Local official scales world?s tallest free standing mountain

Close to the western summit there is a dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude. — Hemingway And who can explain why two-legged creatures, with larger brains and much more sense, venture outside of their comfort zones to scale mountain peaks? ?It?s a challenge,? said Don McLennan, who has served as Presque Isle County prosecutor for more than two decades, of his ascent to top of the tallest free standing mountain in the world — snow-capped Kilimanjaro, an extinct volcano.

?It was an opportunity to test myself,? said McLennan, after a long pause to search for the right words to explain his trip. ?It motivated me to test myself.? He had camped, hiked, and hunted at 12,000 to 12,500 feet in the Rockies, but it couldn?t prepare him for the elements and altitude sickness of 14,000 feet and higher. McLennan kept a journal of his 13-day adventure to 19,340 feet, which started in Rogers City, December 27.

Day one: ?Kisses and hugs all around,? he wrote, ?then out the door at 9 a.m.? He was nearly to the stoplight when his cell phone rang. After being told to pull over and wait a minute, youngest daughter Lauren delivers a recent family photo for him to take with him. ?Very good! To the top of Kilimanjaro!? he stated.

Day two: Still not there. More than 24 hours after leaving the shores of Lake Huron, McLennan views the Sahara Desert from his plane. ?It is so huge — it goes on and on,? he wrote. ?The sky is clear, and for hundreds and hundreds of miles there is nothing but sand. It looked like a brown ocean.? In his motel in Moshi, Africa, it is warm with no air conditioner, just a fan blowing hot air around.

Day three: A rooster needs an adjustment to his watch. From 4 a.m. on — and for every 20 minutes or so — he?d let loose. ?I am certain that I heard a gunshot during one of the serenades,? McLennan stated. At breakfast, Don meets the Quinn family of Philadelphia, father Mike and his two sons Jason and Josh, with whom he would be climbing and camping. For the Quinns it?s a chance for father to bond with his boys. McLennan noted the friendly people and beautiful scenery, but the extremely poor conditions. Everybody is ?pumped up? about the journey that is to begin the next day.

Day four: The group camps at 8,800 feet after hiking through rain forest with heavy foliage. Driving to the trail head, the group traveled through farm country. Potatoes and carrots were being harvested by hand and the people were carrying them away in 100-pound sacks balanced on their heads.

Day five: The Quinn boys are in very good shape, Don notes, but Mike has two artificial hips. ?I worry about how rugged this terrain is — this is no groomed trail we are on,? McLennan states. ?It is rocky, up and down, and gullied. It is just plain tough, even with good hips.? Finally above the rain forest, McLennan can see for hundreds of miles. ?Truly beautiful,? he states. The group camps on a high plateau called the Morelands. They walk in the clouds all day and sleep at 12,000 feet.

Day six: ?Happy New Year!? Don writes in his journal. The porters bang pots and pans and clap their hands at midnight to celebrate. ?I got up and celebrated by looking at bright strange stars, and then, there it was by moonlight, looking down on us: Kili! It was spectacular, dominating, intimidating. Waiting.? After a stout cup of coffee and an oatmeal breakfast, another 1,000 feet awaited.

Day seven: Dealing with rain, McLennan battles a sleepless night, a sinus condition, and a sore back. Camp breaks for a long eight hour hike. ?Now that was some climbing,? he notes. ?Up and down and over and around.? The temperature at 14,000 changes very few minutes and is ?worse than Michigan.? The group camps with several climbing parties. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) sneaks up on Don as he tries to orient his body to the higher altitude.

Day eight: ?The rugged beauty of this place defies words,? he wrote in his journal, after a climb up a 1,000 rock face. ?I?m glad I have Lin?s (daughter Lindsey?s) camera to photograph the scenery. ?No more altitude sickness, so that is a big positive for me. Would really be a bummer to get turned back by that.?

Day nine: A hike of seven to eight hours takes the spark out of Jason. There were tougher physical climbs, but a morning jaunt in rain and sleet took its toll. The hikers arrive at the Lava Towers and set up camp. ?I?m betting that if/when the weather clears, the view will be spectacular,? McLennan wrote. Day 10: It?s 20 degrees, clear and calm. Below, everything is hidden by clouds. There is a problem developing, as Jason wants to break away from the group and try for the top. He is too miserable to camp two more nights before making it to the summit.

Day 11: At 16,100 feet, the hikers take on Arrow Glacier. With clouds below, it is windy and very cold. Mike is distressed when Jason leaves with a guide and another group at midnight. He would never make it, as he eventually is overcome by AMS. ?He just can?t sleep on the mountain another night,? McLennan noted. ?We need to just get through this day. We go up to 18,000 and set final camp for assault on summit tomorrow.? After a six hour struggle they are up and over the Western Breach. ?It should not be referred to as a breach, for it was at best a route — an extremely difficult one,? McLennan writes.

But now, with all the physical obstacles being overcome, the scenery makes it all worthwhile. The next morning, the hikers will head for the summit. Mike and Josh are near exhaustion and Josh doesn?t come out of his tent for dinner. ?I?ve noticed that he (Josh) and Jason like to indulge and sulk. Hey boy, this ain?t no Yogi Bear Park you come to,? McLennan states.

Day 12 (January 7): ?We stood on top of the continent today!? he writes as his first notation of the day. There were heavy winds whipping through the camp as they prepared to start their day. McLennan talks a disoriented and dehydrated Josh into drinking some hot chocolate. Josh is ready to throw in the towel but the fluid perks him and the Quinns and McLennan reach the top. They stay on the highest point in Africa for an hour-and-a-half, celebrating, and taking as many pictures as possible. McLennan envisions a shower, clean clothes, and a comfortable mattress in Moshi. ?Josh and I are talking of maybe hiking the additional three hours…to get us down,? McLennan writes. ?There is one small complication for me: all the downhill (trek) this morning put blisters — as in pads of liquid on the bottom of both heels.? It would be a rough go of it if they proceed.

DAY 13: Don and Josh decided they would hike the five hours, which turns out to be six-and-a-half. McLennan suffers through with blisters while Josh?s knee bothers him. ?I was sooo tired — after going up and summiting this mo

rning, with packs, descending from 19,000 to 6,000,? he stated. There is no electricity in the motel, but McLennan limps his way through the dark to the shower. At mid-morning, the guide reviews the climb with the hikers and awards official certificates to commemorate the accomplishment.

?It turns out that very few people take the route we did. It is the most difficult way up. Most go up by the route we took down — obviously easier with zero rock climbing, but also much less scenic I believe,? he wrote. After another trip into town to pick up some local treasures to bring home, it was time to return home.

?That sure sounds good,? he writes in his last paragraph. ?I am thankful that you all tolerate my need to go off on ventures like this. And I?ve had lots of time to be thinking of you all and reaffirm that I am so fortunate in my life to have you.?

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