I almost wanted to call this essay something stupid, like "Zen and the Art of the Sufferfest," but that's the thing-- I'm not really qualified to write that essay. I don't really like suffering. Sure, there are some little parts of trips I enjoy less than others, but I don't like being hungry, cold, or... Continue Reading →
It wasn't muggy anymore like it had been in the forest. It smelled like water, like the grey glacier that was just far enough away from me that I couldn't feel the cold. It smelled like the several dispersed streams flowing over the sand and rocks around us, never a big flow but branching out... Continue Reading →
I'm writing about 100 mountains I love. The full list so far is here. When I'm feeling like taking it easy, walking in no particular hurry and seeing beautiful things, a hike through subalpine meadows is the perfect option. Cashmere Mountain had been on my list for a long time, and a 20-ish mile hike... Continue Reading →
I'm writing about 100 mountains I find interesting. The list is here. I should have known not to climb Prusik on a weekend. The iconic peak in the Enchantments, probably the most photographed thing in the most photographed place in Washington, is as popular of a destination as you might expect. In fact, it was... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Before I'd ever thought about climbing Dome Peak, the only time I'd ever heard it mentioned was in the stories my friend Chelise told me about this rescue on a Mountaineers trip that took place there. I knew it was pretty far from any road, which is why the incident, in which an ice climber... Continue Reading →
Loowit (Mt. St. Helens) is not made of beautiful rock spires. It is not (in the summer, at least) covered in snow with dramatically windblown icy slopes leading to the summit. Loowit is made of dust. For anyone (like me before moving here) that missed the memo, this is because it is a volcano that... Continue Reading →
