,000 ft. Mr. Hirsch, I believe there are some holes to your story, however I could be wrong--after all the altitude does wonders to your thinking capacity.

But, I'd like to enlighten my readers to an adventure I had with Kyle back in 2000. I went to visit him during my spring break in Colorado. One day, after three feet of powder were dumped on the Rockies, we decided to cruise up to Rocky Mountain National for a little snow-shoeing around the Bear Lake.

This day may have been one of the best days I have ever had in the outdoors. The sky was cobalt blue, with a fresh layer of untouched snow everywhere. It was utterly quiet. Naturally, preparing for a simple jaunt around the lake, we decided that it would be more fun to climb one of the hills (again, east coast and midwesterners read: mountain) surrounding the lake. Forget that we left our gloves in the car and had to create our own switch-backs in 3-feet of snow.

So, we trudged up and started blazing the trail. The person in the lead would take a couple of steps and then fall into the snow.

Kyle: (Stomping trail, then falls.) "Dang-it!!!"

Me: Ok, I'll try.

Kyle: (Shakes red hands out)

Me: (Stomping trail, then falls) "Daaaaang-it!!!

Kyle: Laughs

Me: Throws Kyle down the mountain.

Ok, I didn't throw Kyle down the mountain, but we soon established a rhythm and were able to blaze a trail without falling for a while. I was in the lead, gingerly blazing the trail, when I was startled by what I thought was a bear bounding down the mountain behind me. I looked down, about the size of bear, rolling down the hill.

I tried to find Kyle.

No Kyle.

Did the bear eat Kyle?

No, the bear was Kyle.

I looked down the hill and Kyle was laying in a pine tree.

Kyle: "Dang-it!!!"

Me: (Creating yellow snow by laughing so hard).

We made it to the top and had a great, great day. Kyle used his cell phone to call everyone who was working that day to tell them we were standing on top of a mountain while they were sitting in their cubes. He did not tell them about his new impression of Yogi.

Posted by 10 fingers 6 strings at July 20, 2005 11:54 AM | TrackBack