Snowy Mountains Journey – MT. BAKER 10,7010 ft vs 5’6 ALI

It’s was bright sunny satuday-58 degree at Oak Harbor. The birds were singing what presume was “Baby” by Justin Bieber. I would’ve preferred “Urgent by Foreigners”, but this wasn’t 80’s and these birds were not on my payroll. Regardless, I open my window Mashallah say view so great that I felt proud serving this nation both at home and overseas. Great Canadian mountains on left side and the Washington State mountains on the right side and today I was ditching the warm and calm atmosphere to explore one of the great Washington State mountain – MT. BAKER

At 10,781 ft (3,286 m), Mt. Baker, Named by explorer George Vancouver in 1792, is the third-highest mountain in Washington State and today I was going to get a taste of its snow.  

At 0900 I hoped in the shuttle, paid $25 and voila I am on seat to go to Mt. Baker. From far, this mountain looked like the Adam family’s house- the only peak that’s being snowed on and all the surrounding places as green and warm as the farm land in the summers of Pennsylvania.

 

As the bus progressed through the route, my heart beat dropped. The bus driver was travelling extremely careful but at still taking death defying corners, so extreme that I started to question dying on perfect Saturday morning that too after listening to a Justin Beiber’s song.

 

Maybe I did deserve dying because of that song! It’s fair to say that in that case those birds should also be paraded in a straight line and executed by the death squad for singing that song. I soon realized marvel was not sending Iron Man to help us out- damn they didn’t have the budget to do another Humanitarian mission after Avengers 2,  so I called on the real super power- Allah and I started reciting “Surat-Al-Fath” and “Surah Al- Qasas” as the bus drove around the deadly circular track leading up the mountain.

 

We reached the mountain top, the bus stopped at the arrival section. I opened the door, stepped down and felt a complete weather shock, the comforting warm weather was long gone. It was now plain cold and so much that my brown skin started to turn white, hands started to shiver and I started to regret why I didn’t dress up like the other 23 look alike Santa clauses on this bus

 

The extreme agony from the cold was instantly countered by the stunning view. Mashallah , Allah blessed this mountain with exponential beauty, and the US Gov did an exceptional job at keeping it clean. Unmolested like the certain other places I have visited.

 

The mountain had a 3 story 3-Star restaurant with a bar, pizza lounge and seating everywhere. The most notable aspect was that the cafeteria had large glass windows on right side where the mountain peak was noticeable. The structure was an architectural achievement where hundreds of customers, at a temperature controlled environment, would enjoy their food and drinks all while observing the magnificent beauty of the snowy White Mt baker and spectating other visitors doing snow sports. This was something beyond your 4k TV experience, and I was seeing it live.

 

I ordered a cheese pizza with a fish burger, sadly the only halal diet there, prayed Bismillah and devoured my food while watching tourist perform insane snowboarding stunts.

 

I don’t know if it’s me or my human nature, but when I watch something spectacular, I want to do it as well! So against all advices and lack of insulating clothes, I decided to try skiing/Snowbaording

I finished my meal, walked to the rental store nearby, dropped a $50 for rental and a $50 for beginner skiing class.  The class was to start in T-30 minutes and so I decided to self-educate myself with my equipments.

 

I walked out with my gear, and at this time I realized that my long gone Chicago – Winter Polar bear skin had started to grow back. I was a Chicago cub again ! Cold wasn’t cold, snow was merely cotton candy and wind chill just a breeze!

 

now I was immune to the cold #ThanksWindyCity, I was still far from learning how to ski. 30 minutes passed, the instructor came and we started the class. If you think you can ski like James Bond escaping the villain in Swiss Alps in your first attempt then you rather give tryouts for NFL, because neither one of them will happen!

 

! Caution, Skiing is a dangerous sports, so make sure you have insurance for you in case something happens, I have half a million dollars insurance on my name to feed my family in case anything happens so I didn’t care and went for it.  12 times! 12 times! I flipped, fell, dropped and failed, but 13 Times I stood up! Dragged myself up , not giving up! Rock solid will telling me I won’t fall the next time and that’s exactly what happened! I learned how to steer my ski’s , then steer my ski even without the assist, I learned how to skid and stop without flipping over. I learned this was a difficult sport, that looked easy but I also learned my will power can overcome 12 failure and be successful the 13^th time.

 

By the time, I was done I was exhausted. I was actually sweating. Maybe The Chicago Winter skin was too much for me now. I wanted my Spring Seattle skin back but I couldn’t just take off the only shirt I was wearing and show my ugly brown belly #IAmNoChristianBale.

I returned back to the ski rest point, started rolling, jumping and playing in the snow, recalling the multiple times my dad took me to the great mountain of Himalayas and told me “Son Listen Carefully! Never forget, we are mountainous people!”. He ended up buying a lake front mansion in a topical area so I guess either my dad forgot we were the so called “mountainous people” or we were never mountainous people and he just wanted to play adventure-adventure with me and just forget to tell me we are lazy city dwellers.

 

I returned my rented gear, went back to the elegant restaurant, performed absolution in the bathroom, threw my extra clothes on the floor, calibrated north west via my Casio aviator (#ThanksCardinas) and started praying Magrib (evening) prayers.

 

This was the moment when I became a proud WA state resident, people looked at me at different reaction ranging from awe, surprise, admiration , shock and etc. I am sure some passerby realized I was praying as I could hear people talking- don’t disturb he is a praying, I think he is Muslim. I was honored that not a single tourist bothered me or interfered with my prayers, even though I was the only Muslim there at that time surrounded by white majority in this sadly current Islamaphobic time #WillChange#WeWillChangeIt.  Some passerby took pictures and screenshot but majority ensured that no one bothered me and one older gentleman that I assumed was Canadian due to his Canadian flag shirt stood there until I was done to make sure I wasn’t disturbed #MuchRespectCanada.

 

I finished my prayers, prayed for My Red-White and Blue state, prayed for All Muslim around the world and Allah’s opportunity for letting me experience this milestone. Blessings done, I stood up, cleaned my place and thanked the travelers who stood watch while I exercised my complete constitutional and religious rights to pray. At that moment, I couldn’t be more honored risking my life everyday defending these individuals and their constitutional rights and the chance of giving my life up for any one of them. 

I was done, I had seen Mount Baker. The first in my family to go here #BeatYouToItDad!

 

I had enjoyed lavish halal dinner at thousands of feet above sea level, I had learned how fall and stand up!

I had seen how team work and love work in the most remote peaks in the world

I had learned how to ski!

I had prayed at this hill station and most importantly , I had prayed for this country its citizen and my fellow Muslims brothers worldwide for a successful life.

Believe it or not, I was too happy for this trip that I forgot to pray for my ride back home and let’s just say I should’ve! I really should’ve!