7/4/2024 - 7/5/2024 I have been climbing mountains in the Cascades for my entire life but somehow had never attempted Mount Rainier. That changed when our friend Rio texted saying he had a permit for Camp Muir – this was the perfect chance to finally have a go at the iconic tallest peak in Washington State.  Paradise to Camp Muir Our permit was for multiple nights, which would give us some additional wiggle room in our schedule to play with should we need it. A warming period

8/1/2020 - 8/2/2020 Snowfield Peak is a great glacier climb in the heart of the North Cascades. I was excited for my second ascent of the mountain, this time with Katie. Our journey started at the Pyramid Lake trailhead, which is just a pullout on the side of the North Cascades Highway before Diablo Lake. The trail up to the lake is moderately graded, and I’m always surprised by how dry the forest seems close to the highway. Our packs were heavy with glacier and overnight g

7/30/2020 Sloan Peak is called the Matterhorn of the Cascades. It is obvious why when viewed from a variety of different angles throughout the range. Its sheer cliffs make it hard to believe there is a scramble route, but there is! The corkscrew route is aptly named, winding its way almost entirely around the precipitous summit. All these reasons make Sloan an appealing climb, so I jumped on the opportunity to go when Fern suggested it. This would be worth a "sick" day from w

7/4/2020 - 7/6/2020 Big plans came together for an amazing mountain experience over the Fourth of July weekend. The Inspiration Traverse is a super beautiful, rugged traverse over some of the most glaciated terrain in the lower 48. Our plan was to get out and see some of it in an out and back fashion. We would not be completing the entirety of the traverse but would still get to see some of the most beautiful sights in the state. Our trip started on a not-so-glamorous note w

6/22/2020 - 6/23/2020 One of the most amazing parts of living in Washington state is to be bored one day and have the option to decide to go sleep on top of a glaciated mountain on a whim. This trip to Ruth Mountain was very last minute. Katie had just “learned the ropes” of glacier travel and we wanted to test out some of her new skills on a relatively safe glacier. We settled upon Ruth Mountain but weren’t sure when this trip might happen. I was checking the weather one da

6/1/2019 - 6/2/2019 What better place to try out a new splitboard than the summit of a stratovolcano? Baker is one of the most recognizable and striking summits in Washington, towering above its surroundings in the northwestern part of the state – only about 30 miles due east of the city of Bellingham. It is home to many glaciers, and the Mount Baker Ski area holds the world record for snowfall in a year at 1,140 inches! Needless to say, this one had to be climbed. Fern and

7/28/2018 I have had a mild obsession with Mount Shuksan for as long as I can remember. It is a Pacific Northwest icon and is a perfect example of the ruggedness of the North Cascades. I love how it towers above the Mount Baker ski area and how its glaciers pour off it. When the opportunity arose to climb it, I jumped at the opportunity. Fern, Erik and I decided on the fun and varied route called the Fisher Chimneys. It is a bit more challenging than the standard Sulphide G

7/14/2018 - 7/16/2018 Fern and I had talked about sleeping on top of a volcano for years, and the opportunity finally presented itself in July of 2018. He had been dealing with a stomach bug for a while and hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days but was finally feeling better and said he was good to go despite the calorie deficit. What a hero climbing partner! The weather forecast was looking HOT (at least in the Puget Sound area) and was going to be clear and sunny in the mounta