Lake Byrne via Lost Creek Ridge; a 4-Nighter and Midlife Welcoming.

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Is 40-trips-around-the-sun the half-way point? The statistics would say so. Forty seems like prime time for reflection, assessment, and projection. A trail-cairn of sorts marking an unclear route where past, present, and future can be measured.So how does midlife feel? Personally, … Continue reading →

A White Christmas Day!

Christmas Day snowshoe at Mt. Baker…

Why solo hiking lets you see the wilderness (and yourself) in a new way.

This is a great article in Backpacker Magazine about the merits and risks of backcountry travel alone. Alone, but not lonely.

http://www.backpacker.com/destinations-stories/solo-hiking/3/#sthash.6N8W6vTS.dpuf

Why choose? at Anderson & Watson Lakes

November and the high country is still accessible? I’ll take it! It has been a supremely soggy fall, but the temps have not fallen enough to lay down the typical dozens of feet of snow that can make alpine travel so difficult. At the last minute I packed a map, and on that map were several 4,000ft jewels.

Never NOT been frozen at Ice Lakes.

Once a year Gwen and I get out for an extended trip. This year it worked out to only be the long weekend over labor day; easily the single most popular weekend for backpackers and campers alike.The forecast was for showers the first day, some wind, 40 degree nights, and clearing by the third day. Not bad really if you have moderate protection and breaks in the storms.

Wingin’ it at Wing Lake

Huckleberries:Blueberries:Icy lake challenge:

“ReWilding” on Hannegan Peak

Having just listened to a couple of interviews of Daniel Vitalis about how to bring some wildness back into our overly domesticated lives, I was primed for a little adventure. In the mountains, that generally means either going someplace new, someplace old in a different season, or choosing a new route to an old destination.

I formulated the latter yesterday and in transcending the healthy discomfort of the unknown, was handsomely rewarded with WILDlife, world-class views, and the type of satisfaction one only finds from DIY (Do It Yourself)!Goats at left snowfield:

Heliotrope Ridge traverse; too incredible for words!

Flatlanders in the mountains

This weekend we have family visiting from Iowa who obligingly packed their hiking boots…Iowa is known more for its depth than its height. Historically, there have been several feet of dark loamy topsoil covering much of the state. Unfortunately, this important resource is dwindling frighteningly fast through our subsidizing of the Big Ag juggernaut with its GPS-driven monster tractors and petroleum-fueled pharming practices. 

Ptarmigan Ridge; impromptu reconnaissance

A crystal clear blue sky presented itself yesterday, begging a vantage from some high point. Forgoing my original plan of an easy lakeside stroll, I headed up to the nearest and highest trailhead around – Artist’s Point. This remarkable spot is typically plowed open by early summer, though some years it remains completely buried. For many folks, this is a destination in and of itself and understandably so. You clearly don’t have to go far to enjoy spectacular views. Summer sledding on consolidated sun-cupped snow is just not my thing, however. Perhaps it is an inherent lack of cushioning to my tailbone.