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 →
I really suck at the cold. In addition to the all-too-common seasonal depression and the frustrations of short, avalanche prone days, for me winter brings so much discomfort. I have a pretty weak metabolism and terrible circulation, so existing while exerting anything short of significant effort is painful for me in the cold. Others are... Continue Reading →
“Why do they have an M too? What is this, Mozeman?” we joked, looking at the giant M on the side of Mt. Baldy outside of Bozeman. I had just driven there with Toni from Missoula, Montana. In that town was also an M in the hillside, a big white serifed capital letter in honor... Continue Reading →
Ever realize you've bought into a belief without intending to, maybe even one you actually thought you disagreed with? This happened to me in a surprising way when it comes to the notion of "doing more." What I always assumed was that when it came to mountains, I just did whatever I wanted, and sometimes... 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 →
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 →
I'm writing about 100 great peaks in the northwest. The full list is here. There's a special type of rock in Wenatchee, towering and dramatic walls of solid granite that are as beautiful as they are solid. This climber's playground is filled with precariously balanced rocks and pillars that look like castle turrets. So much... Continue Reading →
I have this weird habit of being uninterested in goals that other people have made. Maybe I'm just never going to be over my teenage rebel-without-a-cause mindset. But chances are, the more sought-after a goal is, the less interested I will be in achieving it. I try to get over this, because actually most experiences... Continue Reading →
This is part 2 of this little story. For part 1, click here. The first day, google maps estimated I would walk 25 miles to get to my first Airbnb host. I was still thinking in hiking terms, so I started at 6AM thinking there was no way I'd finish before dark. It was strange... Continue Reading →
