Howdy, tators! Well, it is another hot and humid day here in the ATL. Because I might melt if I step outside (NOTE: I am made of sugar, ya know!), I decided to write you guys a little note.
So...
Last week Carl-E and I embarked on another mountain adventure. Our target; Mt. Shasta in Cali. We have been planning this trip for a while. Carl-E got the topo map, the GPS, and various articles about various routes to the top. He made sure that we were prepared because this was our first climb without a guide.
On the flight...
we had the "silver and not so sexy" flight crew. Their attitude matched their look; pinched and sour. Once we left the "oldies and not so goodies" it was a three hour drive to the mountain.
As she...
came into view, Carl-E and I got really excited; we almost jumped and squealed like teenage girls at a Jonas Brothers concert. The true summit was hidden by clouds, but the weather forecast called for clear and sunny skies for the next two days.
The next day...
we packed our packs, and off we went. Four and half hours later, with 40 lbs packs, we made it to Lake Helen. Why they call it Lake Helen I do not know because there is no lake there; only snow. We met two guys that got altitude sickness and could not make the summit. In my mind I was like, "HA! I am going to make it and I am a girl!"
After chatting with the losers...
we set up camp. While setting up our tent, another couple of guys were setting up theirs. Well they did not anchor it correctly and "POOF" over the edge it went like a giant kite. They had to climb back down a VERY steep incline to get it and back up; dumb asses!!! After a dinner of re-hydrated mac and cheese, it was off to bed.
At 3am...
the alarm went off. As I tried to get myself out of my twisted sleeping bag, Carl-E announced he had altitude sickness. This was not good. I asked him on a percentage scale how he felt, and he was only a 75%. I told him to go back to bed, and he did.
So...
the summit was out of our reach for this trip, but we will get it next year.
