May 12th, 2023. Cashmere Mountain's summit is 8501 feet elevation located near Leavenworth, WA. It is the 58th peak on Washington state's tallest 100 "Bulger list". This summit makes for 35/100 completed for me. Being spring there is still enough snow coverage for the Victoria's Secret route on the north side…
Read MoreI was lucky to get to work with Brian and Jean for a second time. This time they had their hearts set on a bridal portrait shoot. Similar to the engagement photos hike we did last year, this trail rewards with gorgeous Mt. Rainer views, but with only one third of the miles required, we were going to be able to focus more on wedding bridal photos and less on pounding through miles of hiking…
Read MoreMarch 2020 I joined a group of local climbers on my first Mount Saint Helens summit trip. Later that year in early October I went back to see what climbing the mountain was like in no-snow conditions. In this post I’m going to take look back on both trips and photos.
Read MoreAnna and Roger had a vacation planned to Ashford, WA and wanted to visit Mount Rainier. While I offer several options for the Mountain Portrait Experiences, we chose a 16-mile round trip trail in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park. The destination sits at over 8300 feet, stands up over a glacier, and overlooks a dozen ice blue snowmelt ponds, also referred to as tarns…
Read More…In fact, in all the excitement and planning I overlooked a vital detail. It was now Friday morning at 7am, exactly 24 hours before we were to start the climb, and I woke up to messages and a phone call. It was Aaron and Trevin asking me where I was. I had the wrong date on the calendar!
If I wasn’t able to make it their backup plan was that they would join together to make a team of 5. Fair plan, but that wasn’t going to happen…
Read MoreThis post is completely about me and my friend’s two day trip to tackle 9 mountain peaks. SPOILER ALERT- I do make a poor decision and end up stuck on some scary terrain. Now, if the sound of that doesn’t trigger a record spinning to the tune of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, well this trip report may not be for you.
Read MoreMy Bucket List during COVID-19
Lists help organize priorities. For some of you, having a list may give you a little extra boost in eagerness to do something just to get it checked off. If that’s you, you might have the same streak of competitiveness as I do!
Personally, during this whole COVID-19 era having a list…
Read MoreThere is a list for people who are serious about climbing WA’s mountain peaks. Not just a list, but the list. The Washington Bulger List. It basically includes the highest 100 mountains in the state… I heard from a friend that he was going to climb two of these mountains - in one day, and that I was invited!
Read MoreIt was early November when Vanessa contacted me to hike to Old Snowy Mountain. I had just gone up there a few weeks prior, but with some snowfall in the recent few days I knew this would be a completely different experience…
Read MoreWith no exciting trick-or-treating going on Halloween 2020, it was the perfect chance to get out and bag a peak. In the quite popular Enchantments near Leavenworth is a range of mountains…
Read MoreWhat’s something that Mt Rainier and myself share in common? Well, we both call Washington state ‘home’, and that’s pretty cool! When given the chance to get up close and personal with this mountain, I’m gonna take it!
Read MoreWhat is the best way to use PTO? The best for your health and well-being? There’s at least one other person with the belief that it is hiking the Pacific Northwest to an epic sunset view of the cascade’s volcanic giants Rainier, Adams, and Saint Helens…
Read MoreThis was the perfect location to choose for a solo snowshoe adventure as this pandemic was starting to unfold. Just me, the snow bunnies (seen in the video), and lots of snow to trek through. I started at the sno-park parking area outside of Salmon La Sac campground at 5:30am and got back at 4:35pm. Never saw a single person the entire day! 13.6 miles and 3450 feet elevation gain with plenty of stops for photo ops…
Read MoreYes, I am peeking in the mailbox on Mailbox Peak. lol
I had to get a joke in there before this gets serious, because this hike is seriously no joke. Although right in North Bend, WA with a paved road to the trailhead this hike starts to feel remote, and starts to test your mental strength very quickly.
Here’s a preview with some 360 views….
Read More-An overnight snowshoe hike to a private cabin-
It was back in November I climbed up into the attic and dusted off a pair of snowshoes. I’ve been ready for the snow since. But it wasn’t until January that I really put the snowshoes to work. One of my goals for January is to get out and do 5 days of snowshoeing. 4 days down now, one more day to go…
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” -Viktor Frankl
I truly think this is my favorite quote ever. And I really believe it to be true. It is a freedom to have control over your thoughts and reactions and only the mind can strip you of that freedom…
Read MoreThis is Courtney. I love the message that she is putting out there. She’s living her unique journey and sharing in a way that is encouraging for others to step off the mainstream path and pursue a path that points towards your dreams.
How cool is that??
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Read MoreMountain peaks are one of those things I have always felt amazed at. They stand up high with wisdom the rest of the world just doesn’t have. But it’s only been in recent years that mountain peaks have started calling my name. They are beckoning me, challenging me to climb, plant my feet on top and capture the views only that mountain knows…
Read MoreYes! Another year spending some time in Korea. No, not North Korea… the other one. (Just to clear that up.) Visiting Korea means several things for us: One, my daughter (20 months old) can visit with her grandparents. Two, my wife can eat spicy rice cakes on any street corner. Three, we can both meet up with friends we made when we lived in Seoul. And of course, four, I get to shoot some photo projects. These photos I’ll share here are some personal photos I took along the way.
Read MoreI’ve always felt like I was a mountain child. I spend my childhood in Montana and Alaska on many outdoor adventures with my dad and family. For me, youth and adventure has a very certain connection between green mountains and fresh white snow. BUT I soon learned I also loved to get lost in crowds of people and the feeling of being engulfed by towering buildings with only tiny glimpses of horizon…
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