After setting up camp Harry and I scouted up to lake 10,546 - the fourth lake. We returned to have a bite to eat and after what seemed a short amount of time the sun was setting. We agreed to an early start before the sunrise for our trip to Mount Brewer. As I climbed into my sleeping bag Brewer seemed to be easy pickings from our camp, maybe four miles or so away and another three thousand feet of gain or more. I slept warm, the weather gods had blessed me with their kindness.

Before I knew it I heard my name being called. It was Harry and the time was 5:45am. After acknowledging Harry, I rose my head - to the dismal feeling of nausea. Hmm, I thought. Couldn't be anything I ate, I only brought familiar and "safe" food items along. Oh well I thought, it'll go away after I start moving and get warmed up.  We started ascending the relatively gentle slopes rising above lake 10546 and above. With each step I felt worse but I marched on knowing that Harry is after his tenth emblem peak and we are traveling as a team. I gave it a good Irish push, but I could tell Harry was on to me, my labored breathing and my snails pace. I've been stricken with Acute Mountain Sickness.

Looking down to lake 10546

Finally my body begged me to stop, a feeling which is hard to describe. I let Harry know in so many words that forward progress for me has ceased to exist. As a gentleman and a true mountaineer he understood and suggested a few options, all of which involved safety and teamwork. After some amount of time Harry handed me a two way radio to keep in touch with him. He would ascend Sphinx Col while the sun rose higher, possibly warming me to a better state of being. It never happened. We kept in touch at thirty minute intervals.

Sphinx Col (left of center)

Harry raced up to the col. I could hear his yelp of glee echo down the canyon when he achieved the top. I would have thought he'd seize the proximity of Brewer to make a go of it, but he chose an option which kept us in radio contact instead - effectively giving up the prize of Brewers summit because of my out of tune body. Harry's option was the 12,950 peak above and north-east of the col. He zoomed up to the summit as though he rode an escalator to the top.

Upon Harry's descent we returned to camp. I was so frustrated by scuttling our Brewer summit that all I wanted to do was pack up and head out. So that's what we did. By 3pm we had descended to the trail and around 7pm we had returned to the cars at the trailhead just before sunset.

Apparently Mount Brewer and I just don't see eye to eye. Perhaps I'm just not worthy. Maybe I just needed a heavy dose of humble pie. Either way, I know Harry will be back up there tagging the summit in record time. As for me, I think I'll just hang my head low, summitless again in the season of humility.