Three Week Count Down to Mt. Rainier

Hello All,

This is my first report  (not to mention my first EVER blog) on my attempt on Mt. Rainier, Washingtion.  Let me back up a bit so you get to know me a little.  I grew up in Western NY under the roof of parents who majored in physical education .  So you can imagine we did a lot of outdoor activity- camping, hiking, skiing, bike and more.  Fast forward to high school and I deepened my love of alpine skiing.  I was racing, competing in mogul competitions and joined the National Ski Patrol.  I kept this up during college and I wanted more of the mountains.  I graduated with a degree in physical therapy in 1995 and began backpacking in the High Peaks Wilderness, Adirondaks after college.  Soon I took the basic and advance mountaineering courses through the National Ski Patrol.  I climbed 13 of the 46- 4,000+ft peaks in the 'daks (Mt. Marcy 4 times) before the calling of Colorado came.  I left NY for Colorado in September 1998.  I joined the Berthoud Pass Ski Patrol that year and started climbing 14ers and continued to backpack.  To date, I have climb 33 different 14ers in CO and some multiple times. I am currently a member of the Brian Mt. Nordic Ski Patrol at Devil Thumb's Ranch and continue to alpine and backcountry ski.  Jeff Moriarty has been my long time climbing companion.  We decided Mt. Rainier was in our sites.  Again, my want for more of the mountains preceeds me.

Now to the present... Jeff and I signed up for a guided climb on Mt. Rainier in the fall of 2012 for the 2013 season (this had been delayed by a few years due to me opening my own physical therapy practice- Above It All Phyical Therapy, PLLC- in Highlands Ranch, CO).  We signed up with Alpine Ascents based out of Seattle, WA.  AA had good reviews and we liked their itinerary of spending two nights on the mountain instead of one, which the other two guiding companies do. 

Jeff and I have been training hard since January of this year.  I have been in the gym 3-4 days a week working out 2 hours each time.  I've been wearing a 40-50lbs backpack around my neighborhood for hour walks and now am doing it on trails and mountians.

Our climb is June 23-25th so we have three weeks of training left!  I am going crazy hiking and climbing as much as able.  Jeff and I climbed Mt. Russell, 12,300ft, last Thursday in snow and strong wind.  I'll be back on it tomorrow for training.  We plan on a couple of 14ers before we head to Rainier. 

I plan to post weekly blog summary of my training up until our Rainier departure and blog on our climb (if I can get service) as well as a post climb blog.  I hope you find my adventures interesting...

I wanted to say a GREAT BIG thank you to my wife, Terri, and my boys, Dawson and Parker, for allowing me  to follow my passion that I have for the mountains.  I am truly blessed to have you all.