Mountaineer John Dooner

from Bainbridge Living Summer 2022

by thepostsearchlight

Traveling trainee Meghan Welch

TAKING ON THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST PEAKS

Mountaineer John Dooner opens up on what it’s really like trying to summit 20,000 ft. peaks across the globe.

BY JILL HOLLOWAY

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John Dooner is a senior forester at Southern Forestry Consultants. His love for the outdoors extends far beyond that just of his backyard though. He is an accomplished mountaineer and rock climber.

Dooner said he has always been interested in the mountains and adventurous activities. However, it wasn’t until four years ago, when he climbed Mt. Rainier with his sister in Washington that he began identifying other summits he would like to attempt.

Dooner explained there are two diff erent types of climbs when attempting a summit. There is mountaineering, which is typically associated with glaciers and ice, and then the typical rock climbing, which consists of scaling rocks. Both require climbers to repel their way down.

When preparing for climbs, Dooner said he goes ahead of time to the location so he can acclimate to the climate and pressure systems. Beyond that, he typically just sticks to a routine during the week, which includes jogging daily and completing inclines on a steep hill.

Once Dooner got used to the routine and put in the work required to get into mental and physical shape, he planned a trip to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming during COVID-19.

Following his trip and success with the Grand Tetons, Dooner completed Mt. Sneff els and Uncompahgre Peak in Colorado.

While Dooner describes the climbs at less technical, Uncompahgre Peak is the sixth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains and the highest summit of the San Juan Mountains.

“It was just your basic climbing and scrambling,” Dooner said.

Through these climbs and his earlier trips, Dooner learned the best time to attempt the summit is early in the morning before the weather changes.

Dooner said he and his sister would usually hike to the base camp, before attempting the summit early in the morning. This was especially the case at Mt. Rainier, because once the sun fully rose the ice

Summer 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 15

John Dooner and his sister, who has completed Mount Whitney (the tallest in the lower 48), smile at the peak of the summit of Mt. Rainier. They are pictured with their guide. Below, John captured a picture of everyone making the attempt during the early sunrise.

would start to melt, making it slick and dangerous for the trek back to base camp.

With four peaks summited, Dooner is now attempting his biggest challenge yet in Ecuador.

“I’ve been thinking about and planning this trip to Ecuador for almost a year,” he said.

Dooner is currently in Ecuador with his uncle attempting to summit Cayambe, which is the thirdhighest mountain in Ecuador, the Cotopaxi, which is the second-highest summit and Chimborazo- the highest summit in Ecuador.

“Chimborazo is really important to me, because it’s over 20,000 feet,” Dooner said. “I hope I am able to make it to the summit.”

Chimborazo’s peak elevation is 20,549.4 ft.

If Dooner knocks these three peaks off his bucket list, he then hopes to move on to Mont Blanc in France, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mt. Denali in Alaska and cap off his mountaineering experience with Mt. Everest in Asia.

“I would like to just experience Mt. Everest base camp,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d ever make an attempt at the summit just due to the cost alone.”

While all of Dooner’s climbs are guided, he also has done some climbing in the back-country unguided, but not for scaling the peaks. He also is an avid elk hunter.

Dooner goes elk hunting once a year in the back country with friends for 3-5 days.

So far, he has traveled to New Mexico and Colorado trying to fi nd elk.

“Since I work outdoors, it does help me evaluate

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areas when we hunt out west,” he said. “I’m able to feel comfortable in these unfamiliar areas.”

With Dooner’s background, he is able to scout for elk through aerial imagery and tons of books.

“It’s really rewarding because it combines everything I enjoy,” he said. “It’s hiking, scouting and hunting and then harvesting an elk would be icing on the cake.”

Dooner only hunts with a bow, and while he said he has never gotten an elk, he said he has had some really close encounters.

“Physically and mentally, it’s demanding, but the reward is just so great,” he said. “It’s just you and a few other friends. You are really isolated away from the worries of the world and it fulfi lls a sense of adventure deep down.”

Dooner hopes to be able to follow through with his plans to visit Wyoming and Montana soon for another attempt at getting an elk this season.

While he understands elk hunting may not be for everyone, he strongly encourages those who long for adventure in the outdoors to try it.