May 21, Saturday, Mount Erie Rock Scramble

The outing involved accommodating the thorns of wild roses from time to time. 

A Ledge Too Slick

Saturday turned out to be a long, 8-hour day of defeat. I knew rock climbing might be a challenge for me, but in some environments and on some days I could have handled it. Saturday was neither the day nor the environment. . The rocks on Mount Erie, located south of Anacortes on Fidalgo Island, were slick, the ledges were narrow and uneven, and my balance was affected by a center of gravity shifted by my backpack and by the discomfort of navigating awkward edges that sometimes could have resulted in falls anywhere from 10 to 30 feet-- or more.

The other nine students made it; I did not. The turning back point occurred on a narrow ledge between a rock wall and a steep dropoff. The ledge had a gap.To navigate that I had to sit down to reach the bottom of the gap , and then step up again. As I did that, my backpack caught on the ledge, making my descent difficult. It brought back memories of a skydiving incident some 40 years earlier, in which I sat in the doorway of the tiny plane, my feet dangling in the wind, getting ready to jump, and being told that my static line was hung up and I had to get back in the plane. There was nothing to stand on except the 3,000 feet of air below me, and my parachute backpack was jammed against an object behind me. The solution was for the plane to make a second approach to the drop zone by circling around, which meant a sharp turn that required the plane to tip me toward the ground, but hold me in place in the open doorway with centrifugal force. It was deja vu all over again.

This was not a great surprise. I have never had the balance to waterski or downhill ski. I roller skated for a while in my misspent youth, but that was a long time ago. When I climb a ladder to clean moss off the roof I have to tie it down and still my knees knock. It takes me two or three times to get up my nerve. This ain't my gig.

The group went ahead, to complete the exercises of the day. I remained behind, waiting for their return and then the difficult steep descent down slick rocks and wet earth to the trailhead. 

Death is nature's way of telling you it's time to slow down. I opted to fail the scramble course and just concentrate on not twisting an ankle or thoroughly test my old knee joints on the way back down. No scramble patch for me; at least not this year...

The evening before, with craggie Mount Erie in the background. Not very high, but quite challenging. This is the side I would ascend. The photo was shot by Cousin Phyllis. The smile is forced.

A drizzle and light mist slickened the rocks and the overcast kept the sun from drying them out. The trail involved loose, slick soil, slick rocks and moss that could break free. The rocks had the shape of natural rocks, not the big, dry angular boulders at the Mountaineers training center.

A closer view of that portion of the trail and the rocks next to it. Some had hand-holds and foot ledges, but none that I could exploit well.

One of the climbing options.

Instructor Jerry Lockwood coached a student on how to descend a steep slope of slick rock, foliage and damp earth.

Wearing backpacks to climb rocks I couldn't navigate without a backpack, my classmates continued their ascent to the top. I stayed behind, resting on a sit pad to keep off the cold ground, and covering my legs from the drizzle with a plastic yellow rain jacket. I entertained myself by testing my reflexes against the mosquitoes which the yellow coat attracted.

Keeping me company were mountain flora...

...and those pesky wild roses.

Data

Distance climbed: Unclear

Weight: 20-25 pound backpack 
Weather: Overcast,drizzly at times, 60s
Elevation gain: Approximately 965 feet. Altimeter at Lake Erie showed 100 feet; altitude at turn-back point, 1065 feet.
Accumulation elevation gain for 2016: 41,553 feet. (Using my altimeter figures)
Accumulated distance hiked: 295.57 km

Maps

Map view showing location of Mount Erie

Satellite view of Mount Erie