Outdoors

McClellan Butte​
Take a steep hike, followed by a short scramble, up this odd shaped butte for 360 degree views of the I-90 corridor and beyond.

​Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: September 9, 2021
La Bohn Gap and Mount Hinman​
Coming Soon

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Alpine Lakes Wilderness (WA)
Date: September 4-6, 2021
Putrid Pete's Peak (P3)​
A lesser trafficked I-90 peak that delivers plenty of cardio, roots, and rocks, plus easy class two scrambling to reach the summit.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: August 28, 2021
On the Rocks at Spray Park​
On the Rocks...Bourbon, Tequila, Scotch, and Gin...Oops, not that kind of "on the rocks".  I was so impressed by the variety of rocks that I saw at Spray Park, in Mount Rainier National Park, that I decided to make an entire post to share images of the most interesting varieties.

Type: Blog Story
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Date: August 21, 2021
Spray Park
Spend a day off the beaten path, in your own little slice of alpine paradise, to explore meadows, lingering snowfields, and every type of rock imaginable.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Day: August 21, 2021
Mount Adams​
Scramble 14 miles and 6,600 feet of elevation gain to/from the summit of Mount Adams, a Cascade volcano and second highest peak (12,281) in WA.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Gifford Pinchot National Forest (WA)
Date: August 13-14, 2021
Camp Muir​
Hike/Scramble 4 miles and 4,680 feet of elevation up the Muir snowfield to Camp Muir (10,100 feet), the highest accessible, non-technical point on Tahoma.
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Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Date: August 8, 2021
Video Montage: A Weekend in Alpine Lakes Wilderness​
Travel along with me, by video, to experience all the big mountain views and alpine lakes from my recent backpacking trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Type: Blog Story
Category: Backpacking
Location: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (WA)
Date: July 30 - August 1, 2021
Alpine Lakes Wilderness​
Explore near the Mount Daniel area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to see all the alpine lakes and Cascade Range views that you can handle.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
​Location: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (WA)
Date: July 30 - August 1, 2021
The Teanaway Scrambling Highlights
Teanaway is a scrambler's playground of in your face views, accessible peaks and ridgelines, and tons of possibilities to explore.  Check out the highlights from my four summits in 24 hours - each with a selfie, a landscape photo, and a 360 degree video of the view! 

Type: Blog Story
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (WA)
Date: July 17-18, 2021
Teanaway 4 Peak Scramble
Head to Teanaway for in your face views, accessible peaks and ridgelines, and plenty of on trail and off trail route options to explore.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (WA)
Date: July 17-18, 2021
360 Degree Virtual Tour Around Mount St. Helens (Loowit)
Ever wondered what it is like to walk 360 degrees around a volcano?  Well, I did just that over the 4th of July weekend.  But if you cannot make it there in person - check out my photo slideshow to "walk with me" and virtually experience the mountain from every angle.

​Type: Blog Story
Category: Backpacking
Location: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (WA)
Date: July 3-4, 2021
Loowit Trail
This entertaining, short backpacking trip takes you 360 degrees around a recent volcanic eruption, leaving you with many different perspectives on the destruction and the recovery.

​Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (WA)
Date: July 3-4, 2021
Silver Peak​
Scrambling up the north basin of Silver Peak will test all your snow and rock travel skills, but the scenic, 360 degree views from the top are well worth it!

Type: Trip Report
​Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (WA)
Date: June 26, 2021
To and From the Alaskan Bush - The Float Plane Experience​
Read an overview of what it is like to spend a week backpacking in (and traveling to/from) the Gates of the Arctic National Park along the Brooks Range in northern Alaska.

​Type: Blog Story
Category: Backpacking
Location: Gates of the Arctic National Park (AK)
Date: June 15-22, 2021
Gates of the Arctic Expedition​
Read an overview of what it is like to spend a week backpacking in (and traveling to/from) the Gates of the Arctic National Park along the Brooks Range in northern Alaska.

​Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Gates of the Arctic National Park (AK)
Date: June 15-22, 2021
Gearing Up for Alaska: The Last Frontier​
Read an overview of what it is like to spend a week backpacking in (and traveling to/from) the Gates of the Arctic National Park along the Brooks Range in northern Alaska.

​Type: Blog Story
Category: Backpacking
Location: Gates of the Arctic National Park (AK)
Date: June 15-22, 2021
Guess It Can't be About the Views All the Time​
Over the Memorial Day long weekend I spent a lot of time hiking.  But these trails were not to any fantastic vistas or mountain peaks.  Sometimes you have to just put in the miles in preparation for that future objective...to those fantastic vistas and mountain peaks!

​Type: Blog Story
Category: Hiking
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: May 31, 2021
Snoqualmie Mountain
Up for a short, but very steep snow scramble?  This one yields great views of the Cascade Range, Snoqualmie Pass, and Mount Rainier on the horizon.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: May 5, 2021
Mount St. Helens: Summer vs. Winter Route Comparison​
Within 8 months apart I climbed Mount St. Helens via the summer rock scrambling route and via the winter snow scrambling route. Check out this side by side comparison of my two summit climbs to see drastically different conditions/experiences on the same mountain!

Type: Blog Story
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (WA)
Date: May 3, 2021
Mount St. Helens (Winter Route)​
Scramble 5 miles and 5,600 feet of elevation gain up the snow covered Worm Flows winter route to the Mount St. Helens crater rim.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (WA)
Date: May 1, 2021
Mount Ellinor​​
Summit Mount Ellinor, on the Olympic Peninsula, for excellent views of the Olympic range, four volcanoes on the horizon, and a fun glissade!

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Olympic National Forest (WA)
Date: April 29, 2021
Alpine Scrambling in Paradise​
Make a weekend out of scrambling in Paradise.  Literally.  Well, something close to it in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Date: April 17-18, 2021
Mount Washington (Cascades)
Take a snowy, spring conditioning hike up Mount Washington, in the Snoqualmie region, for great views of the Cascades and the Seattle watershed.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: April 11, 2021
Pacific Northwest Winter Forest Mood
Around Seattle you can hike year round on snow free trails.  But hiking in the Pacific Northwest during winter months does require a certain tolerance for being outside in the 30s and 40s with the frequent drizzle of rain.  

Type: Blog Story
Category: Hiking
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: March 11, 2021
Mount Storm King
Make it up this short, steep trail - including a climber's route with ropes - to the rocky outcropping with signature views of Lake Crescent.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Hiking
Location: Olympic National Park (WA)
Date: January 23, 2021
Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls
The 1990s TLC song advises: "Don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to." Now what kind of advice is that? If not for chasing waterfalls, literally and metaphorically, life would be a lot less fun, adventurous, and beautiful. 

Type: Blog Story
Category: Hiking
Location: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (WA and OR)
Date: January 19, 2021
Ring of Fire​
I fell into a burning ring of fire... Well not the Johnny Cash song, but Washington volcanoes of Summer 2020!  Although, I have to admit, I did listen to the famously annoying Johnny Cash song (multiple times) while writing this blog post! 

​Type: Blog Story
Category: Backpacking, Hiking
Location: Multiple (WA)
Date: December 9, 2020
Hoh River Trail Section Backpack​
Meander through rainforest along the Hoh River for a few miles or tackle all 17 out to Blue Glacier at the base of Mount Olympus.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Olympic National Park (WA)
Date: October 24-25, 2020
Heliotrope Ridge​
Hike this relatively moderate route up a forested ridgeline for a close perspective on Mount Baker and its Coleman glacier.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Hiking
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: October 3, 2020
Mount St. Helens (Summer Route)​
Hike and rock scramble 5 miles with 4,500+ feet of elevation gain through forest, rock fields, and ash to the Mount St. Helens crater rim.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Alpine Scrambling
Location: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (WA)
Date: September 22, 2020
Heather - Maple Pass Loop​
Enjoy alpine lakes, meadows, ridges, and miles of views on this popular loop hike, plus options for several extensions!

Type: Trip Report
Category: Hiking
Location: North Cascades National Park (WA)
Date: September 20, 2020
Spider Gap-Buck Creek Loop
Enjoy multiple days of wild, remote hiking across meadows, ridgelines, glaciers, alpine lakes, and mountain passes.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Glacier Peak Wilderness (WA)
Date: September 4-7, 2020
Gothic Basin​
Hike up a steep, rocky trail to emerge in an alpine basin. Take advantage of the endless possibilities (and boot paths) to explore.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Hiking
Location: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (WA)
Date: August 29, 2020
Necklace Valley - Tank Lakes​
Explore a hanging valley and travel across a backcountry alpine flatland with all the tarns, granite, alpine lakes, and peaks you desire!

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Alpine Lakes Wilderness (WA)
Date: August 22-23, 2020
Cady Ridge
Hike a ridgeline to connect to the Pacific Crest Trail (and beyond) for views of Glacier Peak, beautiful meadows, and alpine lakes.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Henry M. Jackson Wilderness (WA)
Date: August 14-16, 2020
Burroughs Mountains Loop in Mount Rainier​
Spend a day linking up several trails, with a little off trail travel, to see some of the best sights near the Mount Rainier Sunrise base.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Hiking
Location: Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Date: August 8, 2020
Rainbow Ridge​
In the heart of the North Cascades, link trail travel with a backcountry ridge walk for beautiful, secluded Cascade Range views.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: North Cascades National Park (WA)
Date: August 2-3, 2020
A Day in the Life: Yosemite Backpacking Adventure​
Backpacking..."A Day in the Life". For the uninitiated, sharing a quick photo tour of what backpacking involves.  As seen by my group members this July as part of Andrew Skurka's five day adventure backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park. ​

Type: Blog Story
Category: Backpacking
Location: Yosemite National Park (CA)
Date: July 20-24, 2020
Yosemite 5 Day Adventure​
A five day, 60 mile adventure and group backpacking trip with Andrew Skurka Adventures in Yosemite National Park.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Backpacking
Location: Yosemite National Park (CA)
Date: July 20-24, 2020
Ancient Lakes​
Feel like you have stepped into another world exploring this glacial carved desert oasis with several lakes and waterfalls.

Type: Trip Report
Category: Hiking
Location: North Columbia Basin Wildlife Area (WA)
Date: June 13, 2020