Growing impact of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. Based on final mortality data from 2000-2008, death rates have declined for most major diseases—heart disease (-13 percent), breast cancer (-3 percent), prostate cancer (-8 percent), stroke (-20 percent) and HIV/AIDS (-29)—while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen 66 percent during the same period.

Source: Alzheimer's Association. 2012 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. March 2012; 8:131–168.

Climb Itinerary

J. Ott:
As I've noted before, I have no mountaineering experience and have employed Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI) as a guide service.  The following info is from their website, check them out at www.rmiguides.com

The Four Day Summit Climb is our most popular program. This climb is ideal for first time mountaineers, as well as experienced climbers who are in great physical condition. Mountaineering skills learned during Days One and Two will prepare climbers to safely attempt an ascent of Mt. Rainier with a guide leading their rope. Our route ascends either the Ingraham Glacier orDisappointment Cleaver and utilizes Camp Muir, allowing us to climb with less group gear and lighter packs. The program consists of a Pre-Trip Orientation, Mountaineering Day School and a Summit Climb.

(For us, Day 1 = Sunday, July 15.  The following is abridged from their site for brevity)

Day 1:  Pre-trip Orientation
3PM -6PM:  Meet at RMI Rainier basecamp in Ashford, WA.  Welcome and introduction of team members and guides. Discuss personal equipment and gear check, intoduction to safety practices using helmets, harnesses, and avalanche transceivers, and instruction on environmental considerations.

Day 2:  Mountaineering Day School
815AM-5PM:  Meet at RMI Rainier basecamp with pack for Day School gear. Shuttle ride to Paradise, WA.  The day is spent on lower snow slopes of Mt Rainier between 6000 and 6600 feet, offering instruction of various techniques and skills including rest-stepping, pressure breathing, cramponing, roped travel, and ice axe arrest practices.

Days 3&4:  The Summit Climb
The Summit Climb takes over the course of 2 days.  First day we hike to Camp Muir, and on the second day we make the summit attempt and all the way back to Rainier basecamp.
815AM:  Short team meeting. Paradise (5400 ft) to Camp Muir (10060 ft) is nearly 4.5 miles and travels through the alpine zone onto the Muir Snowfield which is climbed for some 3000 vertical feet.  Groups usually climb for an hour and rest for 10-15 min.  Camp Muir 'accommodations' consist of a small mountain hut with bunks and sleeping pads.  Go to bed early.  Day 4 starts pretty early.
Day 4: The push to the Summit
About 1AM: Get your gear you need, leave the rest. The typical route begins with a rising traverse across the Cowlitz Glacier and then ascends the pumiced switchbacks of Cathedral Gap.  Reaching the Ingraham Glacier provides access to the Disappointment Cleaver route, the physical crux of the route.  Zig and zag through multiple crevasses of the upper mountain to the summit (14410 ft).  Here, we're only halfway done.  Descending back down to Camp Muir takes about half the time of the ascent.  Take a break at Muir, get all your gear and back down to Paradise.

Why Alzheimer's?

So, why Alzheimer's?  Here's some quick facts from www.alz.org.  The first three bullets (especially #3) pretty much explains it.

• 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease.
• One in eight older Americans has Alzheimer's disease.
• Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
• More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care valued at $210 billion for persons with Alzheimer's and other dementias. 
• Payments for care are estimated to be $200 billion in the United States in 2012.

Alzheimer's Association. 2012 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. March 2012; 8:131–168.

Jenothy's Journal Entry #1

Why climb a mountain?  It's hard to know where to begin to explain the "why" behind my desire to climb a mountain.  Growing up in the foothills of the Rockies, along the Wind River Range, we climbed mountains because they were there!  From a very young age, I have loved the mountains and the sensation of reaching the top.  I guess the short answer is as simple as; because I can, because I have always wanted to summit a "fourteener", because I wanted to do something to mark my 40th year of life, because I was invited, because there is nothing like it! 
I have tried to talk myself out of going on this trip more than once.  Telling myself it's selfish to take a trip like this without my kids and husband, its too much money, I shouldn't take off from work, and the money could be better spent on something else. Those reasons are, to some degree, all true, but there are two reasons I didn't back out: 1. A husband who understands my inner drive and fascination with adventure and 2. A dad who told me, "you'll never complete your bucket list if you always wait for a better or perfect time." 

Am I excited? Nervous? Thrilled? Anxious? Yes, yes and YES!  I hope to use this blog as a way to share my training and preparation,thoughts and reflections, and goals and excitement...and maybe a few funny stories about Joey!! It is my prayer, this will be an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for a tremendous cause (Alzheimer's Assoc.), as well as participate in something I will never forget.

I hope you'll join our team and be a part of A Climb to Remember!

One step at a time...one foot in front of the other...
Jenothy

Alzheimer's Disease awareness

Building upon the previous 'why to climb' theme...

For now, I'll keep the long story short.  Our climb has been approved as an official fundraising event by the Alzheimer's Association.  You can make your tax-deductible donation to the Alzheimer's Association using our Contribution Form via the link above the blog archive.  At least 90% of your donation will go to the Alzheimer's Association and the remainder will reimburse expenses associated with the fundraising.  Don't forget to check with your employer to see if they have a matching gifts program!

Remember that every little bit helps.

Thanks for your consideration.

Why climb and why Rainier??

I'm new to the blog world, so here goes nothing.

Why climb a mountain?  And why Mount Rainier?  These questions have been posed to me several times by several people.  And frankly, I've got several answers.  

Why climb?  One of my main answers is adventure, but it's not like any of my previous adventures which in my opinion pale in comparison to a summit attempt of Rainier.  I have zero mountaineering experience.  Am I concerned?  A little.  Am I excited?  To say yes would be an understatement.  One other reason is the challenge of it.  I'll be 35 years old in October, more than a decade removed from my playing days.  Since college, however, I've done a couple minimarathons and have remained fairly active.  But this is no 2-hour run, not a nice little dayhike, nor an ordinary overnight backpacking trip in the Smoky Mountains.  I figure I'll be pushing the limits of both my strength and my endurance more than I ever have.  There are more reasons, and more on that in a following post.

Why Rainier?  I first read about Rainier in Backpacker Magazine about 5 years ago.  It stands 14,410 ft above sea level and is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48.  In my humble and novice opinion, it will provide a taste of mountaineering without having specific mountaineering training/experience.  Contrary to popular belief, I am not an idiot, so I have hired Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI) as my guide service.  The planned route is considered a non-technical route but does employ the use of crampons, an ice axe, harness, etc.  Upon reading a bit, Rainier is used heavily as a training ground for Denali and even Everest.  Before you get too impressed, keep in mind there are several routes to the summit, and we're taking the easiest.  Mount Whitney in California is ~80 feet higher than Rainier, but from what I hear you can summit Whitney in shorts, a t-shirt, and a your favorite hiking shoes.  Not quite the mountain experience I'm looking for, but Whitney would be a good bucket-lister.

There's much more to share.  Stay tuned.

-J. Ott