Mission Project

By Casey Pickell

I accomplished a mission of mine: to hike the entire Roan Highlands section of the AT which is about 20 miles or so of some pretty steep elevation climb.

By John Vallejo

One of the fun things about going climbing in new areas is that you can't be quite sure of what unexpected circumstances will be waiting there for you, nor whether you'll be able to handle it. Initially, the plan was to go with friends to China for a couple months and check out the climbing on the limestone karsts. But unlike missionaries of the past, we were bringing ropes, drills, bolts and cameras with the mission of establishing new routes. There was a ton of gear to pack, and since it all fit into the Solitude Pack I picked up for the trip, I didn't mind going over weight at the airport.

China was pretty intense. With such a huge population, the "small" cities had a perpetual downtown-rush hour feel to them, but the sticky heat was most stifling. Bringing towels to the crags to sop up the dripping sweat after a climb was not in the plans. Fortunately, everyone stayed motivated and we managed about three weeks of daily climbing and some awesome FA's before the heat became too much. So the mission changed to: Re-Pack, Get Out of China, and Go...to Wyoming.

After days on buses, trains and airplanes I found myself driving with my girlfriend through the Great Western Desert. In a sense, Wyoming would be just like China because it was a place I had never been to before. But that's about as close as they'd get, because in Wyoming, at about 9,000 feet during September, the weather is basically the opposite of what I had just encountered. The warm LoDown jacket, Cohesion shell and Runout pants I needlessly brought to China became essential to the new mission: Stay Warm and Dry to Keep the Climbing Progression Going.

The warm clothing protected us well against the cold weather emerging through the changing seasons and we were able to stay psyched on the quality climbing in the area. During a rest day in Lander I randomly ran into a Hardwear rep. from Colorado who offered to exchange the external frame of my pack for a better fitting size (I had a friend pick it up for me in a rush before I left for China). The helpful exchange made hiking to the crags that much easier, and although I can't prove it to be a direct cause, I soon thereafter sent the hardest climbs of my life. Looking back on the trip, "having a good time" was definitely the ultimate mission, and it was a huge success.

By Carri Noel

It was one of those Alaskan summer days that you couldn't resist getting out and enjoying. The sun was bright and the air so fresh it stung your lungs at each inhale. Along with my new "Papa" (father-in-law) and sister-in-law I headed out to the Spit, on the tip of Homer, to do some last minute summer halibut fishing. We anxiously jumped in the truck, planning on catching a bunch and filling our freezers for winter. We ooed and awed at the gorgeous view of the tall spruce trees and sharp mountain peaks as we crested each new hill along our two hour drive from Soldotna. I tried to envision this glistening ocean to my right as if it was my first time seeing it. I took this land and all its beauty for granted way too much and was going to make sure I saw this day through different eyes.

By Tony Farley

My plan was to hike to Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore, see the birds, the elk, and enjoy the ocean on a wonderful sunny day. I then was hoping to see the sunset from the Point Reyes Lighthouse. I had a perfect day up until the fog and wind came in. The temperature dropped and everything got soaked by the blowing fog. With wind gusts up to 50 mi/hr, the unprepared ran for their cars and left Point Reyes all to me. You see, I knew that a nice sunny day can quickly turn to bitter cold in a matter of minutes out on Point Reyes and I brought along my Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Parka. I bring it everywhere because I know that whatever the weather throws at me, I know I'll be warm. If I have others with me, and someone is ill prepared, I can bring it out, put it on them, and they are warm and cozy instantly.

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By Kathleen Simpson

My mission was to get in shape for a week long scuba trip which entails all shore diving. That meant hauling gear up and down the rock-strewn "beaches", handing down heavy tanks, etc. to my dive partner until we got all the gear assembled and ready.

The up-side was I used much less air underwater and was able to do longer dives. And I was much better at my bouyancy control this trip!