The Big Climb

My hubby hiked up Mt. St. Helens this past weekend! So much more of the outdoorsy type than his wife, James met up with his dad and his buddy Jason to camp and climb. I had been very sick for the three days prior, so Emma and I headed to my parents' house to spend the night. Emma got some Grammy & Papa playtime while Mommy got to lie down and rest (i.e., cough, choke and blow her nose five million, seven hundred, sixty-two times).

While Emma and I slept cozily at my parents' house, we sent many warm thoughts to Daddy who we knew must have been very cold, sleeping out under the stars. Here is what James said he had to wear to bed the night prior to the climb in order to stay warm: two pairs of socks, underwear, UnderArmour pants, a pair of khaki cargo pants, UnderArmour long-sleeved shirt, a plain white t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a hooded sweatshirt ... all stuffed into a mummy bag rated for a low temperature of zero degrees, which was zipped up all the way, pulled tight all around his face. He said he woke up a lot freaking out because he was bound so tightly (my hubby is slightly claustrophobic) and the sleeping bag kept getting all twisted.

So after a cold, restless night ... James, Jason and Wes got up at 6:15 the next morning and started their climb.
Here are James and his dad ...

Thanks to Jason for sending us these great pictures (hope it's okay I had some fun in PhotoShop with these beautiful shots).

Emma and I are very proud of James and super excited he got to get away with the boys and do something fun. James would love to go camping every weekend if I was ever up for it. He said it was really tough. He's very sore, even five days later. He told me that when he was nearing the summit, he literally had to count to himself, "Just take 12 more steps. Then you can take a break. Just 12 steps." His lucky number is 12. :) I thought that was cute because when I had trouble drinking enough water each day during my pregnancy with Emma, I always told myself every time I picked up my water bottle, I had to drink either 7, 9 or 12 gulps. Never less. Seven (for when I was wussy) because it is the universal "lucky" number, nine because it is my dad's "lucky" number and 12 because it is my hubby's "lucky" number. Anyway, it was cute that James and I both used the same sort of focusing method with things we needed to accomplish.

This was a first step for James, as he's been talking a lot about wanting to climb Mt. Rainier someday. After hearing about some of the highs and lows of the trip (mostly highs of course, minus the freezing weather, the crazy wind, the biting dust storms, thin air and aching muscles), I asked James, "So, did this experience make you more excited to climb Mt. Rainier?"

He responded without hesitation with a very emphatic, "NO!"

I think he still needs a little time to recuperate. Then he'll be right back on track and ready to go again. :)

I know he had a blast and we are very proud of him. We're thankful for friends like Jason and family like Wes who accompany James on these awesome adventures. And we're grateful that God kept all of the boys in safety the entire time.