It seemed nearly all of the eight students in the course were more experienced in the outdoors than myself, which I was very happy with. I preferred to be with a group I could learn from.

We spent the first day on some easy single pitch top-roping on Mt. Erie. The goal was to introduce anyone new to climbing the knots and hitches that we'd be working with, as well as how to belay a climber. Most of this was a refresher for me, so I spent more time getting to know the others in the class. I was most excited to see students who had never climbed before coming back down with a huge grin on their face, saying that they were most nervous about rock climbing and now believed they loved it.

We camped nearby at Deception Pass State Park, which would have been pleasant if there wasn't a naval air station four miles away. There was a constant whirring of jet engines above, so much so that it was comical. Fortunately, I had sleeping pills, earplugs, and needed to catch up on sleep from my flight.

APPROACH TO MT. BAKER

I woke up at 6:30am so I could have a leisurely start, and to avoid the wait for a hot shower at the campsite. Despite my early wakeup, I was the last one to pack my bag and held up the group.

Our objective was to spend the next five days on Mt. Baker. One of the guides, Will Nunez, had given a demonstration on the most efficient way to fit whatever we would need into our packs, but I was having a lot of trouble. Eventually, I gave up and he packed my entire bag for me, all while pointing out items that I wouldn't have the luxury of bringing along with me. I was surprised, but I'd later learn that I could have done the trip with even less gear.