Journey to the Chilliwacks

The Chilliwacks are small cluster of peaks located in the northern-most reaches of North Cascades National Park. In fact, they are so far north the trail actually starts in Canada before crossing the border and entering the park. These peaks are known for their ruggedness and remoteness, and like any other rugged and remote places they are not easy to reach. I have had my eyes on a trip to the Chilliwacks since I first saw a photo of Silver Lake in a blog post years ago—which pivotal blog post I saw that photo in has since faded from my memory, but that image of the lake has stayed with me ever since.

Backpacking Trips, North Cascades, WashingtonSonja SaxeAugust 15, 2024 Comments

July Turns: Steamboat Prow and the Inter Glacier

During our Olympus climb Sander, Dan, and I talked about trying to climb/ski Mt. Rainier via the Emmons Glacier during the long Fourth of July weekend if the conditions were right. We thought it would be the perfect cherry on top of an incredible ski season. Unfortunately, the conditions were not right and a huge heat wave was forecasted to sweep through the state with highs in the 80s and 90s over the weekend and a freezing level above 16,000’. We didn’t want to climb the mountain during such an intense period of heat but we also didn’t want to let a long weekend go by without at least a little adventure so we pivoted to a day trip to Steamboat Prow and a ski of the Inter Glacier.

Backcountry Ski Trips, Mt. Rainier, WashingtonSonja SaxeJuly 8, 2024Comment

Return to Olympus

In 2021 I attempted and failed to summit Mt. Olympus. It was one of my first big mountain experiences after taking a mountaineering course and the mental and physical tolls of the climb left me feeling completely frayed before we even made it to the summit block. I knew that continuing on could be unsafe in my condition so I made the very difficult choice to stop climbing as I watched from afar as everyone else in my group went on to summit. I was so grateful for my time spent on the mountain but there was also a small part of me that felt I had unfinished business on Olympus.

Mountaineering, Olympic, WashingtonSonja SaxeJuly 7, 2024Comment

Baker C2C via the Squak Glacier

A few weeks ago Alex and I ticked off a ski that I thought was impossible at the outset of our ski touring career: Baker c2c (car to car). As part of our ski mountaineering course we summited the mountain over the course of two days and that task was monumental for me at the time. Granted, we had to haul overnight packs up the mountain but still, the prospect of climbing the mountain in one day (something I knew people regularly did) felt out of the realm of possibility for me. Fast forward three years and many backcountry experiences later and it suddenly didn’t feel like such a stretch goal any more.

Backcountry Ski Trips, Mt. Baker, WashingtonSonja SaxeJuly 1, 2024Comment

Skiing South Sister

Long weekends allow me the opportunity to head out on a trip that is just a tad too ambitious for a weekend trip. Last year over Memorial Day Alex and I went on a three day ski mountaineering trip to Glacier Peak with our friend Sander. This year the three of us had our eyes on a couple different destinations in the North Cascades but unfortunately the forecast for the entire state of Washington was looking cloudy and wet, so we set our sights on a sunnier locale: Bend, Oregon.

Backcountry Ski Trips, OregonSonja SaxeJune 2, 2024Comment

Aurora Watching in the Baker Backcountry

Last Friday night Earth experienced the strongest solar storm since 2003 and as a result people in places as far south as Arizona were able to see wisps of northern lights. Alex, Sander, and I were already planning to be in the backcountry on Friday night so we got lucky and were able to witness the show from one of the most scenic viewpoints.

Backcountry Ski Trips, Mt. Baker, Washington, Winter TripsSonja SaxeMay 16, 2024Comment

Ruth Mountain Annual Ski Trip

There are many ski tours I do once and while I enjoy them I do not have the desire to repeat them. There are also a small handful of tours that I could do again and again, year after year. Ruth Mountain is one of the latter. The view from the summit is one of my favorite views in all of Washington and the ~3,000’ ski down Ruth’s face is one of the most enjoyable lines I’ve experienced in the backcountry. So last weekend, Alex, Sander, and I set out to ski Ruth in a day. I already had two successful ski summits under my belt, one time in a whiteout with Alex that I am reluctant to even count, and a second time last year with my friend Andrew. I was excited for Sander and Alex to ski Ruth for the first time in—fingers crossed—good conditions.

Backcountry Ski Trips, North Cascades, Washington, Winter TripsSonja SaxeApril 29, 2024Comment

A Gold Star for Silver Star

In early 2018, just after completing my AIARE 1 course I bought the “Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Washington” book and began leafing through the pages and dog-earring tours that looked like fun and adventurous objectives. One tour that immediately stood out to me was Silver Star. It looked wildly scenic and it seemed fun to be able to ski a prominent peak of Washington Pass, but I knew it would take awhile for me to gain the skills and practice necessary to successfully ski it. Plus the timing and conditions would need to align. It was a tall order, but this past weekend everything fell into place and Alex, our friend Sander, and I skied 1,500’+ of spring powder from the Silver Star Col!

Backcountry Ski Trips, North Cascades, WashingtonSonja SaxeApril 17, 2024Comment

Photo Diary: Southeast Alaska Whales and Fjords

Over Labor Day weekend Alex and I ventured to the moody coast of southeast Alaska and enjoyed a long weekend cruising through the waters of Auke Bay and the Tracy Arm in search of whales and glaciers. Much to our delight, we found plenty of both.

Alaska, WildlifeSonja SaxeSeptember 13, 2023Comment

Cascades Crown Jewel: Skiing Glacier Peak/Dakobed

At 10,545’, Glacier Peak/Dakobed is the fifth tallest peak in Washington. It’s also the most remote of the state’s five major volcanos. While all of the other volcanos can be seen from major highways and cities, Glacier Peak is the recluse of the group, cradled deep within the Central Cascades and only able to be seen from a highway on the clearest of days and from the most precise angle. Summiting the volcano requires a 34 mile round-trip hike with 10,000+’ of gain and is usually done in two to three days. This is a volcano Alex and I have been wanting to ski since we first started ski mountaineering a couple years ago, but its remoteness and reputation as a rugged peak kept us away until this year.

Backcountry Ski Trips, Glacier Peaks Wilderness, Mountaineering, Washington, Central CascadesSonja SaxeJune 7, 2023Comment