Unbeknownst to me, 19 years ago Jim gave a “guided trip” of Mt Cruiser gift certificate as a wedding present to our friends, Mike and Kerry. This last week, they cashed it in. Kerry’s grandfather was in the climbing party which had the first accent of Mt Cruiser. It has always been a dream of…
After 4 weeks of “urban walking”, daily elliptical workouts, and a week of PT evaluations, Jim was given the go ahead to venture back into the mountains. Since Jim is still on weight limitations, we chose a climb which required no backpacking. Fay quickly signed onto join us. Cathedral Provincial Park in BC Canada can…
Stats Summary / Hut Information Day 1 – Col de Balme, 5.75 miles, 550 ft gain, 3850 ft loss, 7 hrs— From Chamonix took Flegere Gondola and Index Chairlift— From Montroc took free bus to Le Tour— From Le Tour took Gondola Charamillon and Les Autannes ChairliftDaily Summary: After Refuge Lac Blanc, several miles of…
We had two main goals this spring: get Brooke more time on snow before she headed to the alps to attempt Mont Blanc and climb Mt. Shuksan. Brooke was home for less than two weeks. The weather didn’t cooperate for our first snow climb. We ended up attempting Russian Butte near North Bend in a…
Over the last month, I have been on 3 different camping trip. Though each one digressed in accommodations, they were equally fun and comfortable in their own way. In mid-April, I joined Fay for a much needed girls outing to Millersylviania State Park just south of Olympia. We took her T@b trailer that she fondly refers…
After 2 weeks in Patagonia Chile, it was time to check out the Argentina side. With some careful packing, we were able to get all four of us and our backpacks into our rental car. After a quick stop for a photo opt, we were off to the border. We were assuming the border crossing…
Patagonia was never a place Jim and I had ever talked about going to. But when Brooke announced she was going in March 2023, we booked tickets. Jim and I rented a car in Punta Arenas, walked the city, picked up groceries, and headed to Puerto Natalus where we would meet up with Brooke. We…
After my first visit to Red Rocks Canyon last February, I have been anxious to return with Jim. Last Friday, Jim and I flew into Las Vegas early afternoon. Picked up our rental car, stop at the grocery store, and arrived Red Rocks Canyon Campground just before dark. Fay arrived just a few minutes later.…
For this year’s Golden Larch trip, Jim and I were joined by Yoko, Baram, Todd, Kellie, and Gordy to head into the Pasayten Wilderness. Our peak goals were Cathedral Peak and Remmel Mountain. Jim and I have been trying to get into Cathedral Peak for over 5 years now. We were either stopped by early…
Back in May, Jim won a reservation spot in the Mt Rainier backcountry permit lottery. Jim has always wanted to do the Northern Loop and campsites were available. I booked our reservation and then all was forgot until a week ago. Last Friday, Yoko, Baram, Jim, and I parked in the Sunrise lot in Mt…