1) Spend 2 hours every day studying on my own
2) Climb Mountains, paddle rivers, hike trails and anything else you can think of outside
3) Develop Community and learn to live with the group (6 guys)
4) Decide what to do next
5) Improve the Ranch practically- through my projects
more specifically...
1) Climb Shasta more than once
2) Bike to the coast (110 miles)
3) Read the entire Bible cover to cover
4) sell things on ebay
5) Read alot of books
6) Learn as much about the Bible as I can
7) Deeper personal Walk with the Lord
8) Study other religions - for reference
9) Define what I believe specifically
10) Write Letters
11) Get in Shape - exercise every day
12) Learn to cook more things
13) Learn to take better pictures (digital)
I will be adding to this every once in awhile...
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Friday, February 18, 2005
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Another Road Trip... Lake Tahoe!
Lake Tahoe. It did not look like this when we were there this past weekend. It was cloudy and rainy. We loaded up the car this weekend for another quick road trip. This time to Lake Tahoe. My friend Andrew had a free place to stay so we met him there. We left the Greanbean at 6am in the volvo (roadtrip machine) headed toward Sacramento on I-5. The trip was uneventful until we were about 45 minutes from Tahoe. It started when we stopped for gas. We were ready to drive off and the car would not shift into drive. It turns out there was a pair of fingernail clippers jamming the gear shift. After about 30 minutes we were able to fish them out and get back on the road. The drive took about 6 and a half hours (400 miles). We scouted out squaw valley resort where we eould be staying and then headed into Tahoe city to see the Lake. It was beautiful even though it was cloudy and a little rainy. After wandering around town for a few hours we returned to Squaw Valley to wait for Andrew. He arrived late due to a flight delay. The next day I woke up early and snowboarded alone for 1/2 the day because the other guys wanted to sleep in. Chris and Matt went along with me to Tahoe.
Squaw Valley ski resort is huge! They have 31 lifts. It took me over an hour to figure out how the place worked. It was fun. The snow was pretty good. After Lunch we all met up and skiied for the rest of the day and went to dinner that night. It was good to see Andrew (from Birmingham). I miss hanging out with my friends in Birmingham. Unfortunately, we had to be back to the Ranch by 1pm the next day for a meeting with Ray so we had to cut our trip short. We left Tahoe at 6am the next day. Andrew and Matthew (his cousin) were going to ski for two more days then head to Las Vegas. They are there as we speak. I am sure they are having a great time. They were going to stay at the Luxor (Egyptian Theme) http://www.luxor.com .
It was a great trip! It seemed longer than it was. I really liked Tahoe City. Jim, I think we should move there for 6 months or so after you graduate (just kidding mom...kind of). It has great hiking, skiing, and mountain biking. Anyway, it is definitely a place I would like to visit again.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
A pair of Koflaks, crampons and an ice axe...
For those of you who don't know...Koflaks are plastic mountaineering boots, crampons allow you to walk/climb on snow and ice and the ice axe provides balance. These are the 3 key things we rented to climb Mt. Shasta. As I mentioned in the brief Shasta post, I am not sure exactly why people climb mountains when they are not in very good physical shape. It is pure torture with moments of greatness that are far between.
The Adventure began Tuesday afternoon when Travis told us he thought Thursday was the day to climb Shasta. We had been waiting for several weeks for the weather to clear. After many trips to the fifth season and a scouting trip (snowshoeing on Shasta to 10,000ft) we felt we were ready to make a summit bid. That week Dan had put the Aerostar back together from his run in with the Deer on French Creek Road. This was the first test further than the Ranch.
We arrived at the 5th season around 5:30pm Wednesday to pick up our gear for the climb which cost about twice as much $$ as I expected (It was worth it though). Then we headed straight for the Stage Door, a local coffee shop, to eat dinner. We are quickly becoming regulars at the Stage Door to drink Green Tea, play cards, and observe weird people (most of the people around Mt. Shasta are a little different). It's a great place. It has a coffee shop, Theater, stage, and restaurant all in one shop. I think Green Tea is quickly becoming my favorite drink.
The aerostar made it to the parking lot at Bunny Flat (base of Mt. Shasta) around 8:30 pm as planned. We took the seats out of the van and set up our sleeping bags. I packed for the next day. There was only one other vehicle in the parking lot. About 15,000 people climb Shasta per year, only about 300 of them do it in the winter. I think this makes us feel like we are more hardcore than most people.
So the climb began at 3:30 am Thursday morning. We turned on our headlamps and strapped on the snowshoes and began to walk in the dark. It felt kind of strange to hike in the dark. There was no moon so the stars were incredible! Almost immediately I realized the temp was in the upper 20's and I had to many layers of clothes on. I get hot very easily and I hate being hot! So I had to stop several times to peel layers off. Finally, I cooled down. I was struggling early on, I guess due to not being in the greatest shape. I decided the only way I would make it was if I settled into a rhythm and stuck to it even if that meant I was way behind Dan and Travis. So it was 25 steps, rest, 25 steps, rest... literally all of the way up the mountain. I asked the Lord to give me the strength and the mental toughness to make it even though I didn't feel physically up to it.
The route we chose was the same one we scouted the weekend before (Green Butte Ridge). It is a route of medium difficulty. We got up to the Ridge at about 5am where we took our first break to drink water and eat a snack. This is where the first incident happened. I laid my trekking poles down and one of them began to slide. I yelled to Dan below me and he dropped everything and dove for the pole. At this point he and the pole are sliding down a very slippery slope and steep. Fortunately they did not slide to far. When they stopped, Somehow Dan dropped his helmet and it rolled away down the ridge. Also, when he dove he broke his camelback water tank and the water leaked out so we had to share drinking water the rest of the way.
We regrouped and began to hike again. The sun was now rising (see pictures). I am still struggling at this point. We hiked along the ridge for several hours taking breaks every 1 or 2 hours. We seem to be moving slow. At some point we missed a key traverse across the mountain and made the hike much longer and more tiring. I'm not exactly sure where it happened. We push on though. At this point we all think our chances for making the summit are dwindling. Did I say that I am still struggling?
Finally, we make it to Red Banks at the Base of Misery Hill. The summit seems so close! I got a strong second wind here and realized that I probably can make it to the top. I am still in my rhythm at this point and feel good about it. The other guys are beginning to slow down a bit. The time is around 12 noon. 1/4 of the way up misery hill the wind starts to blow. This is no ordinary wind! My guess is that it was blowing somewhere between 60-80 mph and it would gust way above that at times. I wanted to turn around every time the wind would nearly knock me down. I had taken off my shell jacket (that blocks the wind) because I was hot and my gloves (I had the liners on). So This wind chilled me to the bone and it was to strong for me to get out the jacket. So I pushed on a few steps at a time. I constantly sang praise songs in my head. I like to do this on the mountain when I feel weak. I asked the Lord to give me the strength of a Lion and the courage of a tiger to push on when I felt like I had nothing left.
So after what seemed like forever we made it to the top of misery hill. This is the summit. I pulled out my jacket and gloves and tried to warm up. I laid down and went to sleep. It is not over yet. The summit is not the top. The Pinnacle is. We now had to cross a plateau and then climb to the top of the true summit. We were exhausted at this point and had little desire to do this. Now that I am back I am glad we went all the way to the top. The Time is now about 2pm. It is getting late fast and we need to hurry down to get to the car before dark.
We hurry down and make it back to the car by 5:15pm just before dark. Then we loaded the car and drove back to the Ranch.
Overall, The trip was a great adventure. I think it was one of the hardest physical things I have ever done. Much harder than the last time I climbed Shasta (1998). We did make it harder on ourselves than it had to be. I think doing it in one day is to much. Next time I'll do it in 2 days. Like I said at the beginning of this, I am not sure why people torture themselves on purpose to get to the top of a mountain, for some reason I want to do it again though. Click on the link at the right to see my Shasta pictures and to read Travis's account of the climb.
NOTE: For those of you who are wondering. I worked on Saturday and late several days to make up for the day of work I missed.
The Adventure began Tuesday afternoon when Travis told us he thought Thursday was the day to climb Shasta. We had been waiting for several weeks for the weather to clear. After many trips to the fifth season and a scouting trip (snowshoeing on Shasta to 10,000ft) we felt we were ready to make a summit bid. That week Dan had put the Aerostar back together from his run in with the Deer on French Creek Road. This was the first test further than the Ranch.
We arrived at the 5th season around 5:30pm Wednesday to pick up our gear for the climb which cost about twice as much $$ as I expected (It was worth it though). Then we headed straight for the Stage Door, a local coffee shop, to eat dinner. We are quickly becoming regulars at the Stage Door to drink Green Tea, play cards, and observe weird people (most of the people around Mt. Shasta are a little different). It's a great place. It has a coffee shop, Theater, stage, and restaurant all in one shop. I think Green Tea is quickly becoming my favorite drink.
The aerostar made it to the parking lot at Bunny Flat (base of Mt. Shasta) around 8:30 pm as planned. We took the seats out of the van and set up our sleeping bags. I packed for the next day. There was only one other vehicle in the parking lot. About 15,000 people climb Shasta per year, only about 300 of them do it in the winter. I think this makes us feel like we are more hardcore than most people.
So the climb began at 3:30 am Thursday morning. We turned on our headlamps and strapped on the snowshoes and began to walk in the dark. It felt kind of strange to hike in the dark. There was no moon so the stars were incredible! Almost immediately I realized the temp was in the upper 20's and I had to many layers of clothes on. I get hot very easily and I hate being hot! So I had to stop several times to peel layers off. Finally, I cooled down. I was struggling early on, I guess due to not being in the greatest shape. I decided the only way I would make it was if I settled into a rhythm and stuck to it even if that meant I was way behind Dan and Travis. So it was 25 steps, rest, 25 steps, rest... literally all of the way up the mountain. I asked the Lord to give me the strength and the mental toughness to make it even though I didn't feel physically up to it.
The route we chose was the same one we scouted the weekend before (Green Butte Ridge). It is a route of medium difficulty. We got up to the Ridge at about 5am where we took our first break to drink water and eat a snack. This is where the first incident happened. I laid my trekking poles down and one of them began to slide. I yelled to Dan below me and he dropped everything and dove for the pole. At this point he and the pole are sliding down a very slippery slope and steep. Fortunately they did not slide to far. When they stopped, Somehow Dan dropped his helmet and it rolled away down the ridge. Also, when he dove he broke his camelback water tank and the water leaked out so we had to share drinking water the rest of the way.
We regrouped and began to hike again. The sun was now rising (see pictures). I am still struggling at this point. We hiked along the ridge for several hours taking breaks every 1 or 2 hours. We seem to be moving slow. At some point we missed a key traverse across the mountain and made the hike much longer and more tiring. I'm not exactly sure where it happened. We push on though. At this point we all think our chances for making the summit are dwindling. Did I say that I am still struggling?
Finally, we make it to Red Banks at the Base of Misery Hill. The summit seems so close! I got a strong second wind here and realized that I probably can make it to the top. I am still in my rhythm at this point and feel good about it. The other guys are beginning to slow down a bit. The time is around 12 noon. 1/4 of the way up misery hill the wind starts to blow. This is no ordinary wind! My guess is that it was blowing somewhere between 60-80 mph and it would gust way above that at times. I wanted to turn around every time the wind would nearly knock me down. I had taken off my shell jacket (that blocks the wind) because I was hot and my gloves (I had the liners on). So This wind chilled me to the bone and it was to strong for me to get out the jacket. So I pushed on a few steps at a time. I constantly sang praise songs in my head. I like to do this on the mountain when I feel weak. I asked the Lord to give me the strength of a Lion and the courage of a tiger to push on when I felt like I had nothing left.
So after what seemed like forever we made it to the top of misery hill. This is the summit. I pulled out my jacket and gloves and tried to warm up. I laid down and went to sleep. It is not over yet. The summit is not the top. The Pinnacle is. We now had to cross a plateau and then climb to the top of the true summit. We were exhausted at this point and had little desire to do this. Now that I am back I am glad we went all the way to the top. The Time is now about 2pm. It is getting late fast and we need to hurry down to get to the car before dark.
We hurry down and make it back to the car by 5:15pm just before dark. Then we loaded the car and drove back to the Ranch.
Overall, The trip was a great adventure. I think it was one of the hardest physical things I have ever done. Much harder than the last time I climbed Shasta (1998). We did make it harder on ourselves than it had to be. I think doing it in one day is to much. Next time I'll do it in 2 days. Like I said at the beginning of this, I am not sure why people torture themselves on purpose to get to the top of a mountain, for some reason I want to do it again though. Click on the link at the right to see my Shasta pictures and to read Travis's account of the climb.
NOTE: For those of you who are wondering. I worked on Saturday and late several days to make up for the day of work I missed.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Shasta Climb
This is a quick update on our climb yesterday. I will write more later.
We started the hike at 3:30 am Thursday morning after sleeping in the van. I am in average shape at best so I was struggling from the beginning. 25 steps then rest, count to ten, and then do it again. This was my pace up the entire mountain. The fact that I made it to the top is proof that it is more about how hard you can push yourself than how great of shape you are in. I lost all interest near the beginning of the hike in taking pictures (which is unusual for me) because I was struggling so much. So Dan took over and took all of these great pictures. The climb was incredibly exhausting. Probably the most difficult thing physically I have ever done. You can see from the pictures, it was beautiful. The total trip took about 13 hours. I will add the details later...
We started the hike at 3:30 am Thursday morning after sleeping in the van. I am in average shape at best so I was struggling from the beginning. 25 steps then rest, count to ten, and then do it again. This was my pace up the entire mountain. The fact that I made it to the top is proof that it is more about how hard you can push yourself than how great of shape you are in. I lost all interest near the beginning of the hike in taking pictures (which is unusual for me) because I was struggling so much. So Dan took over and took all of these great pictures. The climb was incredibly exhausting. Probably the most difficult thing physically I have ever done. You can see from the pictures, it was beautiful. The total trip took about 13 hours. I will add the details later...
Action shot of me hiking up the ridge. One of my favorite pictures. Most of these pictures were taken by Dan because I was to tired to care about taking pictures. At least I had the camera. We filled about half of a 1 gig memory card. We shot a few videos to. Email me to get the videos. Click the Harris's photos link to the right to see more of my Shasta pictures.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
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