Morning Patrol

Prelude

Aging sucks and isn't for the fainthearted, but its better than the alternative. I've written about my challenges, broken neck, leg, knee surgeries (in the last couple of years), but other people keep things in perspective.

In the spring, my ex-wife told me I should contact this guy to climb with. Really cool, has experience in all media, all around the world, somebody she thought I'd connect with. We did connect, mostly workouts indoors, once in a while outdoors, nothing big, even though he is a really cool individual. Both of us are pretty busy. He was working rescue, medi-vac, climbing a lot in Utah, responsibilities with a girlfriend, myself, traveling too much for work, climbing, a fledging photo side business, a fiancee, kids. Ironically I knew that he was cool since I had ice climbed with him years ago but only for one day. I don't think he ever made the connection but I did.

Aging Sucks

We met in the parking lot, long before sunrise. I threw my camera in my pack, but since he forgot his pack at home, I left out my tripod (which I never do). We started skiing up the mountain. Myself with a light pack, but working hard to keep up with him. He is as good on ski's as he is with ice tools. I may be better on rock, but this was clearly his element, having spent years doing backcountry ski races. He's kind and settles into a reasonable pace. We make good time as we ski up the mountain. Its a beautiful morning but long before the early morning light. We discuss mountains we have climbed in South America and ones we hope to go back to. Mountains that have escaped us, because they were too technical, out of shape or we were too meek. We discuss today and tomorrow. Its just before Christmas but he needs to see the neuro-oncologist. The seizure he had in the fall was because of something, something in his head, and the MRI was bad. I relate, I work with cancer drugs at work, and because of that I get blood tests and physicals every year. Things had been off for the last few years, especially my white blood cells, but this year my white blood cell count just plummeted. The doctors at work demanded I follow up on this, so I have been poked and prodded for the last few months. We talk about fears about what we would like to do next.

We get to the top of the climb, and strip out climbing skins off our skis,. I take a few images of the sunrise as the alpenglow casts across the summit. We start the run down the hill, and of course he completely leaves me in the dirt.

Getting to the bottom of the hill, I need to pack up to see the dentist. He needs to see the neuro-oncologist, but that is the day after tomorrow so he reapplies the climbing skins so he can head back up the mountain for another run, an absolute beast; no sign of the time bomb inside.

I am hoping that next year we can do lap up the mountain, and I hope we can do this for the years to come

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