OUTDOOR AWARENESS

In June 2009, I joined the Chicago Mountaineering Club in an ascent of Granite Peak, the tallest peak in Montana. After driving through the night, we joined the large team (~20 people) at the Phantom Creek Trailhead the morning of Day 1. We divided food, stove fuel, tents, and climbing gear amongst the team and set out on the Phantom Creek Trail.

In a group this large, various teams began to divide. Late afternoon, my team of 4 was in the vanguard and we began the ascent of Froze-To-Death Plateau. As happens in the Rockies mid-Summer, we encountered thunderstorms (#1) and we were exposed on the high plateau. The remainder of the group was below the plateau and scampered to treeline. Our team took out our air mattresses and huddled down against them as thunderclaps hammered our ears. After maybe 20 minutes, it was over and we descended down to meet the team.

Day Two we continued through Froze-To-Death Plateau to the traditional basecamp positions under the base of Tempest Mountain. After setting up camp, many of us hiked up to the top of Tempest to observe Granite Peak and surrounding terrain. Day Three our team was one of the groups that would attempt Granite Peak. We started out around 4am under headlamp and I carried the bulk of the climbing gear. Around sunrise, we reached the saddle between Tempest Mountain and Granite Peak. A snowfield remained, and we utilized our crampons and ice axe to traverse the field. After crossing this, we ascending a long vertical ridge alongside Granite peak, and then traversed to the west side of the peak. Around Noon we successfully ascended the peak. However, once again another strong thunderstorm (#2) was on the horizon. Our team leader quickled set up rappel anchors on the peak, and we very quickly rappelled from the peak to a lower position. During thunderstorms, we hunkered down between the rocks, but I was often worried because I was carrying the climbing rack. When not thundering, we were rappelling, eventually descending to a suitable level. By 3pm, we returned to our basecamp thoroughly exhausted. Because of the thunderstorm, the other two teams did not summit.

The next day, we relaxed and recovered in camp while another three teams attempted the summit. On the fourth day, no thunderstorms occurred and those team summitted with excellent sunny conditions. Our team took a casual hike along Froze-To-Death Plateau scouting out descent for Day 5. Day 5 and Day 6 were intended to be alpine mountaineering near Mt. Hole-In-The-Wall. This time, I was part of the lead team of 5. We descended down the plateau near the location we scouted on Day 4. Unfortunately, this was not the location for the turn. Our descent was extremely steep are perilous. With the fortune of no injuries, we dissuaded the remaining group from attempting this route. While they found the correct route later that day, because we were separated, they did not attempt it and continued back toward the Phantom Creek Trail. Unfortunately, we were already in the valley and unwilling to try to climb back up. We navigated around Lake Turgulse and Froze-to-Death Lake. Then we needed to ascend the valley and rappelled down Phantom Creek into the next valley. Our hike continued into Phantom Lake and we again had to ascend the valley ridge to further descend with Phantom Creek. During this time, we encountered another thunderstorm (#3). This time, I set down the climbing rack and hunkered down away from them. Our descent continued, first over and endless amount of large boulders and finally and long and dense screen field. One member of the team was spent and I stayed with him. The remaining members of the team navigated east and established radio contact with the larger group. They retrieved the two of us and helped all of us recover in camp. This episode I would later refer to as “The Lost Patrol”. I still recall this as the hardest day of the outdoor days. The sixth day we returned to the trailhead and spent the next two days returning to Chicago.