Item Ridge

In the past few years I have come to understand that emotions are an essential part of the Christian life. These emotions are not primarily moments of intense religious experience. The emotions that are often described in the Bible are related to sustaining a love for God that is not altered or destroyed by any specific circumstance or experience.

Affections for God arise from understanding something about God and enjoying it. The emotion arises from seeing and responding to a reality. Just as we see a reality and respond with emotions in our relationships with each other, we can see a reality about God and respond with emotion. Feelings of happiness and awe rise out of me as I consider what I understand about God.

Heading back to our camp after attempting to reach Item Peak, I started singing. One way to think about Christians singing is that we are remembering God's word, we responding to God's grace, and we reflecting on God's glory. The song that my emotions produced as I was walking along a snow covered ridge and considering what I know about God was "How Great Thou Art."

Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands have made...

...When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

I hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

Glory!

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Grace!

It was a pleasant trip.

The Alaska Alpine Club puts together weekend trips each spring into the Eastern Alaska Range and the Delta Mountains. A group of us attempted Item Peak last weekend. We drove to Michael Creek along the Richardson Highway Saturday morning and made our way up to "the headwall," where we set up camp.

Skiing up Michael Creek past some open water.

Setting up camp below the headwall.

We decided that the window of mostly sunny skies on the Saturday should be taken advantage of. The original plan was to make camp and attempt to reach the summit the following day but the weather report called for mostly cloudy skies with snow likely on Sunday. We strapped on the crampons and headed up the headwall towards the ridge in the sun.

Looking south towards the head of the Delta River. One of many
rock formations called Devil's Thumb.

Moving upward along the ridge. Photo by Nick.

We came to a bump on the ridge and quickly realized we would not be making it to the top of Item Peak. Another half mile across a saddle and our turn around time 15 minutes away kept us from the top. We stopped at this knob on the ridge and took in the views. 

At our high point (not Item Peak). Photo by Nick.

Item Peak further up the ridge.

Looking north towards the Jarvis Glacier and the slopes of
Mount Silvertip. 

Looking down on ridge we ascended. Our tracks are barely visible
just below the rock line.

Returning to camp. (Photo by Nick)

Grant and Nick moving down.

Crampons are useful at this point.

We were all pleased with the effort, even though we didn't reach the summit. The last stretch back to our camp involved several hundred feet of cramponing down the headwall that was not difficult. So we waited on the ridge above camp and watched the sun go down.

Glory!

The next morning we slept in and returned to the cars. By about noon the clouds had rolled in and snow was falling, which was encouraging as the morning had presented few clouds and I was wondering if we could have made the summit. But had it been a spotless sunny day, we all would have been content. We agreed that the evening before was so enjoyable that it was worth missing the top. 

Then sings my soul my savior God to thee! 

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!