Oct 14, 2014 5 min read

Dr. David N. Vaughan, D.M.D., a Washington dentist and a Peters Township resident, has climbed Mt. Rainier not once, but twice in the past 15 years, the most recent being Aug. 4-9.

Vaughan, 39, was part of a 10-member team that also included Scott Hrabar, a fellow 1993 graduate of Peters Township High School, and his wife, Desiree Hrabar.

Since high school, Vaughan and Hrabar have remained close friends who go out about every month or so to explore the outdoors, including bicycling on the Great Allegheny Passage, Vaughan said.

One person who did not join the team was Vaughan’s wife, Adrienne, who remained behind with the couple’s three children, ages 13, 10 and 2.

“I’d love to instill the outdoors in them,” Vaughan said.

Since Mt. Rainier, located in the west central part of the state of Washington, is snow-covered year round, August was selected as the best climb time. And even on a snow-covered volcano, August is still August, so the final descent to the summit at 14,410 feet was made at night, according to Vaughan. The team left at 11:30 p.m. and arrived at the summit at about 6 a.m. The snow is colder and firmer at night, Vaughan said.

“It challenges you mentally and physically,” Hrabar said. “In some ways, it’s spiritual.”

This climb was the third for Hrabar, twice on the same route and another climbing the opposite side of the mountain.

“At the summit, there is a minute all to yourself,” Hrabar said. “It’s very profound.”

It’s a “peaceful moment” where Hrabar said he thinks of only one thing – that he reached the summit.

“Family, work, it’s all put to the side and I focus on the mountain and I respect the mountain,” Hrabar said.

The group spent only 30 minutes to an hour at the summit, admiring the view and taking pictures.

“It’s very windy and you are very exposed there,” Hrabar said.

But, getting to the top was only half of the adventure. “It was a little bit quicker going down,” Vaughan said.

Hrabar had a different take on the trek down the mountain.

“The challenge is just as equal going down,” Hrabar said, adding downhill is more difficult on the knees.

The risks are high.

“Avalanches and other dangers are there, and you don’t know until you get to the summit,” Hrabar said.

According to the National Park Service, Mt. Rainier remains an active volcano and is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous 48 states. The snow pack spawn six major rivers.

Mt. McKinley in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in the nation, with Mt. St. Elias on the border of Alaska and the Yukon, measured as the second highest peak. Mt. Rainier ranks 17th highest in the U.S.

This climbing season was a deadly one on Mt. Rainier when, according to Vaughan, seven members of one team died. That team took a different route to the top than Vaughan and Hrabar’s team did.

In Vaughan’s team, four or five members were roped together. Three of the team members were over the age of 60, Vaughan said.

“You can’t climb by yourself,” he added. “You can’t safety climb alone. It takes a team to summit, not just in the climbing group of 10 people I went with, but also my family’s support to allow me to be gone for so long and just importantly, the support I got from my dental office. My partner, Edward Roman, and my staff were very supportive in me taking the time off and were able to take care of things for me at the office in my absence.”

It takes more effort than strapping on some gear and heading up the mountain. He, along with the other team members, attended snow school where they learned how to stop in the event of a fall, and how to repel into a crevasse and how to escape.

“This takes months to put it together,” Hrabar said of the preparations. This was the first climb for his wife.

Another feat was hauling 55 pounds of provisions from base camp to the first camp site with nights spent in tents. Most of the food was freeze dried for easier transport, Vaughan said.

While some may worry about being buried by avalanches or falling, Vaughan admitted his greatest fear was frostbite.

Being a dentist, he needs his hands and fingers to earn a living. In addition to being in private dental practice, he is a member of the Air National Guard where he serves as a dental officer.

Vaughan and Hrabar are both members of Boy Scout Troop 1393 and carried the troop flag to the summit.

Mountain climbing came naturally to Hrabar, who, like Vaughan, lives in Peters Township.

“As a young boy, I was very unconventional. I’d race BMX bikes in South Park,” Hrabar said. “Then, I joined the Boy Scouts and went camping, and later worked in sporting goods stores.” He earned an associate’s degree in outdoor recreation from Garrett Community College in Maryland.

While Vaughan’s wife has not yet joined the mountain climbing adventures, Hrabar said that his wife is a natural.

“She is always been active, running and going to the gym,” Hrabar said “She’s always been fit.”

The next climb has not been finalized, but Vaughan said he can always dream.

“In South America, there are a few volcanoes over 20,000 feet. I want to climb one over 20,000 feet,” Vaughan said.

Hrabar has a different dream.

“I’ve been thinking that, kind of, maybe it’s time to have a child,” Hrabar said.