The hike was 6hrs 20min. We were on the summit for 5mins. For the other 375-minutes, the only thought running through my mind was, “What the hell were we thinking…”
Conditions on the summit were close to -20 degrees, and given wind of around 20-30mph, the wind chill was closer to -50. Before the final ascent, we quickly switched layers and grabbed a bite to eat. While my googles were on my forehead, condensation formed, and before I could pull them back down, I had a thick layer of ice on the inside of the lens. The conditions required them, so I had to hike for 30 minutes with them on (maybe one-foot of visibility) to try to melt the ice. Every time the ice started melting, I would whip out a cloth, and before I could rip the goggles off my face and wipe the lens, the condensation instantly refroze. I practiced the art of profanity heavily over the course of the next hour.
This all paid off when we finally reached the summit; the views were amazing in all directions. Having been deeply packed for the course of the hike, I quickly got my camera out. Well, on my first picture I made the mistake of breathing—the condensation that hit the back of my camera froze instantly. Unable to see any of the shots I was taking, I just hoped for the best as I kept shooting. Within minutes my autofocus motor froze, a thin layer of ice was forming on-top the lens, and I was growing a little scared for my camera’s life (as well as my own).
The ascent was too slow given the weather to continue on to Mt. Flume, and given the fact that we were the only people dumb enough to be hiking in this weather, we decided to turn back.
If pictures could talk, this one would be saying, “JUST TAKE THE #$*%ING PICTURE!”
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