The Final Hoorah

With only one week left in Sitka, myself and some friends embarked on our last hoorah.  We took to the mountains heading towards Mt. Verstovia.  This particular mountain, from my understanding, had not been summited for quite some time.  Beginning Friday around 5:40pm, we only had 2 hours before sunset.  A brisk pace would be necessary to reach the area we determined to set camp.  With our packs filled to the brim, we hit the trail.  The hike up to camp was grueling.  As we ascended the early stages of the hike, we quickly shed our layers.  The ground was a mixture of mud that soon turned into slush.  Due to warmer temperatures and previous hikers, the snow that covered the ground had been compacted and melted, thus forming a thin layer of ice.  This made traversing the mountain quite difficult with all that we were carrying.  It reminded me of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried.  A chronicle of an platoon of American soldiers during the Vietnam war.  In the beginning of the book, he explains each article and its relative weight that the soldiers had in their packs and on their person.  As I hiked, I thought: 1 sleeping bag (1.5lbs), 1 tent (6lbs), snowshoes (5lbs), trek poles (1lb), sleeping pad (1lb), hydration bladder (2lbs), miscellaneous articles (2.5lbs).  19lbs...give or take a couple.  I couldn't help but think about all this weight on my back.  But we pressed on.  About an hour into the hike we put on our snowshoes.  These, along with the trekking poles, made the hike a lot more bearable.  One hour later we were at tree-line with just enough daylight to set camp.  After the tents were erect and sleeping bags laid out, the next challenge would be making a fire in the snow.  Surprisingly enough, we were able to get it going without any real trouble.  One of the guys brought a hatchet, which we used to cut up some wood from a nearby tree.  This kept us warm for a couple of hours...we then retreated into our tents.  

The next morning we awoke to perfect hiking weather.  Blue sky, and plenty of sun.  We geared up and were on our way to the summit.  Breaking trail all the way, we ascended the first summit, then along the connecting ridge to the base of Mt. Verstovia.  Staring up at the beast only for a moment to decide the desired route, we pushed upward.  Above tree-line we were exposed to the elements.  The sun and wind burning our skin.  Thankfully, the snow was relatively easy to pack under our shoes.  This provided the necessary base required to ascend the mountain.  Further up we had reached a decision-point.  By this I mean we had to decide whether or not we would continue to push for the summit.  Some of the guys seemed to question the soundness of the snow we were walking on.  Put plainly, they wondered if we'd have an avalanche on our hands.  Before we could even finish voting, Dale had already begun blazing a trail to traverse around the backside of the peak.  We followed.  

On the backside, we would find our path.  Steep.  Two of the guys, leery of the climb, decided to turn back.  The rest of us climbed on.  Jamming our shoes in, out, and back in again to ensure a good foothold.  Stabbing our poles in deep for secondary support.  These things were imperative in order to remain on the mountain, whose 45-55 degree incline held gravity against us.  We crept up to the summit at what seemed to be a snail's pace.  On top was a spectacular view of areas unknown to us.  Places with no road, no buildings...no people.  Amazing.  We stayed long enough to soak in the view, take some pictures, and watch the eagles soaring below us.  

The descent was not to be taken lightly.  It was done slowly, carefully, patiently...and backwards.  With the majority of accidents happening on the descent, nothing could be left to chance.  Two hours later, with a few close calls, we were back at camp.  We loaded up our gear and began the final descent to Sitka.  This was the most difficult due to exhaustion and descending with all the weight on our backs.  Gravity would have us fall head over heels, and it almost happened on more than one occasion.  Thankfully, we were able to cut some of the switch-backs and slide down the snow.  This method proved to be quicker and safer.  An hour and a half later, we were back to the truck and on our way back to base.  

I couldn't think of a better way to spend some of my final days here in Sitka.  What an amazing place to have spent the past couple of months.  It has really been a privilege meeting and spending time with these people.  I won't soon forget them or this place.