On January 17, Alex and I headed to Olympic National Forest to venture out on our first backpacking trip of 2021. We hadn’t been backpacking since early September and were eager to spend a night under the stars again. We didn’t plan on going so long between trips, in fact, this 4.5 month stretch might be the longest we’ve gone without backpacking since we started backpacking in 2015! However, poor weather conditions, moving to a new home, and other personal obligations piled up and our trips kept getting postponed and cancelled.
Read MoreThe Hidden Lake lookout in the North Cascades has been on my radar for years. I’ve always wanted to visit in the summer but the road is rugged—far too rugged for our Sedan—and the lookout is popular, which means you would be hard pressed to find any solitude there on summer weekends. However, in the winter the entire landscape transforms the tough summer hike into a grueling ski tour. The crowds diminish and the chances of getting the lookout to yourself increase (or so we hoped).
Read MoreEarlier this month Alex and I went on a dreamy backcountry ski tour with some friends in the Mt. Baker backcountry. The forecast for the day looked overcast and dreary, and we expected to be in the clouds for most of the day and possibly even snowed on. However, instead what we experienced was a winter wonderland. The clouds were light and airy and transformed the harsh sunlight into a soft golden glow on pillowy snow. We spent the entire day skiing laps in the Artist Point area, stopping often along the way just to stand in awe of the scenery surrounding us.
Read MoreOn Friday, February 1 my friend Nate texted me and asked if Alex and I would like to join him for a sunrise mission up Mt. Ellinor in Olympic National Forest the very next day. It would mean we would have to wake up at 1am two Saturdays in a row (the weekend prior we climbed Mt. St. Helens), but we immediately said “yes!”
Read MoreI’m not a peak bagger, I don’t suffer from summit fever, and I have no burning desire to stand on top of the highest mountains. I actually prefer looking at mountains from below, staring up at their lofty peaks, being overwhelmed by their impossibly massive walls, and admiring their powerful presence. But, sometimes I make an exception and that is exactly what happened a few weeks ago when Alex and I set out with a group of friends with the goal of summiting Mount St. Helens and skiing off the summit.
Read MoreLast month we experienced an unseasonably dry and sunny November for Washington. Weekend after weekend the forecast was favorable so on November 17 Alex and I and a group of new friends took advantage of the weather with a snow camping trip to a place that’s been on our radar since we moved here: Gothic Basin.
Read MoreIn May of 2016 Alex and I visited Crater Lake for the first time. We hadn't done much research so we were surprised to find most of the park still buried in snow and the entire length of the rim road was not yet open so we were confined to the Rim Village and a few miles of road along the West Rim. We visited over Memorial Day weekend and it seemed thousands of others had the same idea as us as the park was filled to the brim with visitors.
Read MoreLast Friday Alex, a few friends, and I ventured to the Mt. Baker wilderness to do some winter camping. The forecast called for overcast conditions with possible overnight snow flurries but instead we were treated to the most perfect bluebird day. Since we were heading out on a Friday afternoon there were very few people out on the trail and we were able to get our pick of campsites.
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