The assault |
Voices beckoned me from my thoughts. The group of six stomped briskly up the hill, bantering cheerily as they emerged into that ray of sunshine. Rod, Leonard, Sarah, Jason, Daniel, and Mark. They too had come from Denver and wanted the summit. They would have a look at the slope. I wavered. Would they mind if I tag along to see what they decide? No problem! And off we went marching towards the mountain.
Soon we emerged from the trees. Now the slope was in sunshine and looked much more hospitable. Though it was still quite steep, the sun had illuminated some options to minimize avalanche potential. After a short discussion, we agreed on a plan to zig-zag up to a rock outcropping perched on the shoulder of the incline, connecting the dots between a few large boulders portruding from the snow. This way was steeper but more direct and, we felt, better anchored.
Rod eagerly assaulted the slope and we followed. I was happy to have six pairs of snowshoes stamping down the trail before me, although as the slope angle increased, even the fresh tracks grew bottomless, and we struggled. Finally, we subdued the hill and got our first look at the summit. I think we all expected it to be a bit closer given the effort to reach this point; but seeing the peak only strenghtened our resolve to stand on it. It was now 11:30. We stopped to rest, debating the merits of the "Leave No Trace" philosophy and its implications for banana peels, and whether deer should be forced to pack out their own waste, and the ecological irresponsibility of marmots. It was all quite intellectual. |
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