Cascades

Mt. Hood is special to me, not only because it provides flowing rivers to paddle during the spring melt, but also because it provides entertainment in the winter as I carve my way down the slopes. I have recently grown to know and love Mt. Hood for yet another reason…… Read the rest

Barely a word was spoken as we made our way up to the mountain. Anger was not the culprit for this lack of enjoying conversation. Powder was. Both Brad and myself wore goofy expressions on our faces, entranced by visions of ourselves flying through “hero” snow. We stopped, picked up… Read the rest

Mt. Rainier National Park offers some of the most diverse alpine terrain in the Pacific Northwest. Millions of visitors flock to the dormant juggernaut during peak seasons, and even in winter there is a steady flow of admirers. Surrounding areas receive some traffic too, such as the impressive Tatoosh range… Read the rest

Deep in the heart of the central eastern Cascades lies the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and the Enchantments. Magnificent alpine lakes surrounded by jagged granite rock and remnant glacial fields make this wilderness destination one of the most popular areas in Washington’s backcountry during peak season. Winter offers solitude and… Read the rest

Having just had an amazing day of early season powder, Kyle, Dan and myself were itching to get back up to look for more. This time, we wanted a different destination to vary things up a bit. Curious of what Rainier might have to offer, and noticing the telemetry reading… Read the rest

Fall became winter in three glorious days of Ullr’s blessings nuking the landscape with blankets of white. Early season powder was upon us, and with it the decision of picking the right terrain. Our plan was to get out early, polish off a good tour, and ski sick pow. Quality… Read the rest

Since 1993, The Freshwater Trust (formerly Oregon Trout and Oregon Water Trust) has conducted an award-winning environmental education program called Salmon Watch, which serves over 5,000 public and private school students throughout Oregon annually and has served over 60,000 students to date.
On a cool morning in October we drove… Read the rest

Rain. Surprise. With fall starting, the forecast for the Pacific NW was not alarming in the least. However, an also rapidly decreasing freezing level piqued my interest. Maybe, just maybe there would be some of the good stuff. Like a kid sneaking pumpkin pie early at Thanksgiving dinner, the idea… Read the rest

My idea of what a mining town might have been like is probably skewed severely by the many westerns I used to watch with my grandpa while growing up. However, the possibility of seeing the remains of the city that was once the center of Washington’s gold rush was extremely… 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