Second Year, Second Mountain

As of Sunday, May 27th, Mark and I have been married for two whole years. In one sense it has flown by; in an other sense, it feels like we've been married for much longer. In both cases it has been amazing time of growth, discovery, and adventure. I am so thankful for the incredible man God has given me as a partner and companion on this journey called life.

Last year for our anniversary, we took a trip out to Oregon with the goal being the summit of Mt. Hood [11,245 ft]. We met our goal and then had a blast snowshoeing around on Mt. Adams and white-water rafting on a whim.

This year, we've set a new goal: the summit of Washington's Mt. Rainier [14,410 ft]. Mt. Rainier is unique in that it is one of the lower 48's most coveted summit and serves as one of the premier training grounds for mountaineers who set their sights on bigger peaks, such as Denali in Alaska and even some of the Himalayan peaks, such as Everest. It is the sight of the largest collection of glaciers south of Alaska, and while 8-13,000 people attempt to climb it every year, only about half are successful.

So, come June 8, we hop a plane to Seattle, with high hopes of being in the 50% that summit. We will be meeting our friend Paul, who will join us in our pursuit. The quest for the summit usually takes 2-3 days, although inclimate weather could push us longer. We've spent weeks in the prep process. Whereas the route up Mt. Hood ended in an elevation gain of 5,000 ft., the climb up Rainier is significantly more demanding at approximately 9,000 ft. and translates into two days of 8-12 hours of climbing. I don't know about you, but it hurts my legs even thinking about it!

As strange as it sounds though, I am super excited about spending a vacation camped on a glacier and walking uphill for hours. Couple that with great company, and it has the makings of an unforgetable adventure.

I'll be sure to post pictures when we return!