ski mountaineering
After a month of pedal-powered skiing adventure in a truly fascinating corner of the earth, we are all back home in Vermont again–safe and sound. To the wonderful country of Norway, the weather gods and the many new friends we made along the way: We cannot thank you enough for… 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
I leapt from bed to turn off my alarm clock, which kept screaming at me like an annoying car alarm. To make it to the Olympics I was going to need to be out early as I was again meeting up with Brad and Joe to tackle a peak with … 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
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
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
