Mt. Hood Climb Postponed

Due to weather concerns we decided to postpone our Mt. Hood climb. With forecasts of rain, wind, and clouds we didn’t think it was safe. You may ask why shouldn’t you climb in cloudy weather? Well because you might not see the cliff until you’re falling off or you can’t see other groups that may be blocking parts of the trail that are only wide enough for one team at a time, plus the view from the top won’t be a view at all. What about climbing in the rain? That presents a new set of problems including the formation of icy areas or heavier weight on rocks that could cause them to fall. And wind? Well, at the summit ridge there is a path that isn’t very wide. One strong wind one direction could send you tumbling down a hundred foot slope. A gust of wind the other direction could send you flying down a thousand foot cliff. Regardless, we decided to postpone our trip.

We will try again the weekend of June 9th and 10th.

Balloon Stampede

When Michelle was in 6th grade, she did a science fair project on hot air balloons. During this project she discovered a hot air balloon show that took place in Walla Walla, just a short drive from her hometown. Her dad told her that they would go see it; however, something came up and they couldn't go that year. The next year came and again they couldn't go. Year after year the weekend of the balloon stampede interfered with some activity on the Fitts family's calendar. Someday, Michelle determined, she would go to the balloon stampede in Walla Walla.

This past weekend that dream finally came true. Michelle and Benjamin took a trip to Walla Walla for the 38th Annual Balloon Stampede. Jon did not go as he was going to be attending a shooting event sponsored by the Men of Valor (men's ministry team from our church). However, Michelle's parents were going to the balloon stampede.

 

After a late night, Michelle, Ben, David, and Nancy woke up early on Saturday to watch the balloons take off. They were scheduled for a 6:30 launch, but when we arrived at 6:25 there were already some up in the air. But, it was still fun to watch the balloons inflate and take off. There were over 35 that took off on Saturday morning.

  

 

After the lift off we had breakfast and went to the car show at the fairgrounds. There were over 100 cars there, mostly classic cars. We oohed and ahhed over them and Benjamin told his papa (via his mom) which cars he would like to have for his birthday. After the car show we relaxed in the shade and watched some balloons provide tethered rides for a small fee. This consisted of balloons being tied to 3 anchor cars and giving people rides about 15 feet in the air for about $25. After that we headed to lunch and then back to the RV park to rest before the night glow.

 

The night glow was a pretty fun event. There were about a dozen balloons lined up in the fairgrounds and when the announcer would count down the pilots would pull the cord for their propane flames and the balloons would light up. They couldn't hold it very long because the balloons would start to rise, but it was cool to see them light up.

 

Sunday arrived with another early morning to go watch the launch of the balloons. This time we got there much earlier and got to see a lot more of the prep work for each balloon. This day only 28 balloons launched. After breakfast we all headed home.

All in all the event was a fun one! The weather was sunny and  hot and the activities were fun! It only took 14 years, but in the end it was so worth it.

Graduation Vacation

The Cramers headed off to Oregon the first weekend in May for Michelle's graduation. Although she received her degree in December, she wanted to walk at the ceremony. So, we made a vacation of it. We left Spokane on Thursday and arrived in Salem in the afternoon. This was Benjamin's first trip out of Washington. After picking up Michelle's cap and gown and checking into our hotel, we enjoyed dinner at Caruso's and then a relaxing evening in our room.

Friday morning started with a trip to Corban University to see our Camp Gilead friend Kiel who is a pitching coach at Corban. After a short visit we headed off to the coast. We arrived in Lincoln City and were happy to see beautiful blue skies. We walked on the beach, and Jon wrote Ben's name in the sand. Then we headed off to the outlet mall to do a little shopping. After enjoying a delicious lunch at Mo's, we headed back to Salem where we met up with Michelle's parents. We went to visit Michelle's grandparents in Monmouth. After dinner out with Michelle's parents and her grandma, we headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

Saturday was an action packed day. After breakfast we took Benjamin to the hotel pool for his first swimming experience. Ben swam with a PFD (personal floatation device) and without one. He didn't mind it either way. He seemed to really enjoy swimming; he was even trying to kick his feet. Michelle also dunked him under water a couple of times (doing the blow on the face thing so he holds his breath). He didn't cry and it didn't seem to bother him at all. It's looking like he may end up being a water baby. We then headed back to the room for nap time for the boys, yes that's plural. Jon and Ben napped while Michelle relaxed.

Then Jon dropped Michelle off at the Salem Armory so she could get graduation "practice" and instructions. A couple minutes after 2 pm the ceremony began. Michelle made quite the entrance as she started cheering and jumping when she walked in and saw her family. After all the undergrads were announced it was finally time for the graduate students. Michelle walked on stage sans shoes like she did when she received her bachelor's degree and high school diploma. After the ceremony we headed to Monmouth for a graduation party thrown by Michelle's aunt Kathy. It was just family at the party with the exception of Michelle's long time friend Ashley. Then it was back to the hotel to put Ben down for bed.

Sunday arrived with blue skies and warm weather. After a long weekend we decided to head home that morning. We stopped at Multnomah Falls and snapped a few pictures. Finally we arrived home in Spokane. It was so nice to be home again. Even Benjamin seemed happy to be home. He started looking around and smiling recognizing he was home again.

Mt. Hood Update

Tomorrow marks one month until we venture up Mt. Hood. Training has been going well. Two Saturdays ago Jon, Michelle, Benjamin, and our friend Kyle went up to Mt. Spokane to practice some self-arrest. This involved snow, ice axes, and sliding down the mountain.

Michelle and Kyle spent time sliding down on our backs with our feet first, our bellies with our head first, and on our back with our head first. The latter proved to be the most difficult. Jon instructed on how to stop ourselves using the ice ax. He was holding Benjamin in a front pack, so Jon didn't partake in the sliding, plus he has experience doing it. The idea behind this practice was in case we were to slip or lose our footing on Mt. Hood and needed to stop ourselves. We also practiced some walking up techniques. Most people probably think it's not too hard to walk up, but there is some techniques involved so you get a good foothold and don't strain your muscles too hard all while maintaining control.

The highlight of the training was glissading. This is basically sliding down the snow on your bottom and using an ice ax to control your speed and ultimately stop. This technique is more of a fun way to go down the mountain as well as a time saver.

After the Mt. Spokane training we feel better prepared to climb Mt. Hood. We are looking forward to this exciting adventure which we will start in 1 month and about 3 1/2 hours from now. We are continuing to run and hike for our training.

For more information on climbing Mt. Hood, check out Summit Post.

Dedication

Sunday was an exciting day for the Cramer household - it was Benjamin's dedication to the Lord at church. We decided to make a public announcement of our desire to raise Ben in a godly home and to teach him about God so he will hopefully accept Christ as his Savior and learn to live and love like Jesus Christ. We were joined by Michelle's parents and her brother John's family.

We would like to point out that in no way does this dedication save him. This is us showing we want to raise Benjamin in a godly manner according to biblical standards as well as asking for support, help, and accountability from our family and church family.

Mt. Hood Adventure

“I have a question for you.” The statement coming out of Jon’s mouth caught Michelle’s attention.
“What?”
“How would you feel about me climbing Mt. Hood with Kyle in June?”
After some discussion, Michelle agreed to let Jon climb it provided he was able to get in shape in time.
The next morning after doing some serious thinking, Michelle decided that she wanted to try it as well.

Goal: Summit Mt. Hood (11,239 feet)
When: June 2012
Route: South side (Hogsback route)
Length: 8 miles (roundtrip)
Elevation Gain: 5,300 feet
Average round trip time: About 9 hours
Team Members: Jon & Michelle Cramer and Kyle Oler

Today marks the start of our training for this adventure. We are starting with running and will be adding hiking. We will also be doing some practice with an ice ax so we can stop ourselves in the event of an emergency. We are really excited about this new goal! Jon has summited Mt. Hood before as part of his education and is looking forward to doing it again. Michelle is more nervous about the expedition, but trusts that Jon will make sure she is prepared enough to tackle this feat. We will not be taking Benjamin with us as we both have to carry our own packs and don’t want to risk taking him on this extreme climb. We are hoping to leave him at Michelle’s parents’ house for the weekend. As we prepare for this adventure we will be posting updates on our training.

Benjamin's First Hockey Game

On Saturday, February 11th, 2012 Benjamin experienced his first hockey game. The Spokane Chiefs were playing the Tri-City Americans.
Ben actually slept through the first period and most of the second despite the loud noises. However a wet diaper woke him up for the remainder of the second period and he stayed up for the remainder of the game. He didn't seem too interested in the game, but what can you expect from a 2 month old?
Ultimately the Chiefs lost 3-5. Since we live in Spokane it should be expected that we cheer for the Chiefs, but Michelle grew up going to Americans' games. Despite her loyalty to Tri-Cities, she is trying to become a Chiefs fan. Although she cheered for Spokane, secretly she was glad to see Tri-Cities win.