I told myself that when I turned 50, I would summit Mount Olympus, and 2019 was the year.
When the New Year was rolling towards me, I observed myself wanting to veer away from that self promise, to make excuses, to put it off. And I knew that if I did that, my goal would forever remain a dream.
So I did two things: I asked a friend to join me, and I searched for a guide. I’d never done anything beyond backpacking in the Olympics and Cascades, and Olympus, with its glaciers, snow dome, crevasses, and rocks, was a true mountain requiring mountaineering skills. I did not consider doing it without expert guidance. I hoped to find a local guiding service, located on the Olympic Peninsula. I was aware of some of the bigger Seattle based guiding outfits, but I put Forks and Port Angeles, along with the words, “Mount Olympus” and “Guiding” into my search engine and Port Angeles based Sound Bikes and Kayaks came up. By the time I had finished reading the description of their 6 day Mount Olympus itinerary, (most others do it in 4 days) the fact that they limit the number of clients on a climb to four, AND that the lead guide, Sam Luthy had been a climbing ranger on Olympus, I was ready to sign up! I convinced my girlfriend to put her money down too. When she was hesitant, I told her she could either come, or watch me do it on Facebook from her couch. We put our deposits down in December of 2018.
Then it was time to start conditioning. My girlfriends and I also did a couple of long distance, multi day backpacking trips, which gave additional conditioning for carrying more weight, and also an opportunity for getting our gear dialed in for Olympus.
While we were preparing ourselves in the months preceding Olympus, which loomed so far in the distance time wise, that it seemed mythical, like Christmas, we would receive tantalizing emails from our guide, Sam, detailing the trip, gear requirements, and invitations to do some mountaineering training with him at Hurricane Ridge. Troy and Maura Treaccar, the owners of Sound Bikes and Kayaks, were so responsive and supportive with any questions we had. Their matter of fact, and friendly demeanors that implied that yes, we were going to climb Olympus, gave us a boost of confidence and excitement. "Oh my god, we are going to climb Olympus!” we would exclaim to one another.
We arrived at Sound Bikes and Kayaks on the morning of our departure for Olympus with our gear. Sam, Troy, and Maura helped us verify that we had everything we needed. Emily and I were so excited, that we must have been hard to manage, but they were all so kind, and seemed genuinely excited for us. Maura took some photos of the four of us; myself, Troy, Sam, and Emily. The weather was looking perfect for our week of hiking/climbing, and we had two guides! How lucky we felt.
Over the course of the following six days, we were not only in awe of the endless unfolding beauty that met our every step, but filled with admiration, and appreciation for the expert guides, Sam and Troy, who made certain that not only did we get to the summit of Olympus and back safely, but that we had a wonderful time. They were very easy to be with, and unless one paid attention, it would have been easy to miss the fact that both Sam and Troy were always aware of safety. We didn’t feel micro managed, but Sam and Troy never missed a safety item while at the same time being unobtrusive. It felt like going on an epic adventure with friends. Sam kept us riveted with stories of backcountry skiing, his time of being a backcountry climbing ranger for Olympus, and daring mountain rescues he’d been part of.
Troy wore an infectious grin and seemed so happy to be exactly where he was at all times, and he made sure we always had lots of fresh, filtered water. We felt spoiled, but not fussed over. Sam and Troy were consummate professionals without being stuffy, and the seemed genuinely happy for and with us. We really appreciated the fact that they didn’t seem burned out, that they still loved the experience, and supporting others in discovering the joy of mountaineering. We hit the jackpot when we discovered ISO Adventures, and we are looking forward to sharing more adventures with them in the future. They are professional, fun, friendly, supportive, and they love the Olympics deeply.
At the end of six days of transformative beauty, camaraderie, and overcoming personal fears that culminated with standing on the highest point in the Olympics, on the west peak of the ancient, otherworldly beauty of the aptly named Mount Olympus, we emerged into the parking lot at the Hoh visitors center that was teeming with clean, tame looking people.
We were not the same two women who had left this exact scene six days earlier. We were wilder, freer, braver, happier, and more grounded.
Thanks to Troy, Maura, Sam, and the entire crew at ISO Adventures & Sound Bikes and Kayaks, who were the golden keys that took a dream to reality, It was more than a mountain climb, it was magic.
When the New Year was rolling towards me, I observed myself wanting to veer away from that self promise, to make excuses, to put it off. And I knew that if I did that, my goal would forever remain a dream.
So I did two things: I asked a friend to join me, and I searched for a guide. I’d never done anything beyond backpacking in the Olympics and Cascades, and Olympus, with its glaciers, snow dome, crevasses, and rocks, was a true mountain requiring mountaineering skills. I did not consider doing it without expert guidance. I hoped to find a local guiding service, located on the Olympic Peninsula. I was aware of some of the bigger Seattle based guiding outfits, but I put Forks and Port Angeles, along with the words, “Mount Olympus” and “Guiding” into my search engine and Port Angeles based Sound Bikes and Kayaks came up. By the time I had finished reading the description of their 6 day Mount Olympus itinerary, (most others do it in 4 days) the fact that they limit the number of clients on a climb to four, AND that the lead guide, Sam Luthy had been a climbing ranger on Olympus, I was ready to sign up! I convinced my girlfriend to put her money down too. When she was hesitant, I told her she could either come, or watch me do it on Facebook from her couch. We put our deposits down in December of 2018.
Then it was time to start conditioning. My girlfriends and I also did a couple of long distance, multi day backpacking trips, which gave additional conditioning for carrying more weight, and also an opportunity for getting our gear dialed in for Olympus.
While we were preparing ourselves in the months preceding Olympus, which loomed so far in the distance time wise, that it seemed mythical, like Christmas, we would receive tantalizing emails from our guide, Sam, detailing the trip, gear requirements, and invitations to do some mountaineering training with him at Hurricane Ridge. Troy and Maura Treaccar, the owners of Sound Bikes and Kayaks, were so responsive and supportive with any questions we had. Their matter of fact, and friendly demeanors that implied that yes, we were going to climb Olympus, gave us a boost of confidence and excitement. "Oh my god, we are going to climb Olympus!” we would exclaim to one another.
We arrived at Sound Bikes and Kayaks on the morning of our departure for Olympus with our gear. Sam, Troy, and Maura helped us verify that we had everything we needed. Emily and I were so excited, that we must have been hard to manage, but they were all so kind, and seemed genuinely excited for us. Maura took some photos of the four of us; myself, Troy, Sam, and Emily. The weather was looking perfect for our week of hiking/climbing, and we had two guides! How lucky we felt.
Over the course of the following six days, we were not only in awe of the endless unfolding beauty that met our every step, but filled with admiration, and appreciation for the expert guides, Sam and Troy, who made certain that not only did we get to the summit of Olympus and back safely, but that we had a wonderful time. They were very easy to be with, and unless one paid attention, it would have been easy to miss the fact that both Sam and Troy were always aware of safety. We didn’t feel micro managed, but Sam and Troy never missed a safety item while at the same time being unobtrusive. It felt like going on an epic adventure with friends. Sam kept us riveted with stories of backcountry skiing, his time of being a backcountry climbing ranger for Olympus, and daring mountain rescues he’d been part of.
Troy wore an infectious grin and seemed so happy to be exactly where he was at all times, and he made sure we always had lots of fresh, filtered water. We felt spoiled, but not fussed over. Sam and Troy were consummate professionals without being stuffy, and the seemed genuinely happy for and with us. We really appreciated the fact that they didn’t seem burned out, that they still loved the experience, and supporting others in discovering the joy of mountaineering. We hit the jackpot when we discovered ISO Adventures, and we are looking forward to sharing more adventures with them in the future. They are professional, fun, friendly, supportive, and they love the Olympics deeply.
At the end of six days of transformative beauty, camaraderie, and overcoming personal fears that culminated with standing on the highest point in the Olympics, on the west peak of the ancient, otherworldly beauty of the aptly named Mount Olympus, we emerged into the parking lot at the Hoh visitors center that was teeming with clean, tame looking people.
We were not the same two women who had left this exact scene six days earlier. We were wilder, freer, braver, happier, and more grounded.
Thanks to Troy, Maura, Sam, and the entire crew at ISO Adventures & Sound Bikes and Kayaks, who were the golden keys that took a dream to reality, It was more than a mountain climb, it was magic.
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