Ascending Adams

Peter’s leaving tonight to climb this mountain (Mt. Adams) with his friend, Paul.

I feel so mommy about this, worried that he won’t get enough sleep before they climb (they’ll start at 2 AM!), that he’ll exhaust himself (hey, he’s been drinking beer at WSU for a year!), that he’ll fall, that he’ll get altitude sickness, and that (oh god, I am my mother!) that he’ll be freezing cold at the top.

Am I really always going to worry about my perfectly capable adult children? Is this some sort of curse? Or is it just “Parenting: The Adult Years”?

The hike is long and strenuous, with a 7000-foot ascent.

Peter and Paul (as far as I know, no Mary is accompanying them) will be using ice axes and crampons and will each be carrying a fairly heavy pack. They’ll spend the first night (or actually, the evening) here at what’s called “Lunch Counter,” halfway up the mountain, before beginning toward the summit very (very!) early the next morning.

Fortunately they’ll have SPOT with them. No, SPOT is not a dog. It’s a cool, geeky tool that will allow them to send us text or e-mail messages to let us know exactly (to the precise gps coordinates) where they are and that they’re OK. They can also use it to call for help or to call 911. Very cool, very geeky, and very mommy-friendly!

Since Peter left his camera in the storage unit at school, my camera was pried from my claws I lent him my camera so he could chronicle his trip.

Hopefully I’ll soon be posting a photo of a pooped but proud Peter taken at 12,281 feet!