Forum Index > Trip Reports > iron & hotpantz - summer 2015 trip
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Jetlag
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Jetlag
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 12:40 pm 
Really enjoyed the preamble! You spent time in your Cascade classroom with the best teachers and companions imaginable. I've been on many sections or your route, but not to Bear Lake. That looks wonderful! I know dozens of climbers who have watched that mouse . . . or his friends . . . doing acrobatics on the roofs of their tents at Ouzel Lake. Despite your early exit, the part of the trip you finished is a good deal more remote and impressive a traverse than most North Cascade lovers have finished . . . or attempted! The smoke this summer was no joke . . . we had a half dozen trips where at least one member came down with symptoms like Hotpantz'. Thanks so much for taking the time to submit this inspiring report!

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Jim Dockery
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 4:19 pm 
Wow! Great TR and tons of beautiful pics up.gif up.gif

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raising3hikers
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 6:29 pm 
that's the most complete TR i've ever seen! thanks for the background story from the start to the present. as someone who has done over 100+ pks with iron and 40+ with hotpantz, i feel the happiness in the success and the pain for the segments that didn't go as planned.
lots of smoke in the valley
lots of smoke in the valley
looking back at challenger after the decision to go home
looking back at challenger after the decision to go home
i know that they spent over a year planning the trip but the extreme low snow year put a serious dent in the plans. i was also extremely disappointed by the thick smoke at perfect pass which caused us to turn back but can't imagine what mike and carrie thought as their epic trip was severely interrupted. btw, stefan, you're too awesome for coming to rescue us and take us back home! on another note, they have a lot of beta for finishing the route over any time frame they choose. they are strong and awesome people, i can't wait for them to finish the trip someday.

Eric Eames
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williswall
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 7:58 pm 
Fantastic! Good luck with your next phase, it should help put things in perspective.

I desire medium danger williswall.com
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 9:01 pm 
I also enjoyed the preamble. As well as the full TR of course. Been waiting a while to see this, thanks for posting it. I know you were very disappointed that your epic trip ended up being very abridged. Still looks and sounds like an amazing adventure to me. Your line about the beauty encountered in the mountains being almost painful TOTALLY resonates with me, I've had the exact same thought and have encountered it numerous times myself. Just today in fact on an absolutely gorgeous day playing around the NW corner of Mt. Hood. It's like the senses are overwhelmed with too much goodness. Enjoy the next stage in life. I don't have kids, but from what I hear it is another kind of adventure unlike anything else.

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JEGeorge
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 9:27 pm 
Dang! One of the best TR's Ive read yet! Looked like some pretty amazing accomplishments and lifelong memories were made. I can't wait to get out there and enjoy some of the same beautiful sceneary. A hand full of these pics have made it into my destop background folder to add some color to this drab place. Can't wait to see whats next!

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zephyr
aka friendly hiker



Joined: 21 Jun 2009
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
PostFri Nov 27, 2015 9:58 pm 
What an amazing and beautiful story, iron. Quite inspiring--the terrain you covered and described so well. The pictures show some stunning locales. Now I see where some of those calendar shots came from. wink.gif I really enjoyed the background on your early hikes and how you found your crew and your life partner. Thanks for sharing this. ~z

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Dayhike Mike
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Joined: 02 Mar 2003
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Dayhike Mike
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 10:03 pm 
What an incredible story, Iron. Beautiful photos! Will be looking at these on a much larger screen in a bit.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Nietzsche's Horse
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Joined: 16 Aug 2010
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Nietzsche's Horse
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PostFri Nov 27, 2015 10:14 pm 
Epic, important, and beautiful, on every level. One of the best contributions ever made to this site. Thank you for dreaming, fighting, learning, and sharing.

"Trails are like that: you're floating along in a Shakespearean Arden paradise and expect to see nymphs and fluteboys, then suddenly you're struggling in a hot broiling sun of hell in dust and nettles and poison oak... just like life." - Kerouac
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contour5
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PostSat Nov 28, 2015 12:52 am 
Wow! That is just massive! And great pictures- you really nailed some of those panos...It reads to me like a like a huge map of good memories and hopefully, future plans. I'll be going back and squinting through the Silver and Bear Lake sections when spring rolls around. The lakes below the White River Glacier look like a perfect hellscape, and yet they attract with a kind of magnetic force... Thanks for the fantastic post. Also: I reckon you've still got a few good years left in you. Babies are small and easy to carry, plus they look great in TRs.

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RichP
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PostSat Nov 28, 2015 10:24 am 
OK now we are all waiting for the trip report with baby iron and hotpantz. Awesome story and perseverance through some tough spots.

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JVesquire
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PostSat Nov 28, 2015 4:43 pm 
It's great to see you find something to love about something that didn't go exactly as planned. Looks like you had plenty of it, too. Nice report and best biography of a mountaineer that I've read yet. *edited*

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HitTheTrail
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PostSat Nov 28, 2015 5:54 pm 
Whoa, at least you nailed it with the photos! up.gif Think of it as a training exercise for any future experiences with a family. Unless you get lucky things will not follow your expected plan. And oh yeah, plan on it being more that a 20 year commitment. All the best.

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markh752
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Joined: 03 Dec 2011
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markh752
Snoozing on a rock!
PostSat Nov 28, 2015 7:19 pm 
I've been waiting for this tr for a couple of months. All I have to say is... Amazing! The best part is ahead of you. Getting outdoors with your little ones will be one of the highlights of your life.

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the Zachster
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PostSat Nov 28, 2015 8:07 pm 
From this side of the computer there are a lot of words that come to mind after reading this. Beautiful. In SO many ways. Epic. Personal. Exhilarating. But the one word I just can't quite get used to is failure. Obviously this summer threw you a number of curves and you made the most of the alternatives available. Changing plans doesn't sound like failure to me. It sounds like flexible. I'm not trying to change your mind about how you feel about this amazing trip, disappointment is disappointment. But from here, this beautiful narrative of your epic journey was a tribute to what you two did under some really challenging circumstances. Thank you so much for sharing the whole story with us. And your photos are FABULOUS!!! up.gif up.gif up.gif

"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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