mt adams

Alpine Ascents

As I was selecting the images for the calendar, I pondered over how to theme the calendar correctly. And that meant digging through the archive to find representative images of various seasons. Sometimes that works, and sometimes I have to indulge in a bit of creative licensing to find the right image. This featured image for February, for example, was shot in the middle of summer, but it still captures a slice of winter high on the slopes of Mount Adam.

Mount Adams is one of those summit attempts that requires an alpine start. But starting the summit day amidst biting cold and in the dark at 9000ft of altitude isn't an easy task. But many do, as it allows you to climb up the steep slope before the snow becomes soft. Here is one group starting their morning ascent just as the western horizon emerges from the shadows and the the first rays of light hits Mt St. Helens.

As before, you can buy this calendar at this link.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest
WA USA

Spirit of the Lake

Have you been to Mt St Helens National Monument, and visited the remnants of a volcano that exploded under 40 years ago, a mere blink of an eye on the geological timescale?

The explosion downed trees on the slopes for miles, and on Spirit Lake, which was formed when the explosion dammed the outlet of the old lake, vast treemats formed of those downed trees still remain. Every time I visit this remarkable monument, I learn something new about this volcano, and I hope my future visits will be no less educational.

Mt St Helens

WA USA