September 5, 2007
The mission, should you accept. Is to drive miles into the depths of Idahowilderness and attain footing on the second highest peak...aply named "Leatherman".
Sounds sexy; filled with intrigue and mystery. Only thing is, we tried this in Fall of 2004 only to climb our Mt "NaugaHyde". This year, we had to attempt it without our trusty guide (Brent). Seems Brent has an excuse this year...I got a boo-boo on my footy. To be fair, I suppose a climb of such magnitude would reek havoc on a torn tendon. But as my coach use to say as I'm bent over and yacking my lunch out on the hill-sprints...walk it off!
So here we are. 35 Miles outside of Sun Valley. 22 Miles outside of the outside of Sun Valley. On the same rocky, twiny road of river-rock and road-boulders, idling our way to the trail-head of Leatherman. This time we have an inkling where that is. BAM! what the F....that sounded like my running-board! Sure] enough, through the careful evading driving I thought I had become quite accustomed...I managed to find a big rock that I couldn't clear. You catch that Jeff? Yup...right behind me is Jeff, His SUV now knows where not to go.
Oh well...it's a sport UTILITY vehicle I'm told. As we make it to the trail head, it is pretty dark and late. But we're pretty much on time according to our MO. To our surprise, there appears to be other campers in the bright glow of our headlights. Sorry folks...but the uglies have arrived...tired.
We set up camp along a river. We're getting pretty quick and proficient at setting up our sites in the dark. Next thing we know....zzzzzzzzz.
MARRRAGGHHHHH...we're awake!!!! What the hell is that sound! It's all around us. Bear came to mind. Damn bastard salesman in Sun Valley, I told him I wanted to purchase "Bear Repellant" and he just laughed and said...No Bears in these parts! So what the hell is that outside our tents. Please let it be Bambi and two friendly bunnies, I'll go to church, learn the lord's pra...oh, they're cows. After checking in front of the tent to make sure no one placed a nice mushy pie at the entrance...we began the fun scottish game "Find the Coffee". The sun was breaking day at the time, and we all started rolling out of our nylon-shells at disparate times. Jeff was up first...he was closer to the cows! Sandra and me next. For early-birders...Tammy and Greg decided on a sleep-in. Get up you lazy sloths...there's climbing to do.
We were nestled at the base of a forest gully that leads out to a meadow where we can see the enormity of Mt Leatherman. How do I know this? Because, Deja Vu is a horrible thing. This year Greg and I were equipt with handheld GPS. Ahhh, there's something about GPS devices that give you that "in touch" with nature feeling.
This is the first time I met Jeff. He's a lawyer that works in Tammy's office. To bad Brent wasn't here; something about the universal bond between those in the legal profession. I could hear it now...Well counselor, do you forsee any challenges to the forementioned stategy that encompasses our endeavors to meet this aquisition. "Why no, honorable counselor, I believe that no settlemen is in order, and we should prevail upon our rightful deliberation of this case". Oh well, I suppose we'll have to get along with talks of "what kind of trail mix did you bring?". Hmmmm, looks like Jeff has climbed before...oh goody! Someone to give Greg a run for the money.
Over the river and through the woods...over miles of Cow Crap we go! Yes, that's right. The cows I mentioned earlier have made their way up the trail eating and crapping all over the place. I think I'm going to be sick. It was a delicate dance over twigs, rocks and pies. But eventually, we came through it and there it was....Just like I remembered...very tall.
As we got closer, I began to notice a consistency about the mountain. Sandra saw it too. There's no "Leather" on "Leatherman". Nothing smooth and silky about this hill. It's all loose rock and shale. From bottom-to-top. I kinda remember this about "NaugaHyde". But it didn't really sink in until we started our ascent. Slip...Slip, twist...Slide. This was the dance steps we must learn. To bad I'm a horrible dancer.
Greg, Jeff and Tammy were definitely in shape for this. Sandra too, but I think she was holding back. I call it "my pace"...but that's code for "you go on ahead, I'm just going to sit here and die, OK?". But, dying is no substitution for pride...so up I went. Making sure that we wouldn't be attacked by killer squirrals, I pulled up the rear, protecting everyone. Lot of thanks that got me though.
The "Yeti's" (greg, jeff and tammy), vectored off to the left. Sandra, with a sense of her own independence took off to the right. Hmmm, Saaaaandra, that way looks kind of treacherous.