Along with all the running and sprinting up and down the stadium stairs, I decided it was time to head out and train on the real thing - a snow capped mountain. So Monday I got together with Keith Larson and Bruce Neilson to make a summit attempt on Diamond Peak.At 12, 197 feet, it offers some good altitude. Being covered in snow made it a worthy challenge and put our mountaineering skills to the test. The upper ridgeline is extremely complex and requires some technical use of an ice axe. We moved efficiently and made GREAT time! At the summit, the wind was gusting near 50mph and we figured the temperature to be near 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't let the sun in the pictures fool you - we got a moderate dose of Old Man Winter!
It was a great day and I couldn't have asked for better company. The only casualty of the climb seems to be Bruce's wallet, which may have fallen on the ground when he got out to open a cattle gate down on the flats. I'm sure the jackrabbit I teased on the way out has found it and is on his way to Mexico courtesy of Bruce's debit cards. As always, my big, blue Suburban crashed through the snowdrift on the road to the base of the peak in fine fashion. I think we exceeded 40mph in 4-wheel drive while going uphill. That just goes to prove that the journey is half the adventure!
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