powder
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
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
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
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
