The 6th Annual Slush Cup. What? Most people upon hearing this have no idea and when an explanation is presented — skiing down a snowfield fast enough to skim yourself across a barely melted tarn — interest in the event quickly drops.  Despite the less than enticing description, numbers of… Read the rest

Sometimes it’s nice to relish and enjoy the fruits of one’s labor. Often times, if berry picking is the purpose of the hike then the phrase becomes a bit more literal. Although, “enjoy” seemed like a term that understated the sharp burst of tart sweetness every time I smacked a… Read the rest

The temperature was finally beginning to drop to a normal level and the forecast was looking good. It was time to head out to another beautiful area in the northern area of Mt. Rainier National Park, only this time the focus was getting in July ski turns. Kyle had returned… Read the rest

The Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier National Park, at 6,400 ft., is the highest point one can drive to within the park boundaries. Its location at the northeast corner of the park offers views that many visitors claim are unsurpassed by any other area of the park. From here, one… Read the rest

Alpine starts aren’t always necessary, but usually become the norm for a summit bid day. Especially amongst climbers. Skiers sometimes have the luxury of waiting a while since their round trip time is usually cut in half by the descent. However, there were a lot of areas on the upper… Read the rest

Sunlight filled the sky and the valley was radiant with summer heat. Meltwater cascaded down the sides of mountains, tumbling into bubbling streams, teaming with trout. Just a week prior I had turned around, snowed in and unwilling to brave some sketchy creek crossings on the approach. Although the downed… Read the rest

Morning light begins to bask Adams and St. Helens.

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Early mornings are not always necessary in the backcountry and sometimes prove difficult to pull off. We still left early, and although it was no alpine start, the sunrise we digested that morning was the breakfast entree that served all three

Standing on the Wonderland trail between Mowich Lake and Longmire in Mt. Rainier National Park I fell in love. The millions of visitors every year do not get to see this part of the mountain. The west side of Rainier although easily visible at a distance, is one of the… Read the rest

Known to indigenous peoples as Koma Kulshan, Mt. Baker is the second most glaciated mountain in the Cascades (besides Rainier) and its collective snow and ice volume is greater than that of all the other Cascadian volcanoes. The Mt. Baker Ski Area averages 650 inches of annual snowfall and holds… Read the rest

Eastern Washington has an amazing history, specifically around the Columbia River. Glacial Lake Missoula was situated on the western side of present day Montana and is solely responsible for the landscapes seen near the Columbia River, including the famous Gorge Amphitheater. It was the largest ice dam ever to exist,… Read the rest