Ty Walrod | tywalrod.com

This past weekend my roommates (Brad and Logan) and I managed to make it up to Matterhorn Peak in the Northern Sierras for a nontechnical climb. We took off Friday evening after work and made it to our first night’s campsite by around midnight. We shared our site with Summit Steve (a guy we randomly met at the Homestead after climbing at Mission Cliffs one night) as both Steve’s group and ours was going to climb the peak on Saturday/Sunday (most people hike part way and camp, then summit the next day and hike out). Saturday morning, we awoke and headed into Bridgeport, CA to grab our wilderness passes at 8:00 AM sharp, so we could camp out in the middle of nowhere without being arrested. We then proceeded to have some breakfast at the local restaurant, rent a bear container from Ken’s Sporting Goods, and head out for our adventure.

We determined we should take the most common route, Horse Trail, from Twin Lakes (about 15 minutes from Bridgeport). We camped at a small lake just beyond the fork in the stream, above a moderately-sized boulder field (see photos). After that point, we really had a “choose your own adventure” path, as it became difficult to conclude which trail was actually the appropriate one. Regardless, we could see the ever-so-distant Matterhorn Peak, so we trudged onward, trying not to fall victim to rockslide or Brad’s lack of a tan.

I could go into excruciating detail, specifically about the part where Brad and I thought we were going to die coming back down on a 70% grade with no protection while Logan strolled it like Japhy Ryder, but I won’t.

However, I’ll leave you with this commentary, excerpted by Logan from The Dharma Bums:

Jack Kerouac @ 12,000 ft. About 100 ft from the summit he didn’t reach: “Oh what a life this is, why do we have to be born in the first place, and only so we can have our poor gentle flesh laid out to such impossible horrors and huge mountains and rock and empty space”

… suddenly I hear a beautiful broken yodel of a strange musical and mystical intensity in the wind, and looked up, and it was Japhy standing on top of Matterhorn Peak letting out his triumphant mountain-conquering Buddha Mountain Smashing song of joy.

Attached are a few pics for your enjoyment, and of course I solicit comments or spam.

-TW

Logan and I just returned from a four-day, three-night mountaineering trip to Mt. Shasta, one of N. America’s “fourteeners“. We spent two nights at just under 8000 ft. elevation at Horse Camp. We arrived on Friday, May 23, 2008 at the base of Mt. Shasta with all our gear (boots, ice axes, crampons, trekking poles, helmets, and shovel were rented from The Fifth Season in the town of Mt. Shasta) and headed up the two-mile trek through snow to the place we would call our base camp. We planned a departure at 4:00 AM on Saturday morning, only to find that we were snowed in. With snow at 7800 ft., we knew we would be unable to make a realistic summit attempt on Saturday, so instead we explored, ate hot soup, and had a couple Pacificos. We were in bed by 7 PM.

Early Sunday Morning, at 1:00 AM, I awoke to Logan’s eager anticipation of the day in the form of talking to me too loudly for such an hour, to tell me… it hadn’t snowed anymore. We got up, had coffee and Clif Bars, and departed camp by 2:00 AM.

After three hours and approximately that many miles, we made it to Lake Helen at 10,000 ft. above sea level. We stopped for some Clif Shots and a cup of hot coffee; additionally we strapped on our crampons and put on our climbing helmets (light plastic helmets to protect from falling rock). This was the longest we had stopped since we left camp (15 minutes) and my sweaty socks were now frozen to my feet. To top it off, it started a mild blizzard (without strong winds) and half our water supply (my aluminum Sigg bottle, strapped to my summit pack) was frozen solid due to the outside temperature. We decided to continue onward.

Past Lake Helen lies “The Heart” so called because, from miles away, it looks like a human heart. At a 35-degree incline, it’s the steepest on our chosen route, Avalanche Gulch. We continued to climb from 5:00 AM to approximately 9:30 AM (approx 12,000+ feet), when continually-deteriorating weather conditions and the warnings of other (then-descending) climbers and guides finally convinced us that it would be smarter to turn back than to head into fierce winds, more blowing snow, and extremely limited visibility.

We didn’t summit Shasta. Truth be told, neither of us even considered the possibility that we wouldn’t make it, but it was tough, the air was thin, and the weather continually worsened after 10,000 feet. We may not have realized our initial objective of summiting Mt. Shasta, but for both of us it was a challenging first mountaineering experience, an opportunity to push our own limits, and it set the stage for even bigger sights down the line.

Click here to see the photos.

-TW

I just uploaded photos from my 8-day trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To check them out, click here!

Here are some photos from our most recent rock climbing/camping trip to Castle Rock State Park, south of San Francisco about 1.5 hours in the Santa Cruz mountains.

My brother’s landscape architecture crew flew up to Portland and Seattle this past week(end) so Kristine and I joined them. HERE are a few of the photos from the trip.

Read This!!! Most of us plan to set out for the primaries this Tuesday, Feb. 5th, which is why I’m going to take the time to endorse my favored presidential candidate. Some have said he won’t be electable. Maybe, since he’s too much like God… i.e. perfect. Perfect – or close to it, maybe – but you need to give some serious consideration to Presidential Candidate Ron Paul. Ron Paul wants to eliminate the Federal Income Tax, he wants to liberate American business, and he defends the personal freedoms we all take for granted: you do what you want; I do what I want. Granted, if you like handouts, you won’t like this guy (like you’d really be reading my blog anyway); however, RP puts the power to the States, and more importantly, he puts your money in your hands. I strongly endorse Ron Paul, just like Google and countless other groups both traditionally conservative and more liberal. Additionally, Ron Paul most closely portrays the ideals of objectivism and libertarianism (less the gun control issues). I believe Rand would have supported Ron Paul, and if it weren’t for isolated social issues, even more liberal groups (than already do) would support him. So, give it some thoughtful consideration, and do some research! Then, consider the outcome. I’d rather not pay for another unnecessary war or unnecessary taxes. My heart is compassionate, but it doesn’t bleed. Vote Ron Paul.

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

This blog is maintained by my roommate Logan, and while I’m far less well-versed in the subject, I’m sure there will be some provocative content in the upcoming days and months. So check it out, nixonwasframed.com. Yours, TW

On Friday at work, Scott and I decided to take a little one-day adventure up to Tahoe to check out the snow. After getting up at 5:30a, we made our quick 6:00 departure and a few hours later, we landed in Heavenly… the sky was clear and the snow was fairly fresh, which made for a nice day. Here’s a little pic of me w/ Lake Tahoe in the background.

Whatever is right.

He thought of a summer day when he was ten years old. That day, in a clearing of the woods, one precious companion of his childhood told him what they would do when they grew up. The words were harsh and glowing, like the sunlight. He listened in admiration and in wonder. When he was asked what he would want to do, he answered at once, “Whatever is right,” and added, “You ought to do something great. . . I mean, the two of us together.” “What?” she asked. He said, “I don’t know. That’s what we ought to find out. Not just what you said. Not just business and earning a living. Things like winning battles, or saving people out of fires, or climbing mountains.” “What for?” she asked. He said, “The minister said last Sunday that we must always reach for the best within us. What do you suppose is the best within us?” “I don’t know.” “We’ll have to find out.” She did not answer; she was looking away, up the railroad track. – Atlas Shrugged / Ayn Rand