ski mountaineering
- Morning light begins to bask Adams and St. Helens.
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
“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
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
