Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:57 pm
We just got back from Mt. Hood. Our fourth attempt on this peak was fabulous. We finally had a day of good weather with no avalanche danger. The mountain is quite a tame creature when the conditions are good compared with the raging beast that she presents when she is mad at the hikers. A special shout out to Brian and Phil from Portland who joined our rope team for added protection on the icy slopes. The recent death of a highly experienced solo climber adds an element of fear to this seemingly easy slope. Thanks everyone for the fresh beta on the peak. We decided to camp at 9200' so that we could zip up to the peak in the morning and avoid the mob of unexperienced hikers who jam up the route and could potentially bowl us to our own deaths if they fall down the chute. It was a great feeling to be the first group to the top on Saturday.
Hood was Arthur's 49th state highpoint. My son started highpointing in NJ four years ago and transformed from a little boy into a strong mountaineer. The combination of road trips to remote parts of the country, rugged Western peaks, and many weeks of father-son bonding has made the sojourn quite remarkable. We have been a 2-person unguided party except for Whitney, where we joined up with my brother for a day trip of the Mountaineer's Route, and Hood where we roped up with a couple of other climbers for added safety. We learned to trust each other with our lives. I had to carry him down from Mt. Rogers after he came down with a raging fever, and he helped me out from the base of Gannett after I came down with strep. We melted umpteen pots of water together, drove a zillion miles together, and hiked up some amazing peaks. He possesses a remarkable combination of determination and innate ability. He definitely lucked out inheriting more of his mothers DNA in the gene-pool lottery!
Some highlights
Climbing Gannett in mid-May 10-day snow expedition
Waiting out a major storm in Muir, knowing that we had enough food and fuel to have a good weather window, and feeling sad for the guided groups who had to turn around.
Fighting off pee-addicted mountain goats on Granite
Surviving a Whisperlite fuel bottle leak on fearsome Mt. Sunflower
Watching a tornado cross the highway in Arkansas
Catching the last photon of daylight as we returned back to our car after conquering Whitney
Listening to my son quietly snooze in the passenger seat as I drove to the next state on a long road trip.
I personally started hiking when I was 11 years old, the same age that spiderman is now. I could never have dreamed of climbing Rainier, Hood, Gannett, or Granite when I was his age. We will probably wait five years or so before we contemplate an unguided trip to Denali to complete the 50 states. In the meantime, if you see Spiderman hiking on a 13er or 14er, give him a fist bump for his amazing accomplishment!
Hood was Arthur's 49th state highpoint. My son started highpointing in NJ four years ago and transformed from a little boy into a strong mountaineer. The combination of road trips to remote parts of the country, rugged Western peaks, and many weeks of father-son bonding has made the sojourn quite remarkable. We have been a 2-person unguided party except for Whitney, where we joined up with my brother for a day trip of the Mountaineer's Route, and Hood where we roped up with a couple of other climbers for added safety. We learned to trust each other with our lives. I had to carry him down from Mt. Rogers after he came down with a raging fever, and he helped me out from the base of Gannett after I came down with strep. We melted umpteen pots of water together, drove a zillion miles together, and hiked up some amazing peaks. He possesses a remarkable combination of determination and innate ability. He definitely lucked out inheriting more of his mothers DNA in the gene-pool lottery!
Some highlights
Climbing Gannett in mid-May 10-day snow expedition
Waiting out a major storm in Muir, knowing that we had enough food and fuel to have a good weather window, and feeling sad for the guided groups who had to turn around.
Fighting off pee-addicted mountain goats on Granite
Surviving a Whisperlite fuel bottle leak on fearsome Mt. Sunflower
Watching a tornado cross the highway in Arkansas
Catching the last photon of daylight as we returned back to our car after conquering Whitney
Listening to my son quietly snooze in the passenger seat as I drove to the next state on a long road trip.
I personally started hiking when I was 11 years old, the same age that spiderman is now. I could never have dreamed of climbing Rainier, Hood, Gannett, or Granite when I was his age. We will probably wait five years or so before we contemplate an unguided trip to Denali to complete the 50 states. In the meantime, if you see Spiderman hiking on a 13er or 14er, give him a fist bump for his amazing accomplishment!
