There isn’t much that compares to the Baker backcountry on a bluebird winter day. A sea of mountains cloaked in white stretching in all directions, dreamy pillow drifts, and, of course, the crown jewel, Mt Baker, dominating the horizon.

At the end of August, Alex and I headed to South America to chase winter in the depths of the US summer and had a blast skiing a couple Chile volcanoes in spring-like conditions. However, this was not our Plan A. (I really need to start keeping track of how often my Plan As fall through because I feel like I write this sentence nearly every other post!) Our Plan A was a hut-to-hut backcountry ski trip outside of Bariloche, specifically this trip from Powder Quest: https://powderquest.com/trips/patagonia-hut-to-hut/. We booked the trip at the end of 2024 and kept our fingers crossed for good conditions. Unfortunately, the region experienced its worst snowpack since 1996.

In 2021, Alex and I set out to climb Snowking Mountain, a regal peak nestled in the depths of the North Cascades during an intense heat wave. We underestimated the amount of water sources along the route and ended up dangerously dehydrated on the most exposed section of the approach. By pure luck, we stumbled upon a tiny snow patch melting in the heat and were able to filter a couple liters of water that saved us. By the time we made it to camp at Cyclone Lake, we were exhausted, dehydrated, and mentally fried from the entire experience. Instead of attempting the summit the next morning, we packed up camp and headed back to the trailhead, tail between our legs. Once safely home, we wrote this one off for good.