I'm writing about 100 peaks I find interesting. The full list is here. "What terrified me was the Thing of nightmares... The Thing now symbolized in broad daylight by that horrid thrust of lava." That's Harvey Manning describing Cruiser, the high point of the Sawtooth Range in the Olympic Peninsula. When we set out to... Continue Reading →
100 Peaks #23: Shuksan. Slush.
I'm writing about 100 mountains I find interesting, for various reasons. The full list is here. When life gives you great weather but high avalanche danger, you find a low-angle route up something tall and pretty! One week in May, Eva and I saw the undesirable weather forecast and hesitated to be optimistic about climbing... Continue Reading →
100 Peaks #22: Twin Peaks, Friendship and Distance
(I'm writing about 100 peaks I have climbed from a historical, personal, or climbing perspective. The full list is here. Also, this is my project, so I get to decide what a mountain is. This hill in San Francisco is almost 1000 feet tall, and I did walk up it, so here we go.) Earlier... Continue Reading →
100 Peaks #21: Tusk O’ Granite and as Many Mountaineering Cliches as Possible
We started down the narrow, winding path nearly a mile from Interstate 90. Our third party member was out, victim of having gone to a bachelor party the day before. Another unexpected setback befell us when the coffee shop was more expensive than I expected. I didn't buy any pastries for the hike, so I... Continue Reading →
100 Peaks #20: South Early Winter Spire, a Love Letter to Being Scared
I've been making stickers with self-deprecating awards for climbers, especially new trad leaders, such as "didn't freak the heck out on a 5.7," "only got a little off route," and "made it home." This reflects the nature of the learning process. For most people, starting to lead (especially trad, especially in a remote, "alpine" setting)... Continue Reading →
Walk to San Francisco Week 5: Mendocino to San Francisco
Ok, I've been using the word "week" loosely to make neat chapters. Forgive me. Here is the link to this project, and at the bottom of this post there is a list of resources on the topic of homelessness if you are interested in learning more. Day 31 I walked out of my hotel into... Continue Reading →
Walk to San Francisco Week 4: Klamath to Mendocino
I'm walking from Seattle to San Francisco. Check out the landing page for this trip here. Donate to facing homelessness here! Day 24 I spent most of the day getting to Crescent City to go to the doctor. The bus stop was an unlabeled bench where everyone who walked by would tell you the bus... Continue Reading →
Walk to San Francisco Week 3: Florence to Poison Ivy (Klamath)
I'm walking from Seattle to San Francisco. Check out the landing page for this trip here. Donate to facing homelessness here! Day 16 I left Florence early and walked through a bunch of the Oregon Dunes. The dunes themselves were pretty but often it was just woods and ATV rental shops, closed for the season.... Continue Reading →
Walk to San Francisco Week 2: Portland to Florence
Read about my walk and support Facing Homelessness here. Day 9 I spent a rest day in Portland with Noelle, during which I got to meet her housemate Shannon and some of her family, and we all shared a lot of homemade food. We visited Powell's Books and watched weird TV. Then it was time... Continue Reading →
Croissants from Seattle to San Francisco
Macrina Bakery Seattle, WA ⭐⭐⭐.5 The texture of this croissant is flaky and good, but it's not as buttery as I want, and the giant sugar crystals on top, while pretty, are too sweet. Starbucks Somewhere, WA ⭐⭐ Two stars only because you have to account for a whole star between this and those awful... Continue Reading →