The Long, Windy Hike to Camp Muir

June 06, 2012 in Personal

(Photo by Jon Mancuso, www.jonmancuso.com)

The warning signs were there.

About 1.5 miles along our 10-mile roundtrip, 5,000-foot elevation gain to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier, we saw a group of three climbers coming down toward us.

"There's no break up there. It doesn't get better. We're headed back," a woman in the group told us.

We had already taken a 40-minute detour toward the Nisqually Glacier because of vertigo-like whiteout conditions, but we were nevertheless determined to continue onward and reach our goal.

My coworker Jon was in town from Sun Valley and asked about climbing to Camp Muir -- base camp for Rainier summit attempts -- earlier in the week. I wanted to try the strenuous climb and of course drug Amanda along with me. Scott and Mike called me the night before about climbing Yakima Peak and I convinced them to join us at Paradise, Mt. Rainier, at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

The group got on the trail around 8: 30 a.m. Despite our early misstep and passing the woman with the warning, we were climbing strong and kept a good pace for the first few hours. Amanda changed socks during the first break because her boots were already soaked from snow. After the break, Scott and I started alternating packs as his was about 75 lbs. of ski equipment and mine was 10 lbs. of water, clothing layers and food (who packed smarter?). Normally, Scott would never let anyone else carry his pack on a climb, but he was fairly hungover from the previous night. Mike, also carrying a heavy ski pack and Jon, carrying camera equipment, led the way.

Unfortunately, Jon and Mike got a little too far ahead when Amanda and I were ready to call it quits. We were about 2/3 of the way up the hike, which we originally anticipated would be the whole length of the hike, and with winds reaching 50 mph and snow torpedoing along with it, we weren't motivated to keep going. Scott was with us at that leg, and we all convinced each other to keep going to catch up. We kept a slow and steady pace until we broke above the cloud layer and could see Camp Muir. I relieved Scott again and carried his pack to the top while Amanda nearly sprinted ahead as she was ready to reach the top and rest.

Scott hobbled in behind me and took a breath, not so easy at 10,080 feet. Camp Muir is slightly more elaborate than a homeless camp. The sheds, occupied by independent climbers and guided summit groups are small and cramped. Modern luxuries are sparse. At least there's a bathroom. Amanda, Jon and I kicked it with the NPS Rangers in their hut until Scott and Mike skied down the hill. We took off shortly thereafter, alternating between slushing down in the warmed snow and glissading where we had the chance. My lips felt burnt, but otherwise I felt in great shape especially after a climb in unfavorable conditions like that.

That was until the next morning. More on that later. For now, more pictures courtesy of Jon and Amanda...

Me, Scott and Amanda hiking back from the Nisqually Glacier "detour." Photo by Jon Mancuso, www.jonmancuso.com.

Mike smiling about the visibility.

Me and Amanda with a glimpse of Rainier in the background.

Me and Scott.

Amanda relieved to be above the cloud layer.

I've looked better, but I just hiked a 5,000-foot elevation and have a 75-lb. backpack on, OK? Photo by Jon Mancuso, www.jonmancuso.com.

Mike relaxing at Camp Muir.

Me and Amanda at Camp Muir.

NPS Rangers at Camp Muir.

Amanda jumping a huge crevasse. Kidding. It's just a stream.

Me, Jon and Amanda back in the Paradise parking lot after the descent.

FAIL: I Lost My Wedding Ring Snorkeling in Maui

May 24, 2012 in Personal

On our tropical vacation, I managed to make the most cliché mistake ever -- losing my wedding ring while snorkeling. I'm not as upset as I am surprised I let that happen. While Amanda and I were walking down to the beach to go snorkeling, I commented that I should have left it back up at the condo. We shrugged it off. It didn't take more than two minutes in the water before I realized the ring was no longer on my finger.

There are three likely fates for the ring:

1. It's lost forever and belongs now to the sea, like Captain Jack Sparrow.

2. Some creepy guy with a metal detector finds it when the tide is low within the next three months. The ring is then promptly sold to a pawn shop for $50. A local 17-year-old girl buys the ring for $90 for her boyfriend to celebrate their first anniversary. Two months later, they break up and the boyfriend throws the ring back out into the sea out of anger and resentment. Repeat.

3. In some distant future, after earth has been abandoned and the oceans have evaporated, a humanoid finds the ring on an exploratory mission for remaining signs of life. The ring is appraised for three times its original value on a syndicated entertainment show called "Pawn Stars," as predicted by Jimmy Hickey.

So anyway, I'll probably pick up a couple inexpensive, ceramic rings to replace it. You can get some great deals for them on eBay.

In all seriousness (though I am seriously replacing it via eBay), I am super bummed not to have my ring. It is just a plain white-gold band, not of any significant monetary value and about as common as a white guy winning American Idol, but it was important to me.

When we were still in the water, I apologized profusely to Amanda.

Without much emotion she replied, "The ring isn't sentimental. The marriage is." She dunked back into the water and continued exploring the seabed.

And with that wisdom, I followed her lead.

Sciatica is a Pain in the Ass

May 17, 2012 in Personal

Well, more a pain in the lower back and right leg. I have self-diagnosed myself with sciatica. Remember, I worked a half-second in healthcare... ok healthcare marketing, but my diagnosis is still legit! All it took was some online research and Dad's genealogical confirmation. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with sciatica at age 29. Dad was in his late thirties before he started having chronic lower back pain.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, sciatica "refers to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. It is caused by injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is a symptom of another medical problem, not a medical condition on its own... Sciatica occurs when there is pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in the lower spine and runs down the back of each leg. This nerve controls the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg and provides sensation to the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot."

I have all that and a bag of chips.

I'm fairly sure a lower back injury four years ago is haunting me. Back then, I had muscle spasms after a session of running stairs near Golden Gardens in Seattle. I was out for a couple days and the pain was excruciating. This time, the culprit is a crappy indoor soccer field in Tacoma where I played early morning indoor soccer most of the winter wearing crappy shoes. The pain wasn't terrible, but enough to make me stop playing indoor soccer.

But I can't stop playing soccer altogether. After a 10-year break, I am really enjoying getting back into the sport and competing in the men's league with a bunch of guys out of high school and college. My game is still good and rather excellent considering the length of hiatus and youth of my teammates and competitors. These youngsters can run fast, but they don't have the fundamentals or vision of the game. Advantage: Paolo.

Hence, I continue to aggrevate my back week after week on those Sunday soccer games. A common recommendation for minimizing sciatica is to stay active. It's not something that you sit and wait to heal. I just don't know if running balls out (not literally) for 90 minutes is exactly aligned with that advice.

My mind is WAY ahead of my body when it comes to playing soccer week after week. Because I am conscious of this, I make sure to warm-up and stretch before the game and cool down and stretch after the game. I have probably never been so limber, but the recovery period for my back and legs gets longer and longer.

I'm limping around on Tuesday after a big game Sunday. I notice it the most when I get out of the car at work after the 75-minute drive out to Ashford. I have to "shake out" my right leg to get it going when I climb out of the Jeep. It all gets back to the sciatica and the way I sit in certain positions. I've gotten into a good habit (I think) of standing at the coffee bar when I work around Tacoma, so I don't get stuck in a bad sitting posture.

Lately, the sciatica symptoms have improved. I'm not limping or getting shooting pains down my leg as often. Sometimes my sleep positions aggravate my back, but there's not much I can do about that.

The sciatica isn't going away, but neither is my ambition to stay active through it and minimize its impact. I'm aiming and training for a Rainier summit this summer, which is a 9,000-foot elevation gain and something like 17 miles roundtrip carrying a 20-40 lb. backpack (depending on the leg of the climb) over two days. Many people have more physical disadvantages or ailments than I do. I figure I might as well take advantage of the otherwise good health I have, while I have it!

Sciatica symptoms will be annoying, but they're more motivating to stay healthy than slow down.

Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing Project: Complete

April 19, 2012 in Personal

There's still work to be done in the kitchen -- countertops, sink, tile backsplash -- but I'm calling the cabinets done. It's been a long time coming, from yellow to mellow, but I think this red mahogany stain will be the last shade of color these cabinets wear so long as I own them. The kitchen cabinet refinishing project is complete!

I started the project late last summer getting the top cabinets stripped, sanded, stained and finished, and I completed the lower cabinets last week to surprise Amanda while she was in Indiana. I also took the liberty of picking a new paint color for the walls that I like so much I'm painting the guest bathroom and mudroom the same color. I'd say this leg of the project took me about 25 hours over the course of a week. With all the new appliances we've collected and what's coming with the countertops and finish work, this will be a completely new kitchen by the time we're done!

It wasn't all pretty. I had to turn the guest bathroom into a work room because it was a little too cold to work outside, and our kitchen was transplanted to the dining room for a couple days.