There is an old saying that "in order to appreciate the view from the top of a mountain, one must first appreciate the mountain from below"... The saying is often used as an analogy for life experiences, but in the case of Seward's Mt Marathon, it is a perfect statement of the significance of Seward's rugged mountain backdrop to those of us who gaze up again and again... wondering.
You get out of the car, and its up, up, up, up ... until you get to the halfway point and then its up, up, up, up and up... you get the idea! Cindy, Susan, Jessica, Nancy, Shiway, Patti, Mandy, Beate and I slogged our way up through the trees and shrubs, taking full advantage of shade and local knowledge about which trail to follow. As we slugged up through the berry bushes, my mind briefly wondered how we might deal with errant bears, but that thought was quickly cast aside as I struggled with the lack of oxygen! Perhaps that is the secret to all mountaineering?
I can truly say that reaching the half way point is a heck of an achievement and I strongly considered graciously calling it my 2009 pinnacle until an image of explaining that to Richard flashed across my mind... and so we continued up, up, up... until it actually felt as if one of my legs really was shorter than the other... blame it on the decreasing oxygen, that last reindeer sausage over lunch with Darryl and Randy or just a general lack of fitness?
Reaching the summit felt like an even greater achievement than many other mountains I have climbed - even scrambling up 13,000' Mt Fuji in Japan did not seem as big a deal as Mt Marathon (although that was on legs 20 years younger...).
For months now, and especially since spring began, the mountain has been bugging me to "appreciate the view from the top". That nagging built up during my son Richard's visit in May - he went up to the top on a training run with Amy and Nancy and has let me know every week since then that "its a true test of fitness"! The nagging reached a crescendo on July 4th when Karla and I watched the Mt Marathon race and we saw an amazing cross section of humanity race up and down the mountain in unbelievable times (especially given this year's record heat)...
And so on Wednesday when I found out that a group of ASLC staff and Seward residents were making the trek up to show the mountain to novices, I finally (and with some trepidation) offered to join them.
And so on Wednesday when I found out that a group of ASLC staff and Seward residents were making the trek up to show the mountain to novices, I finally (and with some trepidation) offered to join them.
There really is no way to prepare for an experience like Mt Marathon unless you are born with four legs, the front two of which are shorter than the others.
You get out of the car, and its up, up, up, up ... until you get to the halfway point and then its up, up, up, up and up... you get the idea! Cindy, Susan, Jessica, Nancy, Shiway, Patti, Mandy, Beate and I slogged our way up through the trees and shrubs, taking full advantage of shade and local knowledge about which trail to follow. As we slugged up through the berry bushes, my mind briefly wondered how we might deal with errant bears, but that thought was quickly cast aside as I struggled with the lack of oxygen! Perhaps that is the secret to all mountaineering? 
I can truly say that reaching the half way point is a heck of an achievement and I strongly considered graciously calling it my 2009 pinnacle until an image of explaining that to Richard flashed across my mind... and so we continued up, up, up... until it actually felt as if one of my legs really was shorter than the other... blame it on the decreasing oxygen, that last reindeer sausage over lunch with Darryl and Randy or just a general lack of fitness? The burden of my slow ascent was lessened by the convivial company of the group - they seemed to find a kind way of allowing me to bring up the tail without too much embarrasment...
Reaching the summit felt like an even greater achievement than many other mountains I have climbed - even scrambling up 13,000' Mt Fuji in Japan did not seem as big a deal as Mt Marathon (although that was on legs 20 years younger...).To say that the view was well worth the effort is a true understatement - the view from the top is one of the most spectacular I have seen anywhere in the world.
From peering down into the deep blue of Resurrection Bay and watching the white plumes of returning boats, to tracing the jagged outline of Mt Alice and seeing the downy glory of the Harding ice field, the panorama is truly unbelievable!
Oh... and yes the return trip was down, down, down, down, down... quickly.... easy... could do it again tomorrow (once I learn to walk again...).
Thank you to my fellow mountaineers for introducing me to one of Alaska's most amazing experiences.
Check this video of the great downhill technique by Shiway - could this be the next big thing in sport??
No comments:
Post a Comment