 Mount
Kosciuszko
journal entry:
July 10, 2008
Severe Weather Warnings:
Blizzard Conditions
40-57 MPH winds
2 ft.
of new snow
“As
we proceed in the total white out, the guide pulls out his compass,
in hopes of heading us in the correct direction, in this sea of
white. The GPS proves useless in the storm. We huddle when we need
to communicate, because we cannot hear over the voice of the wind.
Every so often, a rock jumps out of the whiteness, and we know there
are obstacles to maneuver around now. Mike slips down a deep trough
next to a protruding rock, and rolls back to his feet. Later he
punches through the ice and pulls his foot from a stream. His face
and beard are covered with ice. He jokingly tells me that if he
has a heart attack, I should follow the contour of the hill to get
back down. I start to realize what a predicament I would be in if
he were injured and could not lead the way in this blizzard. We
continue for more than a mile, which takes us over an hour. We pass
a partial snow igloo that someone has created out of snow blocks.
We trudge forward in the cold, but realize that the 40 -50 MPH winds
are still getting stronger.” |
