Snow School before the Grand

Even though there was no snow left in the valley in mid-July, there was plenty up high on Cody Peak. We started climbing, placing one foot in front of the other, in foot holds that the person ahead had left in the snow. At the end of each rope length we went down into a snow cave, probably about 5ft below the surface of the snow. I thought that this was extremely precarious. Why would I go into a deep hole in the snow, under a rock, and a big cliff, and a bunch more of snow in the middle of July? I couldn't help thinking about how my mother wouldn't even let me go into the deep holes that older kids had dug in the sand at the beach when I was younger, for fear that they would collapse. Despite my hesitation, situating oneself inside the hole was actually safer than standing outside because it allowed for the creation of a safe belay system. I cautiously climbed into the hole and threw down my ice axe. I was immediately scolded for so casually tossing a sharp object. Such irony (or thoughtlessness)- on my part- especially after my previous considerations of danger.