I’ve been hiking and climbing for 30 years, but I can count on two fingers the times I’ve been lost in the mountains.Come to think of it, I wasn’t exactly lost. Let’s say I was in a state of directional puzzlement.
Both occasions were on Mt. Rainier, after successful climbs to the summit in perfect, clear weather. My climbing friends and I were descending, feeling buoyant and self-satisfied, when--like that!--clouds seemed to come screaming in from out of nowhere to envelop the mountain, causing “whiteout” conditions, visibility nada. If you’ve never been in a whiteout, I’m here to tell you it’s a disconcerting experience, to say the least. You can’t tell up from down, right from left. On Rainier, the clothes you are wearing are very likely sweat-soaked from the exertion of the climb. When the clouds move in, the temperature probably drops 20 degrees. You are standing there shivering in the snow, thinking: “This is not good.”
If you were prudent and humble, you (or other climbers) were wise enough during your ascent--on that perfect day--to know that mountain weather can change quickly. You placed “wands” (usually thin bamboo sticks) in the snow to mark your route. Now, descending carefully in the white-white fog, your party can string-out--not too far apart now, let’s not lose someone--and travel from wand to wand down the mountain.
Once you get to The Cairn, you and your friends can loosen-up and begin talking about the beer you know that's available down at the lodge.
The Cairn on Mt. Rainier is a huge pile of rocks, about the size of a Volkswagen, near Panorama Point on the Muir snowfield. Climbers construct cairns as navigational aids in rocky or snowy terrain, and occasionally build them as a kind of celebration on mountain summits. My friend Shelley and I were hiking in the high country of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness when we came upon the cairn you see in the photograph posted above. The rocks were perfect granite, a sparkling steeple, and the sun was flaring through a little window where the bell would be. It was very cool.
Tomorrow, in Berkeley, Shelley will graduate from Law School. Her milestone event got me to thinking about mountain trips we’ve done together, the friends who have been with us, the bond we all share from traveling to high and wild places and the dumb luck we’ve had in never getting lost.
Shelley: A BIG summit hug to you, my friend! Now get out of that tie-dyed, love-beaded town. Come up here and let's go HIKING!
