Glacier Peak & Mount Rainier Double
This tops the list for the best weekend we’ve had, probably ever. Except for maybe when we got married. Eh, no, I think this still might have been better.
Mt. Maude/Entiats
A few years ago, we hiked the Leroy Carne High Route and camped/explore the Larch-filled alpine playground. That trip had its fair share of adventures, but one of the biggest takeaways for Katy and I was that we wanted to come back and scramble to some of the Entiat summits.
When this early-October weekend came around, we got lucky with some gorgeous, warm, clear weather, so we hopped in the car and drove east towards the hills. We were rewarded with an awesome adventure and gorgeous autumn colors.
Mt Adams 2015 – Take 2 (Erin’s PNW Volcano Debut)
The best place to view fireworks on 4th of July is from a volcano. (we’ve stuck with this plan 3 years in a row – year 1 year 2)
Mt Rainier – DC Route – June 2015
Ever since last year’s unsuccessful summit attempt on Mount Rainier, we’ve had our eye on Washington’s tallest, and arguably most famous mountain.
This spring we started brewing plans again. After numerous doodle polls, availability changes, adjustments for our ridiculously low-snow winter, we finally nailed down a crew and timeline: Brad, Kyle, Jarrod, Kaytlyn, and I planned to go up the weekend of June 20th, weather conditions permitting.
Mt Adams – 2015
Ever since Katy got her first taste of volcanos when we climbed Mt. Hood a couple years ago, we’ve been meaning to have a proper ‘Volcano Season’.
This year, with the low snow year and an itch to get some spring/summer skiing in, we laser sights on ascents and ski-descents on some of Washington’s snowy, glaciated high points.
Mt. Baker Ski Ascent/Descent- Squak Glacier Route
Not long after Katy and I got married, we met up with our fellow PNW-Hoofers for a beer at one of our favorite watering holes. We thought it’d be just another weeknight drinking yummy brews, but it was strangely different: most of the time we can barely make schedules align for a weekend, let alone for a weeknight, and here were 6 of our friends and us all around a table.
We sat down, ordered beers, and a couple minutes later an orange envelope was placed in front of Katy and I.
Mount Rainier Attempt – 2014
I’ll start this trip report with a brag: Katy and I have a killer view of Mt. Rainier from our apartment.
Context for the brag: as two people who spend a decent amount of time outdoors and in the mountains, it’s brutal to see that gorgeous mountain on clear days and not be able to say “I’ve been on top.”
Luckily, we have a great crew of friends who feel similarly. July-4th weekend, 1 year after Katy, Brad, and I climbed Mt. Hood, we added Christian to the mix, packed the car, and started driving south.
Rainier – Crevasse Rescue Course
There’s always at least one good lesson learned for every trip I go on. It’s only appropriate then, that when a few of us went out for the trip of our Glacier/Crevasse Rescue course, the lessons we learned from our AIARE course were one of the most important things reinforced that weekend, in addition to how to rescue myself and my team out of a crevasse.
Mt. Hood – July Shreddage
The dust was finally settling on an abandoned trip plan, and from that cloud emerged a free, high pressure weekend in the mountains. As crowds rushed to Fred Meyer to pick up last minute Ameri-brews, Hot Dawgz, and all the ABC’s of BBQ’s, Brad, Katy, and myself rushed to make a decision on what to do during the weekend after America Day.
After spending Friday recovering from Fourth of July shenanigans and finishing up tasks for work, we packed snowboards, crampons, ice axes, bits and bobs, and some delicious wraps into our car and began the slog down to Mount Hood.
Mt Adams – June 2013
The weekend of June 21st, a weather window aligned and Brad, Brian, and I headed down to hike up Mt Adams, a 12,281 foot stratovolcano in the south Washington Cascades and the the second highest peak in WA behind Rainier. It’s mostly made of Andesite (and that’s what the rocks on the Lunch Counter are mostly made of) but for all intents and purposes, this was a snow-field climb. The mountain is beautiful, and the south climb is justly popular because it’s accessible and not very difficult.