Unforeseen Contingencies

Let’s set aside the analysis of the depressing course of things governmental for a moment, and focus on something more pleasant. On 2 July I joined a friend and colleague, biology professor Dave Houghton, in an attempt on Borah Peak, Idaho's highest. At 3,837 metters/12,662 feet, it's a nontechnical but non-easy scramble. We were first on the mountain, and hit Chicken Out Ridge a little after dawn. Dave scrambled over it with little difficulty, but some leg weakness from last year's surgery gave me problems, mostly in downclimbing.

Dave crossed the snow bridge (so far as he could tell) and was confronted with a short and apparently quite steep snow slope that cliffed out after a 30 meter runout. Dave thought the better of continuing, as did a New Zealander and Australian who caught up with us. We all headed back down, but an ultrarunner from Reno came past us and did indeed summit. He afterwards reported that the apparent steepness was something of an optical illusion, and didn't seem so bad once he was on it.

Well, what the heck, we all survived and enjoyed ourselves. And as all of us agreed (including the climber from Reno), the lucky ones are those of us who didn't summit -- we have better excuses for returning soon. Dave and I may indeed make another attempt this summer.

Some photos... (All photo credits Unforeseen Contingencies. Click on each for full-sized version.)


Steele & Houghton



My toes at 11,000 feet



Pushups on Chicken Out



Mountain Man Dave