EmmonsAt this point, we were about 1 hour from the summit. We made a team decision to keep going and at ½ hour from the summit, the two guys we struck up a conversation with the first night were on their way down. We asked if they could check on our other group and they said they'd be happy to. At this point, we had lost all communications with them. Our team hit the false summit at the edge of the crater by 7:30 am. Kirk and Jon were pretty wasted, actually they had checked out. To this day they still don't remember the conversations we had with them. They decided to take it easy while Brian and I went on the true summit. I had just caught my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th wind and was practically jogging to get there. The previous year when I summited, I only make it to the false summit because of time restraints and I was not about to settle for that this time. Brian and I had the summit all to ourselves and with clear weather, the view was spectacular. We were already scoping out the next years route coming up Liberty Ridge. After several pictures and a few push ups, we started our way back toward Jon and Kirk. It was just after 9:00 am at this time and no signs of the other team yet and still nothing on the radio. John and Kirk had rehydrated some and got some food in them so we roped back up and headed down.It was 9:30 by now and we just came out of the crater. Finally we could get Jesse on the radio. As we were talking with them, we could see them coming up. When we finally got to them there were only 3. Carl was not with them. He had got altitude sickness (we thought) and was at the point of turning the whole group around since Jesse was the only one qualified to lead them up or down. At about 13,250 feet, the two guys we had spoken with had just reached them. Carl's sickness was bad enough to where he had started losing his vision. At first he thought it was his glasses fogging up but when he tried to clean them, he figured out it was his eye blurring up. If it were not for the 2 guys taking Carl back down, the whole group would have not been able to summit. They got him back to base camp where he rested till we could get back. Jesse' team summited by 10:00 and they all went to the very top. We got back to camp by 12:30 where we immediately started breaking down camp so we could get Carl off the mountain. Jesse' team got back before 3:00 as we were about to leave. We were all off the mountain by 6:30 and home by 10:00 pm, 22 hours after getting up. Did I give the impression of an epic with people on the verge of death? Possibly, but it was an epic in its own way. A group of 9 men became closer friends and did something that most people won't even dream of doing let alone try. Did anyone die? Not physically but that mental part of each one of us that says you can't or you shouldn't or don't even try, that part of us died. Yes, sometimes someone comes into your life that changes you forever. That someone was Brian Kenison 18 months ago for me. Thank you for all that you've done for me in helping me see my potential. Your friend forever, Chris. |
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