85. ° Numerical patterns and coincidences fascinate me. This image of Mount Fernow (9,249', WA's 8th highest peak) was taken from Copper Peak (8,964', the 4th highest non-9,000'+ peak). Copper was my 85th Bulger summit while Fernow was my 58th. Additionally, I summitted Fernow on 08/26/2019 and Copper on 08/27/2020, almost exactly a year later. ° After climbing three inordinately elusive peaks this week, I spent a day and a half in Seattle visiting friends. While driving around on bluebird days, The Mountain (Rainier) was out in all it's glory. I finally began to envision summiting the big thing. Not because I'm ready for it; it's probably in the easier half of the Bulgers, with regards to actual effort. But because it's my planned finisher. I've planned on finishing this list with Rainier since I was in the first third of the list (which was only last year...) because it seems poetic. Many seem to finish on some of the more obscure, isolated peaks and for good reason; they're rigorous! However, a finish on Rainier is less common since so many mountaineers make it a goal to climb all five Washington volcanoes before even thinking about (or knowing of) the Bulger List. ° This is significant, again, not because I thought of climbing Rainier, but because I thought of finishing the list. It's dawning on me that the end is coming, though it's still a ways off and I still have to do the work to even knock off the single peaks remaining (sans Chilliwacks. *cough*Canada*cough*) ° Like most of my taks, I've thoroughly enjoyed the process. Learning, improving, struggling. And much more make this, in my opinion, a worthwhile pursuit. I was told to not take it on. Understandably, I was told that for my own sanity from those much farther along at the time; they're friends, too. And I tell others the same... Pick something else, something with more diversity, something of your own volition and creation. It's harder to stick with something personally curated than something that's been around for many years and it allows personal freedom and expression. ° 📸 August 2020 ° #northCascades #PNWPeakbaggers @pnwpeakbaggers #BulgerList #WashingtonTop100 #WeLikeItOnTop @welikeitontop https://www.instagram.com/p/CEhUuAND9pO/?igshid=42itnqxd110a
