Thursday, June 25, 2009

Day 2 ~ Mt. Shasta ~ Kathi finishes her climb

After an amazing breakfast of almond granola pancakes at The Black Bear Diner we headed up to the Bunny Flat Trail Head. There is something magical about Mt. Shasta. I love the town... quaint and filled with outdoors-y friendly people.


I was happy to be a supporter and thankful that I wasn't the one climbing the 14,000+ feet. Sleeping in and being a tourist was much more my speed this vacation!


All of the supporters had signs... I made one for Kathi a while back that hangs in front of her treadmill. It says, "YOU GO GIRL!" And that's what she did. Every morning on her treadmill with 50 pounds worth of flour, sugar and canned goods in her backpack. I witnessed this, many a mornings... while I slept in on her futon.

Here they come! CONGRATS!

She made it. Kath had her own personal summit this climb. She climbed, in the snow, up hill to
reach 13,400 feet, just below Misery Hill.

Friends Forever!

Take note of her silver hoop earrings. She won the, "best dressed climber." That's Kathi, for ya'! She does everything in style!

Retelling us the route that she took.

Some creative treatment for blisters.

Jason, Kathi's AMAZING mountain guide. I hear you get close to someone when your life is in someone else's hands. Literally, as in, attached with a rope!
After some rest (and a nice neck massage for the both of us... Hey! Riding in a car is hard on the body!) we headed to the Community Dinner and Awards Program.

Kathi's group ~ Abby, Wendy, Amy, Kathi an Marcella


This woman, a previous climber and breast cancer survivor from Japan came to cheer on this years climbers. She made 1,000 paper cranes to symbolize good health.

YOWZERS OUCHIE-OUCHIE! These are some blisters. Here's Exhibit A of why I'm not real excited about becoming a mountain climber. (I spared you a photo of Exhibit B. When they say, "leave nothing behind," that includes any human waste. Everything, and I do mean everything, is carried back down the mountain!

I took a detour to take in the headwaters of the Sacramento River.

The water comes right up from the ground. Out of nowhere.

Here's Kathi getting her certificate ~ animated as always.




The Climb Against The Odds Climbers!

I stayed up way past my bedtime reading Breast Cancer Fund's research and findings. Everything from
California Senate Votes to Ban Bisphenol A in Baby Food and Beverage Products to No More Toxic Tub and obsessed with the findings of The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know, What We Need to Know. I read the entire report, and you should too! It's amazing (and shocking) information!

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