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Caption: With Joe Burgess and Jay Lew
RAINIER
Caption: We attempted to summit Mt. Rainier on May 22, 2015. Our guide, Brent Okita had rung the bell an incredible 478 times prior. We were going up with a legend in the climbing community. This should be easy, right? Wrong. Turns out, no matter how prepared you are, how strong you feel, you are not in control of the mountain. Our team found this out in blinding snow and brutal wind at 13,500'. We were turned back just 900 vertical feet shy of the summit.
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Caption: On the descent into Seattle, the idea of doing this got real.
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Caption: This was outside our bunkhouse.
Caption: "You cannot stay on the summit forever. You have to come down again...So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends. One sees no longer but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, One can at least still know..." - Rene Daumal Mount Analogue
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Caption: Beyond excited. Feeling ready.
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Caption: Each 1.5 hours of climbing allowed 15 minutes for rest.
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Caption: Joe chugs and Jay Lew snacks. I shoot pictures and don't have time for either. Dumb.
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Caption: Jon Lewin Amateur Mountaineer. Professional Beer Maker.
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Caption: Camp Muir. Drying out, eating and resting up for our summit attempt. We "slept" arranged like sardines and smelled worse.
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Caption: Above 10,000' the nearby mountains peeked through to offer some perspective.
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Caption: Mild weather, for now.
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Caption: Many groups at Camp Muir made for cramped facilities, but good spirits were all around us.
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Caption: Lewin with coffee and guides on the roof of the bunkhouse.
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Caption: Lewin and I at 10,000'.
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Caption: Joe, myself and Jon.
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Caption: ATTEMPTING TO SUMMIT We only had to step outside to realize how far we had come. But when we looked up, it was humbling to see how far we still had to go. Mt. Hood can be seen in the distance. Mount St. Helens is off to the right.
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Caption: See you soon, Snowman.
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Caption: Higher than we've ever been. Above Disappointment Cleaver.
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Caption: Selfie after summit attempt. Happy to be back at Camp Muir.
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Caption: Found alphabet at the Copper Pot Inn. The best blackberry pie ever was found inside. If you ever attempt to summit Rainier remember this place.