The Idiot made his almost-annual climb to the summit of Mount Lassen (10,463 feet) during the full moon on July 18 to celebrate the three-month anniversary of spinal surgery at Stanford University. He and partner Liz Chapin started the hike in the late afternoon, enjoyed sunset at the summit and descended with headlamps under the full moon.
The comparatively easy five-mile round-trip hike was the latest exploit in The Idiot’s post-op rehab as he prepares to return to the MedTrek in Gaza and Egypt in November. He first climbed Mount Lassen in the 1950s when he was nine years old and has it on the calendar for his 90th birthday in 2038.
Taking off from the Mount Lassen trailhead (8,500 feet) with Liz Chapin in the early evening.
Starting an August snowball fight shortly after commencing the five-mile round-trip walk up and down Mount Lassen.
(Photo: Liz Chapin)
Obeying signs that request hikers stay on the official trail to protect the alpine environment.
Walking through the tree line early in the hike up Mount Lassen.
The trip to the Mount Lassen trailhead — less than 90 minutes away from his base camp in Redding, CA — also gets The Idiot out of triple-digit heat and into fresh air with wonderful vistas and new friends.
Excellent signage explains what hikers see from numerous perched points on the trail to the top of Mount Lassen.
The Idiot does a few pushups at a sign indicating that he’s half a mile from the peak of Mount Lassen.
(Photo: Liz Chapin)
Making new friends on the trail.
A shadow selfie on the way up Mount Lassen.
The last steps to the Mount Lassen summit.
The setting sun seen from the trail up Mount Lassen.
Approaching the summit of Mount Lassen.
(Photo: Liz Chapin)
“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There’s a land that I’ve heard of once in a lullaby…”
The Idiot within a few feet of the tippy top of Mount Lassen.
(Photo: Liz Chapin)
The Idiot and Liz Chapin at the summit of Mount Lassen, the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range of mountains east of Redding, CA.
Next week: The Idiot gives away PDFs of his latest book “The Paris Metro 40th Anniversary Issue: The Book About Paris Yesterday.”
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