Tread Worn Souls: Rest and Relaxation?

I have been at my new job in Sacramento, CA for nearly five weeks now. I was hired into the intensive care (ICU) float pool at UC Davis Medical Center. I am being trained to work in the Medical ICU and the Medical Specialty ICU. The process of being hired to the Medical Center was difficult and slowed by the incapacity of the CA board of Nursing. Six days before the potential job start date, I still did not have my CA license; when I did receive my license it left me precious little time to find housing in Sacramento. Thankfully I was able to arrange to live with a family in Rancho Cordova while I sought housing of my own and tired to get my feet underneath me.

The other four nurses that were hired with me into the Patient Care Resources department

There is a beauty and a curse to working twelve-hour shifts. It is great to have such an extended period of time to be immersed in patient care, it is wonderful to have such a block of time to try to take in the immense amount information that I am expected to know. It is also great to have extended periods off from work. For example if I am fortunate to work three days in a row at the beginning of a week, and then three days at the end of the following week, I am left with a significant block of free time. The down side to working three twelve-hour shifts are difficult for some of the same reasons. As a new graduate nurse I am constantly vigilant and constantly stimulated (over stimulated) by the shear volume of information and responsibility that has been handed to me. I come away mentally exhausted. Twelve hours of work does not allow much time for anything else in the day, and three twelve’s in a row means that the next day I might be pretty useless. I have been taking the light rail train from Rancho Cordova into the city for work, and then back, which means that my twelve hour day is really a fifteen hour day.

When I am able to find breaks in my schedule, I cherish them, and try to spend them wisely.

Last week I had the privilege of having six days off in a row. My friend Steven happened to get in touch with me a few days before the break began and asked it I wanted to go camping for a few days down by Mt. Whitney with him and his friend Trevor who had also worked at Kidder Creek in the summers before us. The timing was perfect and it would have been criminal to say no, three days later I was off on an adventure into the eastern sierras.

Excited to be out in God's beautiful creation

We met up at Lone Pine, a small town that probably generates a significant portion of its income from people coming to climb and camp in the mountains around Mt. Whitney. I was charged with the task of obtaining the wilderness permit that we would need for our backpacking trip, unfortunately a combination of not leaving early enough and unexpected traffic placed me in Lone Pine after the ranger station had closed. The slight hiccup in our plans did not derail us, and we decided to drive up to Horseshoe Meadows for our first night of camping.

Horseshoe Meadow is vast, beautiful, and a destination in its own right, however we had our sights set higher. The meadow provided us with a safe place to store food in a bear locker, access to our trailhead, and perhaps most importantly the opportunity to acclimate as the meadow sits at an elevation of 10,000 ft. After camp had been set up, an evening campfire, and a chat with a gentleman camping nearby, we dosed the fire and turned in for the night.

I was thankful for the rising sun, for the night had been colder than expected, and my lost and found sleeping bag was not quite up to the task. Steven had volunteered to head down the mountain to the ranger station in order to obtain a permit, while Trevor and I prepared our gear and food for the coming days. Steven arrived back, and a short while later we hit the trail for a destination above the tree line.

Ice in Nalgene after a night a 10,000ft

On the way to High Lake

The Sierra Nevada mountain range is beautiful; running north to south it covers a vast area of land and contains some of the most beautiful landscapes in California. While the eastern side of the Sierras can be desert like, it still can be overwhelmingly beautiful.

We hiked through forests and meadows, over boulders and along creeks until arriving at High Lake at an elevation of 11,500 located at the base of New Army pass. Now above the tree line with the daylight quickly leaving us we set out to find the best wind sheltered area for what we knew would be an even colder night. Once shelter was established we turned our attention to food. A hot meal can go a long way, and it is always nice to have a story to pass the time.

Trevor reading The Horse and His Boy

The night was indeed cold and a cutting wind did not help the situation. Morning came early with the sunrise and gave me the courage to brave the elements in order to relieve my bladder. We decided to forgo a hot breakfast in an effort to save time; after some hardboiled eggs, tortillas and peanut butter we began our assent towards the summit of Mt. Langley.

Mt. Langley stands at 14,026 ft (although the plaque at the top says 14,042 ft.), it is the 9^th tallest peak in CA. Less than an hour into our summit attempt we encountered what was likely the most dangerous aspect of the trip, second only to the ever present danger of acute mountain sickness.

At the ridge top with the cornices in the background

When the wind blows over a ridge it creates a back flow, an eddy, immediately behind the ridge. Snow carried by the wind accumulates in this wind break, and dangerous cornices (overhangs) can form at the top. While none of us were prepared for snow travel, we were able to find an area without a cornice, and decided to make a go for it. We concluded that if we were significantly uncomfortable ascending this pitch, then we would abandon the route and seek an alternative, for we knew that it would be even more difficult and dangerous to down climb in the warmer afternoon. Thankfully, we were able to safely make the ridge.

Steven coming over the ridge

The remainder of the hike to the summit was fairly uneventful, perhaps nothing more than long and wearisome. Like Ben Stiller in the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty we had to make oxygen decisions, therefore we did not dilly dally to long here or there, nor spend too much time talking. The views were still spectacular and there were innumerable marmots scurrying around the rugged landscape.

One thing that was special was the opportunity to chat with different individuals that we came across during our time in the outdoors. Each time that we met an individual or couple both parties stopped to talk with each other. I think it is as much about having common interests as it is about looking out for your fellow hiker. I was especially impressed with a couple that hiked out of their way to meet us as we were resting in the wind break of a large rock. It was nice to chat and give them advice about which way to descend. It was also fun to see names of those that we had met along the way inscribed in the notebook that was in the ammo box at the summit.

The summit, wind striped, barren, and cold, provided beautiful views of the surrounding valleys and mountains.

The hike down was much quicker than the hike up and we were all thankful to arrive safely back at camp, especially after descending the snowfield.

The slow and careful decent

This was my first 14,000ft summit and while it left me exhausted heading back into work, it also left me wanting more of the mountains and wilderness that God has created.