The Adralack Crack on Mt. Baker: The First of the Adralack Trilogy

By Beauford E. Averette

The Adralack Crack on Mt. Baker

 

Would you risk your life exploring a lava tunnel under a glacier in the wintertime?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bookside Press
• Release date: Nov 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781998784783

Beauford E. Averette

Beauford E. Averette lives in Salem, Oregon, with his wife for over half a century. In the past, he enjoyed driving or working on his 1929 Model A Ford or his 1962 Ford Falcon. Over the years since retiring, there has been more free time to write novels. Now that using a computer makes it so much easier than in days gone by, he enjoys writing more. In addition, he and his wife have enjoyed traveling around Europe and Great Britain. Their pet is a six-and-a-half-inch Southeast Asian Yellow-margined Box Turtle that was a 1988 Father's Day present.

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Contents

Chapter 1: How It All Began

Chapter 2: The Trip

Chapter 3: The Climb

Chapter 4: The Lava Tunnels

Chapter 5: Avalanche! Avalanche!

Chapter 6: The Adralack Crack

Chapter 7: The Trek Back

Chapter 8: New Things for a New Year

Chapter 9: The New Year

Chapter 10: February Doldrums

Chapter 11: A March to Nowhere

Chapter 12: Only April Showers

Chapter 13: We Must Go Back

Chapter 14: DorLetha

Chapter 15: The Lost Weekend

Chapter 16: Sweet Young Carol

Chapter 17: She Wondered If

Chapter 18: Art, It’s Active!

Chapter 19: Master’s Thesis

Chapter 20: The Bags of Money

Chapter 21: I Want to Go In!

Chapter 22: Telepathic Communication

Chapter 23: The Teletransporter

Chapter 24: Hold on, Delbert!

Chapter 25: The Confession

THE

ADRALACK CRACK

ON MT. BAKER

The novel is about the adventures and experiences of four university professors who climb Mt. Baker in Washington State in December. During their exploration of lava tunnels under a glacier and their climb to the summit and back, they are challenged by three life-threatening situations: One in a tunnel cave-in, one in an avalanche, and one in an alien portal from another world which takes one of the climbers.

The three remaining professors decide they will return the following August to see if they can find out what happened to their friend.

The geology professor and psychology professors discover their telepathic ability while on Mt. Baker and decide to see if they could develop it further. While doing so, will the psychology professor’s graduate teaching assistant who is helping them become involved with one of them?

After the alien from the portal visits the three remaining climbers, strange things start happening in the men’s lives, and their mental capacities increase. Will one of the professors regain his potency after mating with the alien from the Adralack Crack portal?

After the science professor develops the world’s first teletransporter, what unusual purpose will he find to use it? Will he use the teletransporter to transport both inanimate objects and humans?

Several main characters communicate telepathically during their third and final trip to Mt. Baker, the most dangerous and destructive. When the teletransporter blows up, will the Alien power of the Adralack Crack claims more lives or leave one of the climbers hopelessly paralyzed from the neck down outside the Crack?

Chapter 1

How It All Began

The university president completed his speech, and the faculty left the auditorium. They spread out in all directions as they started home from the university campus. It was a clear, cold December 1st evening. Four male faculty members stopped to talk for a few minutes outside the auditorium before they started home.

Larry, a physical education instructor, had engaged his three friends in a conversation about climbing Mt. Baker during the Christmas vacation. He had already talked to Arthur Noack, a geology professor, about the trip. Arthur was excited about the idea because this would only be the 2nd winter on Mt. Baker, in Washington State, since its small eruption two summers earlier. He hoped the weather would be suitable for exploring some of the lava tunnels and other existing formations. He was also interested in the large explorable crevasses exposed by two strong earthquakes during the eruptions.

Art, has your wife agreed to let you climb during Christmas vacation?

She sure has, Larry, especially after I told her Adrian and Delbert would probably go with us.

Delbert, a psychology professor, was single. He had often gone with his friends before without any advance notice. Larry and Art’s wives felt Delbert added stability to the group. They felt Adrian, a physically sound, 62-year-old science professor and inventor, lessened the risks the men would take. Adrian was a widower and was free most of the time to go on a climb.

They all decided to go with Larry and planned to meet with him at his home on Saturday afternoon to discuss the trip. They would use the new maps Larry had acquired from the U.S. Forest Service to plan their route for the climb before they ate dinner that evening.

Gail was an excellent cook. She would fix the main meal, but Myrna wanted to bring a special dessert. Delbert, the bachelor, and Adrian, the widower, always thought it was best to meet at Larry’s home. After dinner, there would be plenty of time for enjoyable conversation. Besides the excellent food, the Portland Trailblazer basketball game would be on television. Art had bet the other men $5 each that the visiting team would win the game. Since the game was too far away to attend, he was glad it would be regionally telecast.

I’ve got good news for you, Art and Larry, Adrian began. I have designed some new equipment to use while climbing. Delbert and I want to test it as soon as we can. Delbert also wants to study the physical reactions to fear a climber has when he or she is using new equipment in a stressful situation. As you know, I have a lot of confidence in my inventions and don’t always give a normal reaction to situations when he tries to monitor me. Since he can’t monitor himself, we need a volunteer to test it on.

That’s great, guys! I’ll be glad to be your subject, Art replied. I thought you would be working on your diffusion-transporter grant proposal for the Defense Department over the Christmas vacation, Adrian.

"It’s just about ready to be sent in, Art. My proposal will be complete when the Business Office Manager and the Research Office on campus sign it. They should be through with it before the Christmas vacation ends. If I’m lucky, I’ll have the funds by March 1st.

Leave it to Adrian to discover or invent a new piece of equipment. He had invented many different things, and they all worked as well as his theories said they should.

All Delbert could say was, I’m glad the term is over. He was ready for a vacation, and the climb would be a lot of fun. So the men said good night and started home.

Saturday afternoon, the doorbell rang at the Hoyle residence. Ding dong! Ding dong! Will you get that, Larry?

Sure, Gail, it’ll probably be Art and Myrna since they usually arrive early. Larry opened the door and greeted his guests. Hi, Myrna, my Lisa sure is growing! I’ll give Art a hand with Lisa’s diaper bag or Todd.

Thanks, Larry. He has the dessert and may need help.

Larry had the maps laid out and had already picked a few interesting points to include in the climb. He had also marked possible areas for Art and Delbert’s experiments. Delbert and Adrian arrived shortly after that. Adrian brought the new equipment he had made to show his friends.

Before dinner, the men laid out a route to climb to the summit in a three-day climb. The weather predictions for the period were excellent. They decided to take Adrian’s new eight-passenger van. They would remove the van’s 3rd seat so that they could carry plenty of provisions for the six to eight-day stay. They would leave for the mountain the day after Christmas and return a few days after New Year. They all had to be back on campus just after the first of the year, even though classes didn’t start for a couple of more days.

That was an excellent meal, Gail. The only time Adrian got a meal like that was when he went to his daughter’s home. Gail reminded him a lot of his daughter.

Delbert thanked Myrna for the apple pie topped with homemade ice cream, which she had brought. It was his favorite dessert, and Myrna was his favorite cook, or favorite everything as far as that goes. He often told her that if she ever got rid of Art, he would be first in line to take care of her. When Delbert flattered Myrna, Art never said anything because he was a great father, and his marriage was secure.

After dinner, Larry turned the TV on, and everyone gathered around to watch the basketball game. It was only the $5 bet with Art that made the game interesting for Delbert and Adrian. Since sports were Larry’s life, he enjoyed the game more than any of the other men. It was an excellent game, and the score was always close. The lead changed hands several times before the visiting team won. Art, as usual, enjoyed winning his bets more than the game, even though it was his favorite team that won. Art thrived on excitement, which was one of the things that had attracted Myrna to him when they first met. Unfortunately, that same love for excitement caused her to worry because he often took unnecessary chances when he climbed.

It was easy to tell by the guests’ cheerful good-bys that everyone had a good time. They had known one another for several years and got along well together. The men were as excited as little children, waiting for Christmas when it came to their trip. Time would pass fast for them because there were plenty of things to do to get ready for the journey. Also, the term would end soon, and they would all be involved in many Christmas activities.

The week before Christmas, the weather turned cold, and it started to snow. The snow didn’t build up during the week, but the weather stayed chilly, and the children loved it. What a wonderful Christmas vacation everyone was having. Everywhere you looked, there were children at play in the sunny, crisp weather, and runny noses were numerous even though everyone wore their coats and gloves.

Art did a little wheeling and dealing during the pre-Christmas rush. He sold his nylon four-person tent and got himself a new double-zipper, electric, thermo-lined, four-person tent with an insulated floor at an excellent price. He knew they would need it on their climb, whether there was a storm or not.

Adrian finished one of his notable projects for the trip, an electric closed-circuit Freon heater. It was both small and efficient. The ease with which the Freon heated up meant that a small but powerful lithium battery would easily keep the tent heater working for the trip duration. They would only be in the tent for 4 or 5 days, even if it stormed.

Delbert worked on some questions to ask his friends if they were caught in a storm and had to spend time in a small cold space. He would bring a pocket cassette to record the answers to his questions to compare them with the answers usually given in a typical environment. He brought along his monitor to attach to Art when he tried Adrian’s new double-pointed spike crampons.

Preparations for the seasonal basketball tournament occupied most of Larry’s time before the trip. He didn’t have to supervise the event, but he was responsible for all the arrangements for the team’s participation. Also, he had to pick up trophies and arrange for the broadcasting of the games.

The dawn of the day after Christmas was clear and cold. The frozen grass crunched beneath Adrian’s feet as he walked to his van. The freezing temperature turned his breath to puffy white clouds around his head like smoke from his pipe. It was a few minutes before sunrise, but he could still see a few of the brighter stars twinkling. He had loaded his van with food, clothes, heater, backpack, and other equipment the night before. He knew the other men would be anxious to get an early start.

They would spend most of the day driving and possibly climbing to get to their planned base campsite. As he went to Delbert’s apartment, Adrian was glad that Santa had brought his van new all-season tires. He had never driven a more sure-footed vehicle. The powerful van was fun to drive because it was both swift and quiet.

Adrian was a little absentminded, so he reviewed his list of things to do before leaving home. He had remembered to do everything, except for having his mail held until he returned home. After that, he would have to remember to ask Gail to pick it up for him.

Ding dong! Ding dong! Good morning, Adrian.

Good morning, Delbert. Can I help you with anything?

Sure! Why don’t you grab my backpack, and I’ll come back for the box of food and lock the place up. Delbert’s apartment was a plush three-bedroom townhouse unit in a new two-story building. Since he was single and had a lot of time to read and study, he used one bedroom for his great personal library.

The sky grew brighter as time passed, and soon the stars were no longer visible. Both men felt their excitement grow as they approached the freeway. Once again, Adrian thought about asking Gail to pick up his mail for him. But, to be sure he did, he mentioned it to Delbert. Myrna dropped Art and his equipment off at Larry’s place as Adrian’s van neared the drive. He stopped the van and lowered his window as she backed out of the driveway and prepared to drive away. Take care of my man for me, Adrian, she called as she waved goodbye.

I will, Myrna. We’ll see you next year. Have a happy New Year!

It was easy for Delbert to pack Adrian’s van since it had an enclosed roof rack, ample cargo space, and the 3rd-row seat removed. Larry brought out his equipment and luggage for Delbert to load. As Delbert finished his loading, they heard Gail call out, How about a fresh cup of coffee before you go? They readily accepted Gail’s coffee offer because the cold weather had made the men’s noses both cold and runny.

It was 8:00 a.m. when they climbed into the van to leave. Delbert asked Adrian if he had asked Gail to pick up his mail for him as they backed out of the drive. But, of course, he hadn’t asked her. I’ll tell her! Larry commented as he bounded from the van. They could tell that Gail would miss him by the big hug and kiss she gave him as he left the porch. Finally, he got back into the van, and Adrian drove off.

Chapter 2

The Trip

The early morning traffic was light, and the weather was good. The Christmas rush was already over, and the New Year’s rush hadn’t yet begun. Light snow covered everything and made the world appear clean and calm. There wasn’t much along the freeway to distract the men from discussing the new equipment that Adrian had brought along or the climb they would soon enjoy. They enjoyed the scenery and talked about the weather they might encounter.

One of the biggest concerns of the four men on their climb was adequate protection from the weather. If they took proper precautions, there wouldn’t be any reason to worry. They would be able to withstand a real storm inside Art’s new tent. Since it would be the first time they stayed in that type of tent, everyone wanted to know how it worked and if it would be as warm as they had heard it would be.

Delbert turned himself in the front seat to see Art seated behind Adrian, the driver. Art, tell us about your new tent. Is it easy to heat up? Delbert sounded as eager as a child, asking about a new Christmas toy when he stated his questions. Art was even more anxious to tell him about it.

It is the nicest tent I have ever slept in overnight. It cost me a little more than I had expected to pay, which bothered me until I tried it out a couple of days before Christmas. It went up easily because of its lightweight, spring-loaded tubular frame. The floor is insulated, and it has a double thickness wall with electrical wires inside it like an electric blanket. The entrance has a double zipper, which is at the end of the overlapping flap. There is a new compact lithium battery to provide electricity to heat it. It dropped to about fifteen degrees the first night I slept in it, but I was nice and warm in my sleeping bag, and I only had the heat on low. I imagine, with the four of us in the tent, we won’t even need the heat unless the wind blows hard.

That sounds great, Art, Larry commented. I remember how cold we got last time we were out in a tent, and I don’t want to go through that again.

Adrian, do you want to carry the tent? It makes a large pack, but it isn’t heavy. If you bring up the rear, the large pack wouldn’t be a problem.

Sure, Art. I know you and Larry can carry a heavier load than I can, so I might as well carry the bulky items. Adrian’s van covered the crisp, frozen road as if there wasn’t any ice. They were glad the traffic was light because of the ice. They were comfortable in the van, and there was plenty of room for everyone.

Delbert tried to visualize the next few days. Art, will you or Larry lead on the climb to the summit?

I thought I would lead at the start, volunteered Art. That way, Larry and I can take turns breaking the trail. There may be a lot of fresh snow, and it could be rather rough to lead. When we climb down into the crevasses, we discussed, I thought Larry could lead so that I would be next to you, Delbert, for your monitoring experiment. When we climb from the base camp to our campsite on the mountain, the person carrying the lightest backpack should lead.

Delbert agreed, That sounds good to me. We might get there early enough tonight to set up our camp.

Larry continued, Tomorrow, if we can find them, we could climb down into some of the large crevasses my friend told me about and explore some of the tunnels.

Do you think we will have to move camp tomorrow? Larry asked.

I think we should move camp to a higher site on the mountain while we are fresh. That way, Delbert added, we would be ready to climb down into some more of the crevasses Monday.

I can’t wait to see the geological formations where the quakes opened up the mountain! Thus, Art’s geology and mountain climbing went hand in hand.

The conditions caused by the quakes and the snow combined would make the climb dangerous, though. Adrian thought about that fact, so he brought it up. You will need to be careful, Larry, when we climb into and out of the crevasses. You know Art will pay more attention to what he sees than to what he is doing.

Adrian’s sound judgment showed why Gail and Myrna were happy he was going along. At least I know you won’t go too fast for me, Adrian added another thought. Art, when you break trail for the summit, be careful! We don’t want to start an avalanche. It wouldn’t be hard to start one with all the ice frozen to the loose rock under the snow. Any disturbance of the heavy, fresh snow would probably cause it to slide on the ice beneath it.

I’ll try to watch what I do. Warn me if you see me do anything that might not be advisable. Delbert knew Art was bright and meant what he said, but he was too adventurous sometimes and didn’t stop to use his head.

When they stopped for lunch, it was below freezing. The sky was a deep blue, and the sun was shining brightly. Now and then, they saw a deer in the brush beneath the fir trees along the freeway. Everything looked beautiful under the sparkling crystals of ice and snow.

There was quite a contrast between the men’s personalities. Adrian, who was almost 62-years old, was very intent when he worked on his special projects. His younger friends were always amazed at how deeply he thought things out. His scientific mind always questioned and observed everything that went on around him. When doing research, he often tried out new ideas and theories. Adrian’s family was grown. He had been a widower for two years, and he had achieved most of his goals in life. This group of younger men kept him active.

Delbert loved the opportunity he had to study his friends in a small-group situation personally. He had often thought about Art’s quick grasp of his thoughts and how much they thought alike. He wasn’t sure whether Art anticipated his questions or whether he was psychic. Even Art’s wife, Myrna, would have been Delbert’s choice in a wife if Art hadn’t met and married her first. At 36, he was six years older than Myrna and two years older than Art. As they drove along, the childish excitement of his friends was of interest to him. Delbert remained turned in the front seat to watch the interplay between the men and the expressions on their faces.

Larry was a physical person but gentle and at peace with himself. He was a good husband, considerate, even-tempered and loving.

Art lived his geology and had already anticipated what the stratum would look like in the crevasses. He often collected mineral samples from deep within the earth and hoped to find some from the eruption along with the lava rock. He often climbed the most challenging peaks for rock samples. Other rock hounds were more concerned about staying alive than trying to collect a prize rock sample.

After a light lunch in Olympia, Washington, the men continued on their way. By the time they reached Seattle, they had decided to stay in Bellingham for the night. If we stay in a motel tonight, we could get to the mountain early in the morning, and we wouldn’t have to set up camp an extra time. Everyone agreed with Adrian. He had to, more or less, set the pace. Although he had only driven part of the way, he grew tired. Besides, it wouldn’t be possible to reach the mountain before dark.

Before leaving Seattle, Art called some of his relatives in the area to wish them season’s greetings. Larry called his friend, Michael Endicott, who lived in Bellingham. Michael would make reservations for them at the Bellingham Travel Lodge Motel and was happy to help them. He would meet them at the motel when they arrived. Both Larry and Gail had been good friends of Michael and his wife when they had lived in Portland.

Michael had been a good radio and TV newsman in Portland, but the long hours his job required him to work hadn’t agreed with his wife’s idea of an ideal marriage, and she had gotten a divorce. Michael had taken it hard. He loved his wife, but he had loved his profession much longer and couldn’t give it up. His drinking started when his marriage got shaky, and that made things worse. His drinking caused him to lose his job in Portland soon after his divorce, and he had finally ended up in Bellingham as a newsman.

The trip to Bellingham was enjoyable for the men. They looked forward to a good meal and were relieved that they wouldn’t have to sleep in a tent that night. However, they realized that the nervous tension and the excitement of the day had tired them. Larry directed Art to the Travel Lodge Motel in Bellingham. As they pulled in, Larry pointed excitedly at the motel lobby. There’s my friend Michael! Art parked the van in the parking lot, and the men got out. Art had driven the van from Seattle and said he liked the way it drove.

Delbert handed each man his suitcase and then followed them. Let’s see what Michael has arranged for us! Larry called over his shoulder as he walked toward the motel entrance.

The 60-unit motel was in a quiet area so they could get a good night’s sleep. Michael’s smile greeted his friend as he entered the motel office. Hi, Larry, it’s good to see you again!

Hi, Michael, have you been taking care of yourself? Larry shook Michael’s hand and slapped him on the shoulder. Guys, I would like you to meet my friend, Michael Endicott. He’s a news reporter for the radio station here in town. Mike, this is Delbert Tinsley, psychology professor; Adrian Adralack, the science professor and Arthur Noack, the geology professor.

It’s a pleasure to meet all of you, Michael remarked as he greeted each of the men with a handshake and received their words of greeting. Why don’t you sign in and take your bags to your rooms? Then we can go to the restaurant next door. The dinner wine is on me.

As usual, Art was the first to reply. That sounds good to me, Mike. Delbert registered himself and Art in one room while Adrian registered himself and Larry in another. They left a call at the desk for 6:30 a.m. There was plenty of time to have a good meal, a little wine, and some good conversation. Although they were tired from their long drive, they were too excited to retire very early.

The restaurant next to the motel would be convenient for breakfast before they left in the morning. The five men shared a booth in the lounge on the opposite side of the room from a small stage; there, they could hear one another talk. At 9:00 p.m., there would be live music if they wanted to stay that long.

From the way Michael’s breath smelled, the men realized the last thing he needed was another drink. However, he did appear to be in control of himself and not drunk. Larry was glad Michael had ordered wine with his meal rather than his favorite drink, scotch. Perhaps he wouldn’t drink as much of the wine.

What do you plan on doing tomorrow, Larry? Michael asked.

We will drive to Glacier, hike along Glacier Creek, ascend Heliotrope Ridge, and cross the Coleman Glacier. Before night, we’ll set up camp between Coleman and Deming Glacier. We want to look at the crevasses on Coleman and Deming Glaciers for the next three days before we climb to the summit.

A 10,800-foot climb sounds like a lot of work to me, Michael said.

We enjoy our climbing. Besides, we want to check out some of the crevasses that opened up in the Coleman Glacier during the last big quakes. I understand there are some huge ones up there now.

That’s right, Art. Michael’s based his confirmation on newspaper reports carried a year or two earlier in the Bellingham newspapers. It’s good to see you again, Larry, and to meet your friends. How would all of you like to stop by and see me at the station when you get back? We’ll tape a sport special about your climb. You know it isn’t very often there is such a low snowpack this time of the year. You usually can’t climb Mt. Baker after October."

Art spoke first, That sounds great, Mike. We’d enjoy that.

OK, I’ll expect a call from you next week. Here’s my card for a couple of you in case Larry loses my number. I’ve got to go. I have an early newscast in the morning on what’s been happening across the nation this past week. I’ll see you all next week.

Thanks, Mike, see you next week, Larry said as he shook his hand.

I’m ready to go to my room even though it’s only 9:30 p.m. Besides, that live band is too loud for me, Adrian said.

We’re with you, Adrian, the others said as they too slid from the booth.

Delbert and Art shared a room that night, which gave Delbert a chance to talk with Art about his uncanny ability to read his thoughts. I don’t know what the secret is, Delbert. When we climb, I know which way you plan to move and where you’ll drive your next piton. Sometimes, when you talk, I know how you will finish your sentence. That is especially true when I concentrate on what you are saying. When you ask questions, I know what they will be before you can ask them. You are the person whose thoughts I can read best. But, of course, I have been able to read other people’s thoughts too. I have tried to improve my ability to read minds because it gives me an advantage, especially when I play cards. When the players concentrate very hard on their cards, it is easy for me to tell what they have in their hand.

How would you like to—

Delbert was interrupted by Art, who smiled as he finished his sentence, Try to develop this skill together? I’d like that. They decided they would talk about it more after the first of the year. Now they needed to get to sleep.

Chapter 3

The Climb

The men were awakened at 6:30 a.m. by the desk clerk. By 7:00 a.m., they had checked out of the motel, placed their suitcases back into the van, and ordered breakfast in the adjacent restaurant. After breakfast, they drove to Glacier, arriving just after 8:00 a.m. The hike along Glacier Creek was easy, even with the heavy packs they carried because of the drought conditions during the fall and early winter. However, the men would have to walk about seven miles with their backpacks to reach the area they wanted to set up their camp. They thought the base camp would be at about 6,000 feet.

Mt. Baker is an enjoyable mountain to climb. Since it is only 10,200 feet high, thousands of climbers have climbed it. In 1912, the local mountaineering club sponsored marathons from Bellingham to the summit and back. The summertime record was an incredible time of 9 hours and 48 minutes. The record for climbing from Glacier to the summit and back was six hours and two minutes. The route the group would take was the easiest known. They would hike from Glacier over Heliotrope Ridge to Coleman Glacier, the saddle, and then take the Roman Wall ascent to the summit. Before climbing to the summit, they would explore some of the newer geological formations exposed by the big quakes two years earlier.

They could have driven up to Mt. Baker Lodge and climbed the northeast face, but that approach to the summit was more difficult. Besides, the lava tunnels under the glaciers were fantastic. The tunnels came into being long ago when the glacier’s ice cooled the outer layer of streams of lava as they flowed through it. Also, some of the crevasses that had opened up were very deep. There were also bergschrunds to be investigated at the glacier’s edge.

Generally, Mt. Baker is usually closed to climbing after October due to the ferocious winters. The wind is a feature of the northwest volcanic mountains in winter. A tremendous snowfall, averaging 530 inches annually, falls at the Mt. Baker Lodge.The recuring snowfall makes the threat of an avalanche a virtual constant from November through April. The climber faces the avalanche threat on the mountain and the approach to the summit. In winter, it is long and arduous.

Some men go to Mt. Baker for its beauty and challenge, but Art was interested in its minerals. The other hazards they would face on Mt. Baker were the hidden and thinly bridged crevasses, sudden whiteouts, and storms. This particular year was different because there was only a seventy-inch snowpack at the mountain’s base, similar to the winter seven years earlier. During that summer and fall, the snow had disappeared entirely. There had only been one or two snowfalls of six inches that had fallen during the last week.

The men made a detour to Mt. Baker Lodge, where they registered their climb route and picked up their personal locator beacons. The locator beacons, along with their cell phones, gave them confidence that they would be easy to find if something serious happened to them. Now they were ready to head for Glacier.

Soon their destination appeared, and they began their climb. After a long period of climbing, Larry spoke up, Adrian, that’s Heliotrope Ridge just ahead. Let’s stop and rest before the climb gets any more difficult. Then we should rope up. Why don’t you lead, Delbert? Adrian can follow you, and then Art and I can bring up the rear.

Delbert thought it was about time for a change of positions. OK, Larry. Since you have the heaviest pack, changing positions would probably be best.

You have a good idea about roping up, Larry. The way the weather has been the past couple of months, it’s hard to tell if the snow below has turned to ice. It could be treacherous.

Thanks, Art. Let’s set up camp on the south side of Coleman Glacier somewhere and eat before we explore any crevasses on the Roosevelt Glacier.

That sounds good, Delbert. I’ll pick us a spot later. I’m ready to get started again, Larry said. He slipped his arms through the straps of his backpack, which he had rested against some large rocks, and stood up.

Art was studying the type of rock and lava that had been spit out of the volcano. He