Snow Brain
This never fails to annoy me:
Why is it that people are so astounded by snow at 13,000 feet altitude?!
I've been to the top of Mauna Kea in February; there's always snow up there during the winter. Of course, I had to hike up there, being a Marine--and having a congenital idiot for a lieutenant. He thought it'd be a good "bonding" exercise for all the Weapons Company NCOs on our one day off during a training exercise at PTA, (a Marine Corps training area located 6,000 feet up the slope of Mauna Kea, in the middle of an enormous pumice field).
I'll never forget getting to the "top" and realizing the observatory (where the road carrying the vehicle to take us back down before it got dark was located) was in the middle of the crater--more than a mile away over ice- and snow-covered pumice ridges.
We were in poplin jungle cammies and rubber-soled combat boots. The scientists used spiked ice boots to get around.
Gods, but that lieutenant was an idiot. I sincerely hope he never got augmented to full duty status and promoted to Captain. I shudder to imagine the chaos he could inflict on an entire company.
"Wasn't really expecting to see snow in Hawaii," he said. "It was great."
Why is it that people are so astounded by snow at 13,000 feet altitude?!
I've been to the top of Mauna Kea in February; there's always snow up there during the winter. Of course, I had to hike up there, being a Marine--and having a congenital idiot for a lieutenant. He thought it'd be a good "bonding" exercise for all the Weapons Company NCOs on our one day off during a training exercise at PTA, (a Marine Corps training area located 6,000 feet up the slope of Mauna Kea, in the middle of an enormous pumice field).
I'll never forget getting to the "top" and realizing the observatory (where the road carrying the vehicle to take us back down before it got dark was located) was in the middle of the crater--more than a mile away over ice- and snow-covered pumice ridges.
We were in poplin jungle cammies and rubber-soled combat boots. The scientists used spiked ice boots to get around.
Gods, but that lieutenant was an idiot. I sincerely hope he never got augmented to full duty status and promoted to Captain. I shudder to imagine the chaos he could inflict on an entire company.
posted by Jar(egg)head at 16:32
2 Comments:
You wussed out and took a vehicle on a road back down, because you where afraid of hiking in the dark??????
The only thing that slightly redeems you is it was apparently your day off. All in all, it sounds fun, I'm kinda jealous.
"Fun"? Well, I suppose so--in that psychopathic sort of sense, maybe.
We were passing mountain goats on the way up. The goats were heading down. First time I've ever felt mentally belittled by a goat.
The company commander, Captain Leipold, had an upside down hissy fit when he heard what'd happened. He met us on the vehicle, and was personally serving coffee and hot cocoa to all of us half-frozen corporals and sergeants. First and last time that's ever happened, as well.
The errant lieutenant received somewhat less cordial treatment from his commanding officer. Ol' Leipold had a temper on him.
So, in summary:
Seeing top of Mauna Kea = Good
Hiking there in summer clothes = Bad
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