Friday morning and we were exhausted. A night of rest did not help, as our feet were incredibly torn up and all of our reserves, both mentally and physically had been depleted. We had pushed and pushed, and ended up pushing too hard. Overzealous ambitions had led us into chasing… Read the rest

It was new day. The fresh snow added a crispness to the cold bite of the morning air. A day of rest and regrouping in Bend had refreshed us for our next objectives, which would require a few nights in the wilderness. Broken Top and the South Sister were aesthetic… Read the rest

As I reluctantly stepped out of the tent and into the cold, my spirits were lifted when I saw our next objective jutting into the bluebird sky. Mt. Bailey stood across Diamond Lake from us, taunting us with the current perfect conditions. ”Hey you guys, we’ve got bluebird!”
“Really?” came… Read the rest

We hurriedly packed up everything into my Subaru and squeezed into the seats. “Do we have everything?” we all seemed to ask in unison. After the mental quadruple check, we felt confident that we were leaving behind nothing of importance. Cranking the Blue Scholars and the defrost, we backed out… Read the rest

“Where should we go?” asks Kyle, stating in so many words the question in my head as well. It hasn’t snowed significantly since the beginning of January. We’re beginning to feel a bit like Laird Hamilton during a big wave lull.
“I have no idea. We could hope for sun… Read the rest

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The air was fresh and clean. The forest was beautiful – different shades of red, orange, and yellow – on the ground as well as up in the trees. Fall in the Northeast is always spectacular. The leaves transform the wood into a magical mosaic of colors. Even as they

When Camp Muir on the south side of Mt. Rainier reaches 69 degrees in January, something is wrong. In this case, it’s the weather inversion taking place in the Puget Sound region. Low clouds and stagnant air have consumed the lowlands, creating fog so thick ‘pea soup’ sounds like an… Read the rest

For one who seeks refuge in the mountains, this time of year always has a spiritual element to it.  The off-season is a chance to see ridable lines and dream of the days when the snow will once again cover the land – and then it’s here.  The time when… Read the rest

It’s 4:30 in the morning as we slowly watch the lights of Seattle fade from our rear-view mirror. Our destination is a four hour drive to the heart of the Cascades nicknamed the American Alps, but referred to as the North Cascades Highway.
The highway is open an average of… Read the rest