Mission Project

By Mel Gray

During the week of July 16th 2007 I spent a week climbing in the Front Range west of Denver. It was my first high altitude climbing experience. Descending from Mount Bierstadt after ominous clouds aborted our climb, I bumped into a Mountain Hardwear employee (whose name eludes me at the moment) who complimented me on my choice of the Scrambler as a good light weight pack. I mentioned that it offered me the same volume as my previous other brand pack, while giving me a more rucksack-like fit for day scrambles. He invited me to submit this report.

So, what do I conclude after the best week of my life? Of four climbing days, I summited once, burned out once, and got chased off a peak twice by inclement weather. No matter, there were other things at work here. Learning to make good judgement calls comes at the top of the list. It's been a weird summer in the Rockies. Four climbers have died so far this year, including one of my aquaintance. Another first timer was struck by lightning, after summiting late in the afternoon. This is serious stuff, folks, even if it is the greatest high I know.