winter

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

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

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

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

The sunlight is obscene.
It comes on strong in that all-consuming way that lovers do. Blinding. Disorienting. White hot. Dangerous.
We don’t want to fall for it, but we still do.… Read the rest