Hike/Climb

The Weight of Time: A Rescue on Denali

August 2015 – Ruth Glacier, Denali National Park, Alaska The Talkeetna Air Taxi scenic flight circles the massive south face of Denali which rises 8000 feet from its glacial foundations. The plane – with ten passengers on board – drifts over the Matterhorn-like peaks around the Ruth Glacier, then throttles down and lands. One by one, the passengers climb down …

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Dancing with Goats: A Walk up Sahale Arm

“The views from here of ice-chiseled peaks and peak-chiseling glaciers are the most extensive and impressive of any trail in the west.” – Harvey Manning, Hiking the Great Northwest   North Cascades National Park is home to countless high and lonely camps, tucked away in rocky enclaves above tree line. But the highest established camp in the Park is found …

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Hiking In My Dad’s Hundred-Year-Old Bootprints

Over a hundred years ago, at age 28, my dad raced to the summit of Mount Baker and back to win the 1911 Mount Baker Marathon, considered America’s first mountain endurance race. On an October day in 2015, with my 80th birthday looming, I hoped to honor his memory by hiking a portion of  the trail he ran. My sisters …

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Hike the Wonderland Trail This Summer

Mount Rainier’s backcountry might be a little less crowded this summer, thanks to a technological snafu. A power outage during a storm last March destroyed the backcountry permit reservation system for Mount Rainier National Park. In effect, those backcountry camping spots that had been reservable – up to 70 percent – are now available when you come to the park …

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Here Comes the Sun: Top 10 Spring Hikes in Washington

Itching to do some serious hiking packed with breathtaking views? Don’t let the snowpack put a damper on your hiking. There’s no need to wait until summer when the Cascades, Olympics and Selkirk Mountains shed their snowy shrouds. Nope – thanks to a temperate climate in much of western Washington, micro-climates throughout the state, and some sun-kissed slopes in eastern …

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Hunting Beauty

I am a hunter of beauty and I move slow and I keep the eyes wide, every fiber of every muscle sensing all wonder and this is the thrill of the hunt and I could be an expert on the life full, the beauty meat that lurks in every moment.                     …

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A New Season

When we are young and perhaps single, our world is open to so many possibilities, oftentimes without our even knowing it. I remember being single and finding myself camping, hiking, driving, working out, hanging out, staying up late, etc. with very little need for planning except to make sure I wasn’t scheduled for work. When I got married and had …

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The Ice Caverns of Mt. Rainier: Bill Lokey Dives Deep

Most adventurers struggle mightily to reach a summit peak or a distant destination in some wild and forbidding place. Once there, they can enjoy the view, snap some photos, snack on some granola bars, and revel in the satisfaction of a job well done. Then, after a short interlude, it’s time to head on back from whence you came. …Unless …

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How to Achieve a Period of Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep

Begin by accumulating long-term sleep deficit. Join persons more vigorous than self for an outdoor adventure. Over-estimate abilities. Under-prepare. Get a late start. Remain optimistic. Push harder than accustomed. Admit inability to achieve desired objective only when dehydrated, fatigued, and threatened by imminent darkness. Get separated from partners. Make incorrect route choice. Down-climb approximately 800 vertical feet chossy, exposed, class …

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The Assiniboine Traverse: A Tale of Unrivaled Splendor, Grizzly Bears and Condiment Soup

For Europeans, the Matterhorn defines alpine beauty. At 11,870 feet, Mount Assiniboine, in the Canadian Rockies, is a similar momentous horn, cleaving the sky. The difference is that the Matterhorn is surrounded by tourist accommodations while Assiniboine rises in country that is by-and-large wilderness. Switzerland without the gondolas. Our intention is simple. We plan to traverse the high country across …

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