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| Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Ore. |
This past summer, Timmy asked if I wanted to climb Jefferson in running shoes. This time we hiked up to timberline through an avalanche path I had spotted the year before. Ascending through the mass of fallen trees felt much quicker than navigating around trees that still had full lives ahead of them, and provided a huge shortcut from that route taken by most parties who attempt the southwest ridge. Once on snow, we moved efficiently up to a high shoulder, from which we belayed a few pitches across a steep traverse and up to the summit.
When I compare my experiences on Seekseekqua, it's like I was on a different route. Climbing in running shoes is such a pleasure, allowing me to move through a variety of terrain with as little friction created by gear as possible. Yet, despite the relatively frictonless ascent, the mountain didn't let us off without a little thrashing.
