In the 30 years I’ve lived in Washington State, I’ve probably hiked to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier at least 50 times. Muir is at an elevation of 10,000 feet and is one of the possible overnight camping spots for climbers intending to do a two-day trek to the summit of the 14,410-foot mountain.
It’s a long, long trudge to Camp Muir, not an easy trip by any means. This week a young man died doing that hike when a storm hit the mountain and 70-MPH winds and limited visibility forced the young hiker--and his wife, and a friend, both of whom survived--to dig a snow trench, where the three hoped to wait-out the storm. A news story (linked below) says the hiker suffered hypothermia and died, but that he apparently made heroic efforts to save his wife. The report also says the couple has two young sons.
Unfortunately, stories like this are not uncommon where I live. This is a beautiful--but wild--part of the country. Human beings go to the mountains to hike and climb (and to the waters of Puget Sound to sail or to dive, and into the thermal air currents in the sky to hang-glide) and most times we return home refreshed and energized.
Sometimes human adventure does not have a happy ending. Two years ago a good friend of mine died in a ski mountaineering accident in South America. My friend was the safest, strongest, most competent outdoors person I know (he was also a darned fine man.) He was not an adrenalin-fueled risk-taker.
Another young man I knew (he was not an outdoors person) went to Las Vegas last year to celebrate his birthday. He was walking across a street (in a crosswalk, by the way) when he was hit and killed by a speeding motorist.
Do I have a wise conclusions to offer? Believe me, I wish I did. All I know is that life comes with no guarantees about tomorrow. All we have is today, all we have is this moment, and I do think we should savor it.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004474545_hikers13m0.html
