We hit the snooze a few times before waking up this morning - eventually getting out of our sleeping bags at 4:30. We ate quickly and grabbed our packs for the hike up. After a long slog we reached the summit and stared down in awe at the crater and caldera below.

It was hard to imagine the forces that blew the top and side off this massive mountain, but we tried.

Because the hike up St. Helen's is fairly casual, we took our time coming down enjoying the scenery while laughing and joking.

We talked about some of our early life experiences and how they shaped the people we are today. Both of us have had strong connections to wilderness programs in our lives.

Being out here hiking and climbing isn't some grandiose adventure (that's not to say we're not planning future trips). But the arbitrary goal of climbing seven peaks is designed to help make cornerstone experiences like (ok - similar) this available to underprivileged youth. Our stories are simply a platform to talk about something more important than ourselves. Please make a donation to Big City Mountaineers and their efforts!

Image: St. Helen's crater!