SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

I was climbing Middle Palisades in the Eastern Sierra, one of the lesser climbed 14,0000 foot peaks in California. It's a tough climb and going solo adds to the adventure. I know solo mountaineering is not recommended but in my defense you can't have a goal of climbing the fifteen 14,000 foot peaks in California solo and have a partner! :)

It was a beautiful summer night as I arrived at the trail head around 4am. The air was crisp but not cold and the stars were amazing. I was prepared with my headlamp, map and ready for a nighttime creek crossing. I did a a light warmup threw on my pack, CHECKED THE MAP and started walking. The trail was easy to follow and I was making great time. My pace quickened to a light jog. I came to a trail intersection and checked my map to make sure I was going the right way and continued. I came to the creek crossing and it was rushing and cold. I sat down on a rock, took off my boots and pants stuffed them in my day pack and put on shorts. The crossing was about 25 feet wide about mid thigh, fun, scary and cold all at the same time. I dried off put on my boots and continued. The trail was getting surprisingly nicer so I began my light jog saying to myself, "this is great I can really make some time in the cool of night". All of the sudden I see an electrical wire, then a cabin. My thoughts are, " this is strange to be so far out, must be the last cabin". Then I see a few more cabins and then I see....my truck! O my gosh I just ran in circles for 45 minutes at 4am ... haha! All I could do was laugh. 

What went wrong? I had a map and I checked it. What the heck? I went back to the trailhead and looked at their map and looked again at mine. It appeared I went the right way. So I started over. There was no way I was going to let a bad start ruin my climb or take away my joy. I was moving fast and made it back to the intersection. There was only one way to go. I followed the "one way to go" and looked at the map again as I came upon the creek and realized this was not the crossing. It seemed like it should be but there was at least another half mile to go. I slowly retraced my steps to see what i had missed and sure enough. One of the last big rains tore the head off the sign that said, " hey Ken go this way " and all that was left was an old post. The map didn't show a slight directional change to the right and reconnecting to the trail. In the dark it was almost impossible to see. I shook my head and laughed at myself and took off. 

As I continued in the dark I noticed Bear poo on the trail and noticed it was rather fresh, no I didn't taste it, but it was almost steaming. I picked up two rocks and periodically clanked them together and saying, "hey Bear" as if the Bear knew it was a Bear. I could have been saying " hey Rhinoceros" and it would have meant the same thing. Soon I noticed three piles and thought man this Bear is having problems. As I continued getting away from civilization and closer the the Bear I see another three piles, one large and two smaller, this is not one Bear but a momma and two cubs feasting on berries and pooping the trail! My clanking is more frequent and my voice louder. There is a light wind blowing against me so the Bears are not getting my scent and the creek is loud so the Bears aren't hearing me. I am thinking maybe they left the trail as I don't see any evidence for a while. But then I come around a bend and there is momma Bear. She see's me and dashes into the bush with her two cubs. That was an experience and I am wide awake! 

I continue to gain elevation as the sun comes out and I enjoy the sunshine and sight and sound of birds awakening. The trail disappears and the map shows there is no more trail but a boulder field followed by cross country scrambling, crossing a glacier and snow field, culminating in 1,000 feet of class 3-4 granite. At this point I am excited and feeling nature as there is not a soul in sight. The boulder scramble, I must admit, was miserable and realized on my way back that I took a very difficult line through the field. I cramped for 20 minutes on a ledge that was semi-safe, first one groin and then the other. Yes groin! Son of a Biscuit it was intense. I thought of turning back but could see the summit and felt if I relaxed a bit longer I would be ok. I was and continued. As I began to cross the snow field I stopped to put on my crampons and all of the sudden there was this young guy flying up behind me. He was moving! He was the only person I would see going up or down. We walked and chatted for a while but he was to strong a climber for me to keep up with. I didn't feel to bad as he was doing the climb in two days and I was doing it in one day. As he took off he said he was going a different way than I was. My response was, "are you sure?" He replied a friend climbed it and this was the way he said to follow. I asked did he want to look at my map and he declined. I never saw him again and he didn't summit as we would have had to cross paths coming up or down the granite face. From a distance the face looked scary and daunting like there is no way without ropes. Yikes! As I approached I stopped and read the preferred rout and followed it the best I could. There are no markers of any kind and its up the climber to pick right. This time I did and made the summit. The view is spectacular and so worth it! I sat, ate a little, hydrated, and enjoyed my accomplishment. 

All that effort and discomfort to spend 30 minutes at the top. Why? The joy is in the accomplishment of a worthwhile goal. The joy is in testing oneself and overcoming challenges. The lessons learned are never letting a bad start cause a lousy finish. What do you do with your mistakes? Throw in the towel? Or recalibrate, recuperate and find a way? Even with a good map you must read it as well as the signs AND the lay off the land. No business plan is a perfect map. You must know your business plan as well as have the ability to recalibrate, recuperate and find a way. Business is full of twists and turns, crapping bears and crappy bosses, vendors and customers. Sometime you don't see them until its to late. Flush em out early, clank the rocks, identify signs and give fair warning so they don't sneak up on you. You know they are out there don't let them take away your joy or turn you away by pooing on your path! Be careful of advice of friends ... appreciate but verify! Have a sense of humor when things go wrong. Wrong turns happen are you focused and driven enough to make corrections to reach your summit? 

If so I will see you at the top!