Mount Rainier
Sometime in late 1980 or early 1981 when I was in the Air Force I lived outside Tacoma, Washington at McChord Air Force Base. The time of the year I really can't remember but definitively close to winter. With Mount Rainier so close by I decided to go cross-country skiing, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Tacoma, it was something I had never done before so I thought as long as I lived so close to the mountain I would go and add an adventure to my life.
I just bought my new 1980 Chevy Monza and I was living in an Air Force dorm. Making a small salary from the Air Force and without commitments other than to be at work on Monday morning, I had all day to make the roundtrip up to the mountains.
The equipment for skiing was free thanks to rentals with the Air Force, which all of us enlisted were privilege to use. Saturday afternoon after work I went to the rental office and took out the ski pants, jacket, shoes, skis, and other items required I thought for the trip. I had invited my roommate Rolando Campis whom wanted to go just as much as I did, but could not as he had a different work schedule than mine.
I really had no idea where I was going other than southeast from Tacoma on the WA-7 South Mountain Highway, in those days planning out a trip was not my strength or for that matter planning anything.
I just bought my new 1980 Chevy Monza and I was living in an Air Force dorm. Making a small salary from the Air Force and without commitments other than to be at work on Monday morning, I had all day to make the roundtrip up to the mountains.
The equipment for skiing was free thanks to rentals with the Air Force, which all of us enlisted were privilege to use. Saturday afternoon after work I went to the rental office and took out the ski pants, jacket, shoes, skis, and other items required I thought for the trip. I had invited my roommate Rolando Campis whom wanted to go just as much as I did, but could not as he had a different work schedule than mine.
I really had no idea where I was going other than southeast from Tacoma on the WA-7 South Mountain Highway, in those days planning out a trip was not my strength or for that matter planning anything.
I was on top of the world, my first trip where I actually had my new car, I was living more than 2200 miles from my parents and the freedom of a young man ready to see new things and have new challenges. I could go as I wanted, do as I wanted, no one to answer to but myself.
I left early Sunday morning hoping to get a good couple of hours of skiing in before heading home and work the next day. I reached the National Park sometime in the early afternoon, but for some reason there were not a lot of people skiing, in fact I had seen just a person or two in the parking lot and on the drive in.
After putting on my cold weather clothes and ski's I headed out to the snow. The scene was overwhelming, so much fresh snow everywhere, I felt like I had the place to myself, so tranquil, for me this was definitively a new environment.
After falling over a few times I was somewhat getting the hang of it. At a distance of about a mile away I could see a couple of guys smoothly skiing cross-country in a lower valley. I watched and tried to copy them and somewhat tried to copy their technique. I skied for about 20 minute in an area in which was no more than 100 yards long before I had to change directions, what I really wanted was to go to the valley where I had just seen the two skiers and the space to get into a rhythm without having to turn and restart.
Sometime later I headed back to the car to take a break and grab something to eat, but I had not brought any food, so I decided to go back out for another hour or two before darkness and heading back.
I got the hang of it a bit more this time around, but I still felt like it would take many tries and other trips to feel the proper rhythm. About an hour later I decided to head back to the car knowing that I still had a couple of hour trip back to the base.
When I got back to the car, I could not find my car keys anywhere; I calmly searched in all the pockets in my ski pants and jacket, but with no luck. So I decided to head back out and retrace my steps, silly me maybe thinking that maybe if the keys were to fall out of my jacket they would miraculous float in top of 2-3 feet of snow.
After searching for about fifteen minutes I headed back to the car, but the car was locked. So I entered the car through the trunk which stayed unlocked at all times, I opened the back of the backseat panel and then snaked into the car. By this time it was very dark, I had not paid attention to where I had parked in relation to the Ranger Station on the drive up the mountain, so I thought the only thing to do was to spend the night in the car and then in the morning go for help. Spending the night in the car was something I had done before in Houston prior to running the Houston Marathon in 1979 when I had no money for a hotel
I left early Sunday morning hoping to get a good couple of hours of skiing in before heading home and work the next day. I reached the National Park sometime in the early afternoon, but for some reason there were not a lot of people skiing, in fact I had seen just a person or two in the parking lot and on the drive in.
After putting on my cold weather clothes and ski's I headed out to the snow. The scene was overwhelming, so much fresh snow everywhere, I felt like I had the place to myself, so tranquil, for me this was definitively a new environment.
After falling over a few times I was somewhat getting the hang of it. At a distance of about a mile away I could see a couple of guys smoothly skiing cross-country in a lower valley. I watched and tried to copy them and somewhat tried to copy their technique. I skied for about 20 minute in an area in which was no more than 100 yards long before I had to change directions, what I really wanted was to go to the valley where I had just seen the two skiers and the space to get into a rhythm without having to turn and restart.
Sometime later I headed back to the car to take a break and grab something to eat, but I had not brought any food, so I decided to go back out for another hour or two before darkness and heading back.
I got the hang of it a bit more this time around, but I still felt like it would take many tries and other trips to feel the proper rhythm. About an hour later I decided to head back to the car knowing that I still had a couple of hour trip back to the base.
When I got back to the car, I could not find my car keys anywhere; I calmly searched in all the pockets in my ski pants and jacket, but with no luck. So I decided to head back out and retrace my steps, silly me maybe thinking that maybe if the keys were to fall out of my jacket they would miraculous float in top of 2-3 feet of snow.
After searching for about fifteen minutes I headed back to the car, but the car was locked. So I entered the car through the trunk which stayed unlocked at all times, I opened the back of the backseat panel and then snaked into the car. By this time it was very dark, I had not paid attention to where I had parked in relation to the Ranger Station on the drive up the mountain, so I thought the only thing to do was to spend the night in the car and then in the morning go for help. Spending the night in the car was something I had done before in Houston prior to running the Houston Marathon in 1979 when I had no money for a hotel
That night the temperature really dropped, my socks were already wet from the skiing and the only shoes I had were the ski boots, I had worn my Tiddies Sandals on the ride up to the mountain. As I tried to sleep in my car it started to snow and the cold temperature along with my freezing toes did not let me sleep, I tried wrapping my toes in my t-shirt that I had under my jacket to keep warm but that was wet as well. I must have dosed of a few times here and there throughout the night, but I still felt very tired.
Finally in what seemed to be morning I tried to get out of the car, but the door would not budge, it had snowed close to a foot that night and after a struggle I did manage to push the door and get out. I started to walk down the mountain for some help in getting keys made and within a minute, I could not believe that just around the first bend was the Longwire Wilderness Center and Ranger Station no less than 200 yards away, but unfortunately out of site from where I was parked.
Finally in what seemed to be morning I tried to get out of the car, but the door would not budge, it had snowed close to a foot that night and after a struggle I did manage to push the door and get out. I started to walk down the mountain for some help in getting keys made and within a minute, I could not believe that just around the first bend was the Longwire Wilderness Center and Ranger Station no less than 200 yards away, but unfortunately out of site from where I was parked.
I walked into the Station and there were just a person or two working. I explained my situation and they immediately helped me. We got a hold of the Chevy dealership in Tacoma where I bought my car and after the explanation, they gave me the serial numbers to my keys and told me that the nearest Chevy dealership was Eatonville which was about 30 miles away.
Now came the hard part, I had to hitchhike my way down to the town to have keys made. Because it was not the high season there were not many skiers on the mountain. I managed with my freezing toes to walk some and get several rides from passersby all the way into town. Once in town I had the keys made quickly, but now I had to trek up the mountain. The dealership called around to see if anyone was going up to Rainier, but with no luck after an hour of waiting for a ride , now I had to get up the mountain.
I did have a ride just out of town which took me about 8-10 miles closer to my car, after walking again a few times and a few rides , I managed to get up to the Ranger station , but by now it was dark again and very late, the couple of people at the station by now feeling sorry for me offered me some Chili for dinner and offered to put me up for the night, after telling them I did not have any money , they let me sleep in a small room with a cot for the night.
I slept better that night and in the morning, now with a new set of keys in hand I drove down the mountain to McChord Air Force Base, most of what I remember from the trip back was driving into Tacoma, people where staring at my car because it still had 6-8 inches of snow on the roof of my car after the hour and a half drive back to the base.
Immediately I went to my job which I was already several hours late and explained to them what I had just gone through, all they could do was laugh, telling me how stupid I had been to go skiing by myself and to top it off to go in the off-season where there was little support in case there was trouble. It was a trip I will never forget and one that I must pass down hoping my children will not do the same or at least do a bit more planning than I did.
Now came the hard part, I had to hitchhike my way down to the town to have keys made. Because it was not the high season there were not many skiers on the mountain. I managed with my freezing toes to walk some and get several rides from passersby all the way into town. Once in town I had the keys made quickly, but now I had to trek up the mountain. The dealership called around to see if anyone was going up to Rainier, but with no luck after an hour of waiting for a ride , now I had to get up the mountain.
I did have a ride just out of town which took me about 8-10 miles closer to my car, after walking again a few times and a few rides , I managed to get up to the Ranger station , but by now it was dark again and very late, the couple of people at the station by now feeling sorry for me offered me some Chili for dinner and offered to put me up for the night, after telling them I did not have any money , they let me sleep in a small room with a cot for the night.
I slept better that night and in the morning, now with a new set of keys in hand I drove down the mountain to McChord Air Force Base, most of what I remember from the trip back was driving into Tacoma, people where staring at my car because it still had 6-8 inches of snow on the roof of my car after the hour and a half drive back to the base.
Immediately I went to my job which I was already several hours late and explained to them what I had just gone through, all they could do was laugh, telling me how stupid I had been to go skiing by myself and to top it off to go in the off-season where there was little support in case there was trouble. It was a trip I will never forget and one that I must pass down hoping my children will not do the same or at least do a bit more planning than I did.