There I am eating bangers and mash with the group after a long day of hiking to the base camp of Mount Baker. The sun is down, I've triple checked my pack for summit day which has a start time of 2am, and now I am taking in the beautiful night sky. I remember thinking….
I never thought in my lifetime I would be camping on Mount Baker.
I never thought the night could be so beautiful.
I never thought the moon and stars could take my breath away.
I never thought the world could be so peaceful and quiet.
I continue to squat there thinking…..”This is the most epic crap of my life.”
I know what you’re thinking “ewwwwwww” but seriously I never thought I would have to strategically hold onto a rock with my pants around my ankles in 10 degree weather trying to aim into a blue bag on the side of a mountain under the stars!…….. Anyone that knows what a blue bag is, also remembers their first time having to use one. Let’s just say, it is quite the experience. After my “experience” I cram into my sleeping bag and drift off.
Next thing I know it’s 2am, pitch black, and I am roped in with my team walking into 20+ mph winds kicking my crampons into the snow with only the light from my headlamp to guide me. 20 minutes into summit day the guy in front of me yells “Crevasse”. I looked down and saw this little 2 foot gap and thought “O, no big deal.” Little did I know I didn’t give the guy behind me long enough to catch up to create slack. As I jump the rope yanks me back and I pause mid air as if I’m in a looney toons episode. I land with my toes on the edge of the crevasse and slip while yelling “FALLING”! As one of my legs dangles and my ice axe digs further into the snow the whole team goes into self arrest allowing me to crawl out. “This is going to be a loooong day” I thought to myself. To make a long story short, I made it to the summit and experienced what was the most epic night of my life. Still to this day, none of my epic night owl adventures have matched that one!
So whether you’re relaxing under the stars, squatting behind a rock, or trekking your way up the side of a mountain…. The life of a night owl is for the rule changers, the risk takers, the disruptors, and those that can’t satisfy their hunger for adventure in just 12 hours a day!
- Chase Pettey
- Wanna Be Adventure Athlete
- Always ready for an adventure!