Alaska, Last Low

8/25/14        

        When Janet and I settled on a cruise to Alaska, Primate and I finally set our sights on our fiftieth (50) low point, although there didn't seem much to plan in advance. Packing warm clothing and getting to the cruise ship in Vancouver, BC, Canada was 99% of the effort.

        Primate and I didn't know exactly where Alaska's low point would present itself, since the ocean shoreline anywhere from Alaska counts, but we knew we'd have a number of options as we visited Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway going up the Alaskan Panhandle.

        Blustery wind drove light rain off and on when Janet, Primate and I walked down the gang plank in Ketchikan -- typical weather there, we'd learned.

        Someone on the cruise ship commented about Ketchikan locals and their weather, “They say in Ketchikan, 'If you can't see the mountain, it's raining. If you can see the mountain, it's going to rain.'”

        I figured Primate and I should make all efforts to achieve our low point goal as early as possible, to prevent any last minute scramble, so Primate and I encouraged Janet towards an inexpensive local bus ride to Totem Bight State Park.

        Right inside the park, I spied an ocean inlet through the coniferous trees, and told Primate, “Here's our chance.”

        No hesitation, we headed towards the pebbled beach, Janet lagging behind.

        “Where're you going?” she asked.

        “To the water,” I said. “Just down here.”

        The situation looked perfect, lots of beach exposed by low tide, which seemed quite low at the moment.

        “Perfect timing,” I told Primate.

        Exposed seaweed and slippery moss covered rocks made the last few yards a challenge, particularly for Janet, as I encouraged her to a favorable camera position to document the occasion.

Primate Touches Alaska Low Point

        “That's a good spot,” I said to Janet.

        A couple of toe-taps and a finger poke in the water and Primate and I were done with our fifty low points.

        “Okay?” I checked with Janet.

        “You look to make sure they're okay,” she said.

        None of us wanted to botch photo documentation of the event.

Several Totems In The Park

We examined the fourteen totem poles and community house on display around the eleven-acre park.

        Well worth our bus trip.  

        “Next?” Primate asked.  

        “We'll see,” I answered.  

        High points – zero; low points – one.  

        Totals: high points – fifty; low points – fifty.                 

(Don't leave out the high and low points of Wash, DC, done for good measure.)

Trek to Kosciuszko

5/17/14       

        When Janet and I discussed attendance of the 2014 Rotary International Convention in Sydney, Australia, Mt. Kosciuszko came to mind. Kosi has taken up space in my climber's mind for years, and a trip to Australia would afford me opportunity to go there. A climb, well maybe a hike, or more rightly a stroll, according to what I knew of it, still the highest point on the Aussie Continent.

        Primate and I bid Janet goodbye in the hotel room in Jindabyne.

        “I'll be back as soon as I can,” I told Janet.

        The sky, filled with clouds, portended a grey day, gloomy, a taste of winter's approach. Would Primate and I get drenched in cold rain?

        Primate steered the car up the road towards the Kosciuszko National Park gate.

        “I hope the gate's open and we won't have a problem or be delayed getting to Charlotte's Pass,” I told Primate. Although I looked forward to this climb for some time, I wanted to get up and off, fast. Something gave me the creeps, maybe hiking in unknown country in cold wind made me uneasy. I wasn't sure.

        “Watch out,” I said to Primate.

        He hit the brakes.

        Kangaroos or wallabies, we couldn't tell the difference, (two off to the side and one on the road) hopped away as we blasted the horn and slowed almost to a stop.

        Several minutes after 8 AM, the uniformed female attendant took our AUS $16.00 entrance fee at the gate. “One day?” she asked.

        “One day,” I confirmed. “A quick hike up and out.” Figured she knew I meant the Kosi Summit.

        She wished us well.

        “Next stop, Charlotte Pass, Primate.”

        “K.”

        We passed Smiggin Holes, Perisher, Spencer's Creek and Charlotte Village, all well developed ski areas as we gained elevation and proceeded southward on the dead-end road. Except for parked vehicles the places appeared closed.

        No one in sight, although six vehicles claimed parking space on the edge of the road at Charlotte Pass.

Primate pulled the rental car to the side of the road, we bundled up with the clothing and warm gear we'd brought, expected to warm up after a few minutes of hiking.

        Posted signs forbade vehicular use on the well-maintained gravelled service road.

        Low clouds hurried along not far above me. I wondered about following the trail in a white out, but pushed aside those fears with other thoughts.

        How hard would it be to follow a service road in a whiteout, anyway?

        Gravel crunched underfoot. Chilled wind blasted us.

        I couldn't tell you how cold, but know I'll never forget it.

        “How fast?” Primate said.

        “I guess about 60 miles an hour,” I said. Imagined the wind howled, Turn around.

        But Primate and I had places to go, things to see. Didn't know what we'd encounter.

        Overcast sky and milky white wisps of clouds hid the distant ridges, we faced into the gusting winds and started up the service road.

        Stunted, tough sturdy, trees grew closer to the ground here. Several hundred yards down the road, our views of the higher ground ahead opened as the trees thinned in numbers, until they gave way to short scrub and before us lay a valley. Tundra, felt cold enough.

        Off to our right, a white-water stream, drew a line through the middle of the bowl, headed northward, some half-mile down hill from the road.

        Primate and I debated.

        “Should we go that way?” I said.

        “Go shortest way,” Primate said. “Too cold here.”

        I considered the possibility of wading a cold, fast running stream. “Let's do the short route.” We knew the summit lay out there somewhere, 9 kilometers away by service road. That seemed plenty to do in a quick hike.

        “Another step,” I told Primate. “Keep a steady pace. Watch the clouds. Try to memorize the view and not think about the distance ahead. Enter a hiker's trance state.”

        The road, almost straight, led us south, on a slight downhill slope, towards the center of the bowl, I estimated four kilometers across and eight long. Where the road curved westward and at the lowest point, two concrete bridges provided dry passage over stream branches. Signs read, SNOWY RIVER.

        A rock structure, hut I assumed, stood on a ridge another kilometer ahead, provided us incentive to keep our pace.

        “Let's stop and check out the hut,” I said.

        “K,” Primate said. “Need to pee.”

        Out of the worst of the wind, Primate and I rested on rock by the hut, took sips of water and prepared to continue our trudge headlong into blasts of cold air.

        “Ready?” I said a couple minutes later.

        “Pee first,” Primate said, stood up, positioned his back to the hut and facing away from the swirling wind that whipped around the hut.

        I felt proud Primate didn't me to remind him not to pee into the wind.

“Better,” he said.

        As we walked away I read the posted sign, SEAMAN'S HUT, named for a bloke who froze in a blizzard nearby.

Seaman's hut

        “Not a pretty way to go,” I said.

        Around a bend, past an outcrop of rocks, we leaned into the wind, determined to continue. Clouds rushed by around us, carried along by the wind, over a nearby ridge, down slope, across the small valley, up slope again, hurried to somewhere else.

        I watched, listened for signs of rain. Occasional breaks in the white mist allowed visual proof of higher ground ahead, although thick cloud obscured the highest terrain. A short patch of snow lay across the road.

        Where a saddle lay ahead, another structure, concrete, flat roof, built close to the surrounding ground, not for emergency shelter, appeared suited for vehicles. We slowed to study the situation. A sign indicated rest rooms available. Nearby, a bike rack and sign, NO BICYCLES BEYOND THIS POINT. No windows noticeable. Doors shut. Quiet. No one else present. Shut tight as a green pine cone.

    Rawson Pass

        Signs posted the direction towards Kosciouzsko Summit, 1.4 kilometers, and down hill                                                         towards Tredboe ski lift, that trail a shorter but steeper route to the summit, I'd ruled that out.

        “Getting close. Not much farther,” I said.

        The path narrowed, half the width of the road. Built with a plastic grating, clearly well traveled and intended to accommodate heavy foot-traffic.

        Up, up. The path curved left, followed a gentle slope around a steeper mound of rock.

        More gusts of cold wind reminded me of our vulnerability, if the weather turned bad. Clouds closed around and obscured our views, then opened to offer glimpses of the surrounding terrain.

        My spirit lifted when breaks in the cloud allowed hints of sunlit valleys, lower to the east. And the path continued a spiral left and up.

Cloud Cover Across Kosi

        The rocky slope levelled, and even though I knew the summit to be nearby, I came upon the summit plaque as in an instant. Not there yet, not there yet ... then there within the span of one breath, one step, one thought.

Summit Markers

        “Done. We're here,” I said.

        “Yea,” Primate said.

        By the stone cairn, not to be missed, we struggled to stand erect in the stiff wind. For good measure stood on several rocks to satisfy ourselves we'd gotten to the highest, natural spot on the mountain.

Selfie

        I remembered to check my watch. “10:37,” I said. “About two hours from the car,” by my reckoning.

        Several quick photos commemorated our presence, then we sought a short rest out of the worst of the wind by the plaque.

        Clouds still hampered our views.

        “You can't have everything,” I said to console Primate. At least it hasn't rained, I thought. “Let's get going.”

        As we made our way down the path, larger openings in the clouds teased us with clear vistas. I suspected the clouds would clear away in several hours, but the cold, uninviting wind and knowledge of our 9 kilometer return hike to Charlotte Pass, as well as Janet's wait in Jindabyne, spurred us on.

        A photo here and there of quick glimpses of greens, reds and yellows beyond would have to suffice. Time to head home, towards the conveniences of warmth, sheltered from cold wind.

        Nearer the saddle, where the trail to Thredboe headed down, we passed several couples on their travel upwards. At Seaman's Hut, we paused to look inside and met several others on their way up. The hut, well stocked with firewood and sturdy furnishings, could act as a great hiking lodge, but it's builders intended that it be used for emergencies only.

        I said to one of the other hikers, “If you'd asked me earlier this morning, I'd have told you hell had frozen over.” And except in the hut, I considered hell hadn't thawed out, yet.

        The trail out, typical of all hikes, stretched before us. Knees and ankles ached with every step. The wind continued on its relentless rush, but, at our backs now, if anything, helped us along.

        Satisfied of our achievement, I nevertheless felt a loss. A goal achieved is a goal no longer anticipated.

Towards Kosi Near Charlotte Pass

        Long looks back and photos of the summit, now sometimes visible, as well as long glances around the basin of the headwaters of the Snowy River would have to suffice, to remind me on that day, that place, the stark beauty, the solitude, remind me of why we go to high places.

        At the car we removed our warm clothing, noticed the time, near 12:30 PM. Two hours up, two hours down, in hindsight a short time.

        We headed back to Jindabyne straight away, surprised Janet at the motel room, “You're back awfully early,” she said when she opened the door.

        “Yeah, well, not much of a hike,” I said. But I hadn't wanted to pass up that opportunity.

6/3/14     

        Primate and I touched the ocean at Bondi Beach, a suburb of Sydney. Not the low point of Australia as I first assumed, that distinction belongs to Lake Eyre, fifteen meters below sea level. Oh, well.

        High points - one; low points - zero.