mt shuksan

A New Winter

The winter has been slow to come by in the Pacific Northwest in 2023. A warmer than usual winter meant that snow fell instead as rain, and the precipitation has been lower than expected for this time of the year (60% of normal). The last week saw the first major winter storm to hit the mountains, coating the Cascades with the light layer of fluffy snow.

I managed to make one last hike out here before the holidays hoping to catch alpenglow on a snow-covered Mt Shuksan. This was one of the compositions I made while freezing out on a mountain-top.


Happy New Year. And here is to hoping 2024 is just as colorful.


Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

Winter sunrise

A while back, I sat down and thought about the effort that goes into sunrise photography, and I realized that it wasn't easy. It requires sacrificing sleep (and likely your previous night), hiking in the dark in unknown terrain, relying on multiple forecasts for a good sunrise and hoping they hold, and praying that you are not too late for the colors if they show up. In contrast, sunset photography is not as complex as there are fewer variables to consider since many of the unknowns become known. And if the forecast doesn't hold, you can always turn around. A colorful sunset is usually the 'icing on the cake' for a dayhike, whereas a colorful sunrise is the act you are putting all your hopes on and sacrificing a lot for.

This was one such sunrise for which I woke up at 2 in the morning and endured a 3hr drive and an hour of hiking to get to. Thankfully the forecast held, and the effort paid off.

You can purchase my 2024 calendar, which features the above image for December, at this link. And as before, all proceeds get donated to the Sierra Club Foundation

Mount Baker Wilderness
WA USA

Waiting For Last Light

You wait in anticipation for this moment: as the sun approaches the horizon, the shadows lengthen, leaving the deep green valleys in cold darkness; the highest of the snow-capped ridges and glacier-covered peaks taken on a bright orange glow, while up above, the sky transforms from the azure blue of the day to the deep blue of dusk; clouds change from their frothy white to a deep orange as they drift effortlessly across the landscape.

As a photographer, it is not just the moment, but the actual transformation, that captures my attention, and draws me out to mountain-top vistas as the sun sets. Sometimes, I try to capture this as a timelapse, but in others, I just seek to capture a moment in time as the best possible representation of that beautiful evening.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

The Changing Summer

The Changing Summer.jpg

The summer has been a bizarre one in the Pacific Northwest. First the region was baked under a historic heat wave that melted snow off the summits of the North Cascades Peak, which triggered wildfires in varied regions across the west. And when the region normally suffers an unending deluge of smoke, the winds shifted direction and started cooling down. Rain showers, common during the summer, were few and far in-between. And in addition, the increase in local travel this year meant many of the easily accessible backcountry locations were far more crowded. These changes necessitated rethinking my hiking strategy, including skipping favored destinations in search of more off-beat ones.

I am glad I found a few, including this one that transported me to the Swiss alps. But with the season slowly coming to a close, I wonder what the winter, and next year, holds in store for this changing landscape.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

Summer in the Cascades

Who is excited for the summer?

With the ultra-warm temperatures last week, it almost felt like summer in the Pacific Northwest. And even though mountainscapes like this would be inaccessible for quite a few more months, I feel like I am ready for more adventures in the wilderness areas of Washington.

This specific image was taken a few summers ago, right at the cusp of fall where smoke from nearby fires lent a hazy atmosphere on a crisp summer morning. The open terrain above the treeline, dotted with glistening lakes and panoramic vistas of the North cascades, is really a wonderland that I hope will be incorporated into the National Park System.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

The High Peak

There is a reason Mt Shuksan, the High One, is named as so. Even though it is not the tallest peak out there, it does tower over the snow-covered rocky landscape of the North Cascades. From this vantage point, one can spy the numerous blue glaciers descending its rocky slopes, and is one of the last peaks to catch the light of the setting sun.

Normally, a clear day like this usually ends with a beautiful alpenglow on the summits of the highest peaks of the Cascades. With that expectation, I waited out an entire day in the freezing cold hoping to catch alpenglow on this peak, but my luck ran out a few minutes after this shot was taken. And after I took a few moments to enjoy the last light, I had to rush back to the car (an hour of snowshoeing) before the early darkness set in.

Mt Baker Wilderness

WA USA

Waiting for Showtime

The reflection was every bit as astounding as I had remembered it. My first visit to this location was nine years ago, a sunny evening where I rushed on the windy mountain highway to catch the last light. And my first sight of the glacier-capped Shuksan towering over the lake was sublime, and worth every bit of effort taken

This time, I ambled into the viewpoint with plenty of time to spare. While the reflection was amazing, the sublime light just wasn't there. I was, instead, rewarded with mobs of mosquitoes hanging on to every breath. I captured a few images at last light.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

Fire and Ice

Fire and ice are not brethren that occur frequently together, and after a day of gloomy grey skies, I was not expecting the fiery sunset glow appear on the icy glaciers on the steep slopes Mt Shuksan. But a gut instinct drove me to hike to that lookout that was blasted by freezing winds and sub-zero temperatures.

And for that few moments when fire and ice appeared together, I was thankful for that photographer's instinct and wishful yearning for a colorful sunset.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

The Last Vestiges of Winter

The last vestiges of winter are still hanging on through mid-April, leading to plunging mercury lines and people searching for their winter-wear. It brought memories of the cold winter the city went through, as well as my own escapades into the snow-capped cascades.

One such trip was the climb up-to Huntoon point where I was witness to a spectacle of sun and snow like no other. Fresh snowfall from the prior night had coated the ragged peaks with a carpet of pure undisturbed white, while strong winds had created tree-shines on the south-facing slopes. It was surreal to experience the transition from verdant greenery to the refreshing white climbing up from the depths below.

Conditions like these come together perhaps a couple of times a year, and I was glad to experience one of them. Hopefully it will keep me engaged until the next winter.

North Cascades National Park
WA USA

Last Light

I made my way on the mound of soft snow, hoping to catch a peek of the snow-capped peak before last light. My feet sank in in the loose snow, and I was unsure of my footing, but I trudged on. I was determined to not miss what was about to happen.

I had driven up to this mountainous wilderness in the northern part of Washington hoping to cash in the fabulous weather. Two days of heavy snow was followed by a weekend of glorious sunshine and bluebird skies, and I was ready to flex my new camera in this winter wonderland. I spent the day trudging up steep trails to spectacular vista points whose panoramic views were unforgettable. Mt Baker stood valiantly under the bright sun with an thick coating of white, while on the other side, photogenic Mt Shuksan's glaciers were indistinguishable in the snow.

I hurried back down the 3 miles of trail, hoping to get back to the trailhead before dark. And just before the last turn, I spied Mt Shuksan again, ready to catch the last light. I stopped on that mound, waiting for the colors to turn, the alpenglow to appear, and the belt of venus to rise. And when they all did, the result was this beautiful image of the last light on Mt Shuksan

North Cascades National Park
WA USA