The hike started out fine with beautiful views of Lake Tahoe and Incline Lake.
Things were going great. The snow was about 2 feet deep but to my luck there were snowmobile tracks that I could walk on and stay above the snow. The only concern to me at this time was that I didn't bring sunscreen. I was going to get burned. About 3 miles into the hike, the trail split two ways. One way went towards Mt. Rose and the other towards my destination, Relay Peak. Shortly after this the snowmobile tracks ended. I found myself sinking into the snow to mid shins and my pace slowed. My lack of preparation left me with no snow shoes, regular hiking shoes, and jeans. I started getting wet. I finally made it to the Relay Station where I stopped for lunch. I found a clearing where there was no snow and I took this opportunity to take off my shoes to assess the situation. My socks were soaking wet. My shoes were filled with water, and I was hungry. I wrung out my socks and pulled out the mixed nuts I brought.
I figured if I gave my socks some time to dry my feet would be fine. The sun felt nice and was bringing warmth to my toes. Loki enjoyed the break and took advantage of being able to rest. We continued towards the peak with only about a half mile to go. My feet started getting cold. I made it to the top in 2.5 hrs. total. Relay Peak lies at 10,338 ft. above sea level. I took my time and got some great shots. This also gave my toes the time to begin to freeze. This is where I started to get concerned.
From the top I could see clear to Mt. Shasta. This totally blew my mind. It really put it into perspective how much precipitation can clear the air. Last week when I climbed Mt. Rose I could barely see Mt. Lassen and since then it has rained and snowed a great deal. If you click on this first picture below you will see a small white cap along the horizon, this is Mt. Shasta.
This picture below displays how beautiful the Mt. Rose Wilderness is. On the far right end of the horizon you will see the Sierra Buttes. In the middle of the photo is Donner Lake and to the right is Prosser Creek Reservoir.
I began my trek back down and survival mode started to kick in. I needed to get down that mountain, and quick. I was loosing more and more feeling in my feet with every step. I decided to cut the distance significantly by going straight down the face of the mountain to a lower part of trail, rather than go down the switchbacks. Not only were my feet completely numb at this point but they were in extreme pain. I was fearing frostbite would take ahold of my toes. I found myself running trying to get to a spot without snow. I finally found one and hastily removed my shoes. My feet couldn't feel my shoes coming off and I couldn't move my toes. I wrung out my socks, put them in my armpits and began rubbing my feet. What was really baffling about this situation was that I was super hot because it was a warm day. My feet on the other hand were not properly protected from the snow. To make things worse, my lack of nutrition started kicking in. Mixed nuts were definitely not enough. I had to keep my head straight to get out of there in one piece. My toes warmed up enough and I continued on my way. I stopped once more to repeat that process to fend off the bite. I finally made it back to the snowmobile tracks where I could stay above snow. That was a good feeling. Despite getting to the sled tracks, my excessive exposure to the sun started affecting me. Excessive hunger and lightheadedness was taking ahold. Great. My toes stayed slightly above the threshold of me being worried about them. For the remainder of the way I struggled through my body hating me and fading in and out of mild insanity. Fortunately, I made it back to my car safely with a few lessons learned. This excursion of about 9 miles took me 6 hrs. round trip.
This experience has humbled me and reminded me of the power that mother nature has. I need to remember to prepare myself from here on out. Just because it looks like fall and is warm outside, doesn't mean that I don't need to act like it is winter. I don't want to lose my toes, and thankfully I have knowledge of how to deal with situations like this, and that is what preserved my appendages. One can prepare for what the outdoors has to offer, but the steps need to be taken to get there. Never again will I leave without sunscreen, ample food and the right clothing. Luckily I escaped with just a terrible sunburn and a new perspective on my ascents.
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