At the end of July, Rio and I spent two days completing the “Alpine Lakes Crest Traverse.” This route follows the crest of remote peaks between Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass and culminates on the summit of Mount Daniel, the highpoint of King County. I recorded 36 miles and 15k feet elevation gain, with 20 miles off trail. Overall, I felt that while the views weren’t on the same level as in the North Cascades, it was an awesome way to experience this part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness which I’ve not spent much time in before, and a very fulfilling way to bag Mt.

Of Washington’s numerous established alpine traverses, the Ptarmigan Traverse is the most famous. It follows the spine of the North Cascades between Cascade Pass and the Suiattle River, remaining continuously above treeline. The route is rugged and off-trail, and crosses multiple glaciers and high passes. No roads or marked trails intersect the route between its northern and southern exits, increasing its remoteness and commitment. All of these factors contribute to the Ptarmigan’s wilderness character and appeal.

Snowking Mountain is a massive, yet somewhat obscure mountain south of the Cascade River Road. Despite its relatively low elevation (7,433’), its slopes hold big glaciers that show up prominently in satellite imagery. The May 11 weekend was forecasted to have the warmest temperatures of the year yet, reaching near 80 degrees in the lowlands. Coupled with fresh snowfall earlier in the week, mushy snow conditions and wet avalanche danger were guaranteed.

The Sierra Nevada is one of the great ranges of the US, covering much of the eastern half of California. Due to its geology, the range has an interestingly asymmetrical shape. Over 50-75 miles, it rises gradually from the western Central Valley to the 14,000 foot peaks of the Sierra Crest before dropping steeply to the Owens River Valley at 4,000 feet. This eastern “wall” is known as the Sierra Escarpment and had been on my bucket list to visit for some time.

The Armchair Traverse is a scramble along the ridge between Mount Cook and Mount Weart in the Wedgemount Lake area near Whistler, BC. It’s so named because the ridge resembles an armchair when viewed from below (in fact, Weart used to be known as Armchair Mountain). This trip had been on our radar since Rio and I visited Tim for Castle Towers in September 2022, so when we planned another weekend trip to BC this summer it was an easy decision to go for it.

Arguably the most impressive mountain in the United States outside of Alaska, Mount Rainier dominates its surroundings in a way that you really have to see in person to understand. The highest peak in Washington state and the Cascade Range rises to 14,411 feet from practically sea level, is more topographically prominent than K2, and has the largest glaciers in the lower 48. Needless to say, summitting Rainier has been a bucket-list item for me ever since I started mountaineering.

Mount Price is a small, dormant volcano rising out of the south/west side of Garibaldi Lake. Some interesting geo-history: when Mount Price erupted 8-15 thousand years ago, the resulting lava flow cooled against an ancient glacial ice sheet. After the ice sheet melted away, it left a huge volcanic cliff called “The Barrier.” The Barrier acts as a natural dam, and the pooled snow/glacier melt behind The Barrier eventually formed Garibaldi Lake.

The Na Pali Coast is a 16-mile stretch of coastline on the northwest side of Kauai defined by huge, fluted sea cliffs (pali). It’s one of Hawaii’s crown jewels and among other things, a prominent filming location for Jurassic Park. The Kalalau Trail provides the only land access to the coast, traversing 11 miles one-way from Haena State Park to Kalalau Beach, and has frequently been called “the best hike in Hawaii.

For this year’s Labor Day long weekend, Rio and I drove up north to Vancouver to visit Tim and explore some mountains in British Columbia together. It’s often hard to know where to look when researching a new area. My usual method is to start “from first principles” by looking at the topograhic maps, zooming into interesting-looking alpine areas, then searching for route information and photos. I started doing this for BC, but quickly got overwhelmed by the vast number of mountains.

Eldorado Peak via the standard East Ridge is a classic North Cascades glacier climb. It’s also notable for being the highest point on top of the Inspiration-Klawatti-McAllister ice sheet, which is “the largest contiguous ice-sheet in the lower 48 states not connected to a volcano.” That’s a bit of a mouthful, but basically there would be a lot of glacier ice around which usually means good views. Logan, Corey, and I drove to the Eldorado lot on Friday night ahead of a Saturday alpine start.