The Middle Sister

Throughout each year, I work hard to improve my physical and mental conditioning so that I'll be ready to hunt as hard as I can during the hunting season. Beginning with last year, I started climbing some of the local mountains as a way to test my physical and mental limits. This year, I decided to attempt to step it up a notch. By climbing two mountains, I'd never climbed before, and I wanted to do it in one day, middle and north sister. Being at Bend Mountain Supply and that guy showing me the video of climbing north sister, it's got me a little bit concerned right now. Be honest, all the mountains I've climbed to this point have been what I call hikers mountains. Meaning they did not require any special equipment to climb. All I needed was will and determination. But north sister was going to change all that. I started the day before I planned to climb, and I hiked six miles to get to Treeline, where I'd camp for the night. Okay guys, so that's what camp's going to look Tried to put the tarp as low as possible in case it gets windy up here, and I am kind of tucked into these trees, so that should help. So if I have to, I'll probably even lower it even more. Alright, so it's 6am, and I'm on my way to see what we can do. Scary. So I've gotten this far. I got across the snow field, which I tell you I've never done that before, having a side hill with crampons and an ice axe. And if you look down, I mean it is, it's just not good. And then you can't really see it, but I had to cross a section And I tell you that was, that didn't make me very happy either. And I tell you, I still have to, I still have to get up this, to get to the top. But I'm almost there. Alright guys, north is done. I'm at the top. Alright guys, so now I'm getting ready to make my sit up south. South sister, which is that one there. It's not supposed to be nearly as hard as that one there, that I just came down. So we'll see how we do. My goal is getting both done today, and I should be able to do it. I got plenty of time. Alright guys, I did it. That mountain this morning, middle this afternoon. And as So I've made it up all three mountains. And I did these two in one day. Definitely accomplished what I set out to do. I challenged myself physically, and North sister brought on mental challenges far beyond what I expected going into this. But now I know I'm ready for the rigors of Wilderness Elk County. Now it's time to have a little fun before my six mile hike back to the track.