Pharaoh Adventure
Another successful adventure. Not that we succeeded in doing the route fast, or gracefully, but because we went into the unknown, learned about the way of things and ourselves, and made it out alive, hungry for more.
We committed and were determined
I found peace in the cold dark loneliness
And I gained appreciation for my humble bed
So much more comfortable it is than that throne of ice, to lay one's head
830am - Get up groggy after the college night life
930am - Bags packed with ice climbing gear, warmth and Nature Valley bars. Adam and I head for Pharaoh Mt. in the Adirondacks of NY.
100pm - We are behind schedule, so we try to make quick work of the approach. I manage to take only one smacking-slip on the ice-covered trail.
300pm - I call Trevor because Adam and I have been wandering around the base of Pharaoh Mt. attempting to find the ice flow that we had seen from afar.
530pm - I climb above the tree line in time to see the sunsetting behind the rolling hills of the Dacks, ringing them in red like forests afire.
600pm - While I wait at the belay for Adam to follow, I admire the bronze silhouette on the horizon. The beauty fills me and I am reminded how lucky I am. How lucky I am to be at this spot, this time in life: standing on a frozen waterfall, jangling with metal gear keeping me safe, breathing deep the crisp mountain air, no rush in the moment. How lucky I am to be at all!
730pm - The wind fills my ears and whips my face, but I do not cower. I turn off my headlamp and stare into the moonless night. As my eyes adjust I start to see the shadow of mountains on the horizon and the twinkle of lighted civilization miles away. As I look back on this small outpost of humanity, loneliness hits me. Immediately the wind seems sinister, the cold becomes biting, and the night blinds me. But then I remember that my friends are just out of sight below and that we meant to be here. Just as abruptly the wind turns to the lonely cry of a wolf, the biting cold recedes to the background, and I feel peace fall over me.
900pm - After rappelling down off of the Pharaoh ice flow, we pack our bags and head back the way we came: down a bit of scree, through a frozen marsh, bushwacking through the forest, back onto the path and out a road of solid ice that claims many slip/falls along the way. As we walk out the stars guide us, blazing in the upstate night sky. I wish I new more about them. We talk of peace found on the climb. We talk of the solitude and the loneliness. We talk of the cold and the wind. We talk of the rhythym: pick, step step, pick step step, pick...and our foot falls make their own rhythym. In the moments of radio silence, we all dive into the pools of our thoughts, painting pictures and words to the crunch crunch of our plastic boots and the soft breathing, keeping time.
midnight - The car winds through forest road on our way back to Hamilton. We have 2 hours left before we can fall into soft sheets. Adam and I are both feeling the effects of the day. With songs of all musical variety, engaging conversation, and a plethora of snacks and drinks, we press on through fatigue and the night.
230am - I fall asleep after organizing my gear from the day and blissfully know no more.
