Glacier Peak Summit Attempt
Glacier Peak, WA
June 28-29, 2025
Distance: 53 km
Elevation gained: 3,005m
Highest elevation: 2,836m
53 kilometers and 3,000 meters of elevation gain in just 37 hours. And yet, the moment that defined this crazy two-day effort wasn't reaching the summit—it was making the decision to turn around just 1.1 km and 400 meters shy of the top of Glacier Peak.
It’s humbling to break your own heart in the mountains. Every step leading to turning around was a battle between what I wanted to achieve and my body feeling exhausted. In that moment, abandoning the summit attempt felt like defeat but you have to remember that sometimes turning around before the summit is the safest, smartest thing you can do.
While heading back down the mountain, I had to keep reminding myself that I was making the right call. Fortunately, retreating down the glacier with Jordan turned into one of the weekend's best memories—no pressure, no race against time, just good conversation.
There was also the bonus of hiking another half-kilometer of the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT is an iconic trail in general, but also means a lot to me as I make loose plans to attempt the thruhike in the next couple of years.
I have no doubt that I'll be back to Glacier Peak Wilderness one day. Whether it's to stand on top of Glacier Peak or just passing through as part of the PCT, I haven't decided yet. I'm honestly still battling with the feeling of 'failing,' but I'm grateful for this summit attempt and everything it taught me.
