Nothing but a memory...

Was able to catch an earlier flight for a $50 change fee and got home around 10:40 last night. As I emerged from the WTC Path station into the warm & humid NYC night, the events of the prior day were already starting to distort, my brain unconciously reorganizing memories to fit some pattern of rational behavior. Having reached the summit, all of the doubts and fears of the last few weeks at once seem so unnecessary. Yet common sense tells me that attempting this climb so late in the season with no mountaineering experience to speak of was an act of folly and I was lucky to escape with just a few blisters and sore knees.

Heading west on Vescey St, past the giant pit where the twin towers once stood, I decide to forego the shorter bike path route home and cut through the World Financial Center to the waterfront. As I hike the six blocks south along the Battery Park City esplanade on this clear and still evening, I contrast the gleaming outline of the Jersey City skyline across the Hudson with the spectacular vistas I experienced when I was 28 hours younger. I feel the need to make some kind of qualitative comparison. Fortunately my right brain takes charge, granting me permission to crown both as World Champs, like unbeaten heavyweights from two different eras.

Eddie the night doorman acknowledges my entrance with a twitch of his NY Post, a movement imperceptible to anyone who has lived in the building less than four years. Was that gesture a signal that now I am as I was? Did the Rutger Hauer replicant character in Blade Runner get it right when he tells Harrison Ford "those moments are lost forever, like tears in rain"?

Nahhhhh...., Ive got the photos to prove it!

Back at low altitude

Well, it turned out not to be a cakewalk after all.
We exceeded our estimated ascent time by three and a half hours and the Rapid Descent Vehicles were deemed far too dangerous to deploy on the upper half of the mountain as it was way too steep.
In fairness to the team, they apparently misread the info on the trail length as it was 6 miles, not the 3.6 they had prepared for.
The RDV's were still invaluable nevertheless. Our ankles, knees and quads were burning on the way down and the RDVs provided much needed relief as they were used to cover 20-25 percent of the total descent.
More details and pictures when I am back at a real computer.

Live from 11,278 FT!

The eXtreme team is on the summit!
The last 800 feet is up an almost vertical face; much, much tougher than we ever imagined.
Now for the descent....yipes!!

8000 ft

Live blogging from Mt Hood
Just a mere 3000 ft to go

We,ve Got Gear!

After overcoming some confusing off ramp signs, we made our way to REI Outdoor on NW Johnson. Then we confronted our biggest challange yet; how to work Portland's newfangled parking meters and how to get the receipt to stick to the curbside window. After some innovative brainstorming reminiscent of the Apollo 13 mission we finally got it to stay in place.
Inside at the rental counter there was a collective jaw drop when we spotted the enormous crampon equipped hiking boots.Once we tried them on they weren't as clumsy as they looked, but still hardly the thing to make fast time in. By the time we left we were outfitted with boots, crampons, helmets, hiking poles and an ice ax.
Yipes! I fear we have lost sight of our principles.

The eagle has landed

Just touched down at PDX. Got a great view of da' Hood as we made our descent. Looks like a lot of snow cover so the crampons should come in handy.
More live blogging when we pick up our gear and hit the downtown scene.

Let's Roll!

In less than 30 hours the xTremeteam will be starting our record attempt on Mt. Hood, unofficially dubbed "Assault on da' Hood, 08'".
We'll be liveblogging throughout the day with a definitive update from the summit asssuming we can catch a T-Mobile signal up there.
Stay tuned!!!!

T minus 7 and Counting

Anticipation is approaching fever pitch with just 7 days and 6 hours to go before the xTreme Team starts their attempted record climb of Oregon's famed Mt Hood.

NYC Waterfalls Bridge Climb

Early Sunday morning found the xTreme team headed for the pedestrian path of the Brooklyn Bridge to take in several views of Olafur Eliason's very large scale public art exhibit, the "Waterfalls". Although the one contructed under the bridge tower itself was not visible from the top of the walkway, it proved a fantastic vantage point to snap some shots of the water cascading off the tower constructed at Pier 35 on the East River as well as the one on Governor's Island.

With the temps hovering in the high 80's and the humidity near the saturation point, we started our descent at noon. As the risks of dehydration increased by the minute, we made our way down the wood planked walkway, unsure of the tradeoffs between quickening our pace and sweating more versus slowing down but spending more time in the elements. Fortunately we never had to discover if we made the right choice as we came upon an enterprising local who had hauled a cooler full of ice cold Poland Spring water halfway up the span.

Rehydrated, we quickly descended to Centre St. and eleven blocks later we were kicking back, ordering omelets and mimosas at Ivy's Bistro on Greenwich St. Following our usual protocol, the team performed a post-expedition post-mortem to identify what mistakes were made so we can avoid them in the future. After several rounds of analysis (and several more rounds of mimosas) the consensus was that when it is really, really hot outside it is good to have some water with you. Cold water is even better! So, although the team skirted with danger on this trip, something good came out of it and you can be sure that we will be packing some serious water when we do the Mt Hood xTreme climb on July 13.

Oh Yeah, We're Ready !!!!!!

A couple of time trial at the Williamsburg Bridge oval.  200 in 32.65 an 400 in 68.94 seconds. Pretty pathetic in terms of running but proves knee is pretty much healed up.

Mt Hood Training Day

On Saturday the 2008 Mt. Hood assault team will be headed over to the synthetic orange running track just north of the Williamsburg Bridge for some time trials to check out their fitness levels. Last Sunday the expedition leader established the benchmarks, unofficially clocking times of 34 seconds for 200 meters and 77 seconds for the 400. Definitely need to work on that.

RDV Design Update

XC Labs is still working out the kinks in the Mt Hood Rapid Descent Vehicle. The lightweight, toboggan like vehicle is designed to shoot the Xtreme team members back down to base camp after they reach the summit. This will allow them to start their climb approximately 4 hours later than traditionally equipped climbers and thus catch some extra Z's the night before. The extra sleep should help with any pre-climb celebration hangovers, making up even more time on the round trip. So far the major challange has been testing the vehicle in the absence of any nearby snow (or hills for that matter) in lower Manhattan.

Adventure NYC Day

Yesterday was Adventure NYC day at New York's famed Central Park. Mike Doyle, team lead for this season's Mt Hood expedition was on hand to check out the portable climbing walls. Although hand over fisting it up the 30 foot wall proved to be not much of a challenge, the long lines under conditions of high heat and humidity no doubt served as good training for the security lines the team will have to navigate at Newark International Airport on July 12.