Revisit some of 2008’s amazing feats – from speed-climbing Mount Rainier to pedaling across the country to rowing around the Olympic Peninsula – with this year’s News Tribune adventurer roundup.

FORMER BIKE RACER TACKLES MOUNTAIN FROM SEA LEVEL

Randall Nordfors, a 46-year-old computer programmer from Kirkland, climbed Mount Rainier twice before 2008. So this year, he wanted to climb the entire mountain – all 14,411 feet of it.

Most climbers start at Paradise at the 5,400-foot mark on Rainier’s south side.

On July 12, the former bicycle racer hopped on his bike near the shores of Puget Sound at Tolmie State Park in Lacey and headed toward Paradise.

He needed just 19 hours, 57 minutes, 30 seconds to pedal to Paradise, climb the mountain and then ride back to Puget Sound. In total, he biked 162 miles.

Nordfors, who was 45 at the time of his adventure, is 5 foot 8 and weighs 135 pounds. He lost 13 pounds during his adventure.

But the trip almost ended just as it was getting started. He was less than 30 miles into the ride when he started cramping. “There was no way I was stopping,” said Nordfors, who spent more than a year planning and training for his endeavor. “I was committed.”

His 12 years of racing gave him a deep understanding of his body’s limits. And Nordfors was confident he could recover and not put himself in danger on Rainier’s upper slopes. He was right.

Liam O’Sullivan of International Mountain Guides met Nordfors at Paradise for the summit climb. Nordfors, who credits his friend for planning a safe and fast trip up the mountain, reached the summit at 2 a.m. and needed only 11 hours, 40 minutes to make a climb that takes most people two days.

Back on his bike, Nordfors was wired as he screamed down the road from Paradise, often exceeding 40 mph. (The speed limit is 35 mph.)

His accomplishment – believed to be the fastest such attempt – impressed some of Rainier’s most accomplished climbers, such as Mike Gauthier, head of the park’s climbing program.

“It’s pretty cool,” Gauthier said. “That was a pretty impressive feat.”

Craig Hill, The News Tribune

PARK CHIEF SETS THE STAGE FOR MORE HAPPY MEMORIES

Although he reached the summit of Mount Rainier this year, that’s not why Dave Uberuaga earned a spot in our list of top adventurers.

Uberuaga gets the nod because, as superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park, he led the effort that culminated this year with the reopening of Paradise Inn after a two-season closure and the opening of the new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. The two projects, costing nearly $50 million, complete a nine-year renovation of Paradise that will serve park visitors for generations.

It’s hard to gauge the number of hours Uberuaga put into these two projects, what with all the staff and community meetings, telephone calls to National Park Service leadership and congressional supporters, contractor negotiations and site visits. All this went on while he also had to deal with historic floods that closed the park for six months in 2006-07.

As he stood amid the dignitaries and park visitors who filled the new visitor center the day it opened, Uberuaga described the projects as “the crowning achievement” of his 24-year career at the park.

It took a remarkable team effort to finish these projects. Although relatively small in number, Mount Rainier’s staff is dedicated to preserving the cultural and natural resources of the park. Leading that effort is Uberuaga, like the manager of a championship team. This is a man whose passion for the park is matched only by his compassion for those who work with him and the people who visit the park.

While leaving his bootprints atop the 14,411-foot summit is a worthy achievement, Uberuaga has left a greater mark behind at Paradise with the inn’s renovation and the new visitor center.

Jeffrey P. Mayor, The News Tribune

RAINIER GUIDES TRADE OFF SETTING SPEED RECORDS

Mount Rainier climbing guides always seem to have more than their fare share of adventures, and 2008 was no exception.

Here are some of the year’s best:

Justin Merle, Auburn.

The accomplished International Mountain Guides climber took his off day on July 6 to see how fast he could climb Mount Rainier. He managed to get from the parking lot at Paradise to the 14,411-foot summit and back in 4 hours, 49 minutes, 35 seconds.

His time broke the unofficial 2004 record of 4:59:01 set by Seattle’s Chad Kellogg.

Merle’s accomplishment inspired other guides to try to make their own speed climbs.

Liam O’Sullivan, Seattle.

On Aug. 5, O’Sullivan got to call Merle, his friend and fellow IMG guide, to tell him he broke his record. O’Sullivan clocked himself at 4:46:29.

Willie Benegas, Salt Lake City.

Benegas guides around the world for Seattle Mountain Madness, but next season he will guide on Rainier for Ashford’s Rainier Mountaineering Inc. On a visit this year to get reacquainted with the mountain, Benegas decided to try a speed climb. On Sept. 17, he made the round trip to the summit in 4:40:59.

Because these records are unofficial, kept only in the oral history passed from guide to guide, it’s impossible to know for sure if Benegas’ time is actually the fastest ever.

Internet chatter among some climbers talk of Rainier speed climbs as fast as 4:04:00.

Even if his time isn’t actually the fastest, it doesn’t bother Benegas.

“I didn’t even know about the record when I went up there,” Benegas told The News Tribune in September. “It seems like everybody else is more excited about it than I am.”

Dave Hahn, New Mexico.

Hahn, a guide for IMG and RMI, is no stranger to the Adventurers of the Year list. He made the list last year for rescuing a climber high on Mount Everest. This year, Hahn makes the list for something he seems to do every year: climbing Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.

When Hahn reached the 29,035-foot summit on May 25, he became the first American to summit Everest 10 times.

Mike Hamill, Seattle.

For many climbers, reaching the summit of the highest peak on each continent is a life-long pursuit. Not IMG guide Mike Hamill. He summited Antartica’s Mount Vinson on Dec. 1, 2007 and by Nov. 1, Hamill finished the Seven Summits with a trip to the top of Europe’s Mount Elbrus.

The adventure included a trip to the top of Mount Everest on May 24.

Craig Hill, The News Tribune

ROWERS, UPS GRADS TACKLE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF OLYMPIC PENINSULA

University of Puget Sound graduates Jordan Hanssen and Greg Spooner know better than anybody that originality is an important part of any adventure.

In 2006, Hanssen and Spooner – along with fellow UPS grads Dylan LeValley and Brad Vickers – became the first Americans to row from the mainland United States to mainland United Kingdom.

In early 2008, Hanssen cycled across Australia. While most people attempt this in spring, Hanssen took the bigger challenge of doing it in the summer, when temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees.

On Aug. 3 Spooner and Hanssen left Gig Harbor for an adventure closer to home. The men spent 20 days trying to circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula. They made the journey in a 16.5-foot, 200-pound dory and carried 150 pounds of gear.

They were hoping to be the first people to complete this feat, but they came up a little short.

The men lost 40 miles of the trip when they stopped to camp on the beach near the Queets River. The next morning, Hanssen, 6-foot-5, and Spooner, 6-3, could not get the boat back out past the surf.

“We didn’t want to put our lives at risk, so we made the safe decision,” Hanssen said.

They rowed up the Queets River and a friend drove them and their boat to Aberdeen. From Aberdeen, the men rowed up the Chehalis River to the Black River and eventually to Black Lake. They portaged to Capital Lake and then to Budd Inlet for the final push to Gig Harbor.

Some sections of the river and lake rowing were so swampy, they had to get out and push their boat. At one point, they needed eight hours to move half a mile.

While bad luck cost them 40 miles, their trip is believed to be the closest anybody has come to, as Hanssen and Spooner say, “making the Peninsula an island.”

They had rowed the 40 miles they missed while training for the Atlantic Ocean in 2006.

So what’s next?

In 2011, Hanssen and Spooner plan to row from New York to Nome, Alaska.

Craig Hill, The News Tribune

NATIONAL TRAIL LOVER WEARS OUT 15 PAIRS OF BOOTS

Bart Smith loves the National Scenic Trail concept. So much so that in October he completed a 16-year journey to hike all 16,500 miles of the system.

After hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 1992, the 49-year-old Lakewood man became hooked on the scenic trails. He has hiked all eight national scenic trails, crossing through 34 states.

Smith finished this fall, in time to be in Washington, D.C., to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the National Trails Act.

The hikes have taken him over high mountain passes and through Southern swamps. He has taken an estimated 37 million steps, worn out 15 pairs of hiking boots and taken almost 100,000 photos along the way. All to shed some light on a trail system he believes “characterizes America in an ambitious way. … It says something about the United States and how we value our natural resources.”

Smith has published four books of photos from his treks so far, with another, titled “Along the Lewis and Clark Trail,” due out in 2009. He is currently sorting though the 7,500 images he took while hiking the Continental Divide Trail. He’s also talking with National Geographic about doing a book on all the scenic trails.

Smith’s passion for the scenic trail system is so deep, he’s now planning to hike the 3,100 miles of scenic trail that could become part of the system if Congress adds three trails. Trails in Arizona, New England and the Northwest are in an omnibus bill awaiting congressional approval.

“It’s daunting,” Smith said of the prospect of hitting the trail again. “Last year was tough, finishing the (Continental Divide Trail) in time was tough, but I love doing it.”

Jeffrey P. Mayor, The News Tribune

CYCLIST SPREADS HOPE ON TRIP

In case you missed it, Nov. 10 was Bob Mortimer Day.

Gig Harbor officials were so impressed by Mortimer’s summer-long cycling adventure, they gave him his own day when he returned.

“I don’t know if they had cards at Hallmark,” Mortimer said with a chuckle, “but it is quite an honor.”

Mortimer and his family spent the summer cycling from Gig Harbor to New York, delivering their message of hope along the way to anybody who’d listen. What made the Mortimers’ adventure different was Bob.

An accident 32 years ago left Mortimer without his legs and his left arm. Ever since, he has used his experience to motivate others.

On May 17, Mortimer left Gig Harbor on a specially designed bike that allowed him to hand-crank his way across the country. His wife, Darla, and children, Grant, Chanel and Nicole, traveled with him on traditional bikes.

The plan was to pedal more than 3,000 miles. However, the Mortimers made it only 2,500 miles because they refused to put their goal ahead of their message.

Mortimer estimates he had more than 30 speaking engagements at churches and community halls during the trip. The ambitious schedule meant the family had to drive some portions of the trip to avoid missing appearances.

“It’s not what we expected to do,” Mortimer said. “But the trip was about the message.”

The message, Mortimer explained, was hope.

“You can find hope in Christ and you can do something with that hope,” Mortimer said before the trip. “… You can face your challenges and have a successful life no matter what.”

The Mortimers planned to pedal the miles they missed as they drove home in September, but once again it wasn’t meant to be. While visiting an Amish community in Indiana, the family was hit by a dump truck while traveling in a horse-drawn carriage.

Most of the family members sustained minor injuries, but Darla Mortimer broke her knee cap and is still recovering. Despite coming up short on the mileage, the Mortimers say their adventure was a success.

“The most defining statement is this: We would do it all again,” Bob Mortimer said.

Craig Hill, The News Tribune