Superlatives

Now up in Mazama, Washington I decided to stop on my way up for a little hike up to Hidden Lake fire lookout. I started to hear about this place a couple of years ago and then came across some night photographs of it on Steph Abeggs awesome website http://www.stephabegg.com/. This hike is described as "one of the finest hikes on the face of the planet" as well as the toilet at the abandoned fire lookout winning "the most scenic latrine" award from backpacker magazine. After hammering my van up the dirt road to the trail head, I raced the sunset up the mountain all the while questioning why I was doing this after ten hours of driving and little sleep the night before. I gained height and more views but kept questioning whether this could really be that spectacular.

My first view of the the fire lookout (its the white patch to the right of the summit). I've been to some pretty amazing huts in beautiful places but this might just beat the lot (though the christmas I spent in the DOT hut in the upper Makarora valley of New Zealand might come close)

Looking down on Hidden Lake on the way up the ridge.

Looking into the fire lookout with the fisheye lens - this place is amazing! There is a small library of books about the local area, a wood buring stove, a double bed and the most spectacular views. It seems like there is strong group of volunteers keeping this place going.

The view out of two sides of the lookout - The clouds cleared just after I got to the lookout giving me views of the whole of the North Cascades. (you might need to click on this to get the full effect)
The toilet. Probably is the most scenic I've had the pleasure of visiting but could be topped by the old toilet at Allt Scheicheachan bothy (the one above Pitlochry)

Another view of the lookout just before sunset.

Lit up with some candles. That is not in fact the sunset (approx 10pm) but the lights from Seattle I think.

Just a couple more days hanging out, climbing and taking photos before I start work where I will be hanging out, climbing and taking photos for the next 20+ days with the Fall Washington Instructor Course.

River of No Return - Again

I finally have some down time after a hectic few weeks with a lot of river miles. Straight after driving 10hrs (actually I slept in the back) from Idaho, I was at Rach and Chris's wedding and then back in the car to drive back to run the Main fork of the Salmon (the section above the Lower). Somewhere in there I tore some muscles in my lower back making me a passenger for the trip but I did manage to row a couple of miles and do a little kayaking.

I previously ran this in 2009 but had swine flu for the whole of this section (we ran all the way through the lower in 2009). It was great to be back on the river and be alive for it this time! (http://mountainstothesea.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html)

HDR shot at sunset from our layover camp.
This clown appeared on the last night (Jay Miller)
Whitney and Jay coming through Vinegar creek rapid (Class 3)
Campfire and Moonlight
Lenka, Jr and Michael.
Danni and Jay cooking another epic breakfast.
Hot Tub Hotsprings - the whole crew. Nadia, Michael, Southard, Danni, Whitney, Mourar, Baume, Jr, Jay, Lisa, Lenka, Me and Jeff.
Jr, Lisa and Whitney dropping into the new rapid at Black Canyon Creek (the creek blew out this spring pushing boulders into the Salmon)
Lenka and Nadia making it through another rapid
Mourar and Jay playing horseshoes in camp.
HDR shot looking back at the fire that was following us down the river.
Looking back upriver above Black canyon rapid.

Now I am getting ready to pack up and head on my annual pilgrimage up to Mazama washington.

Busy Weeks

Just back from the lower Salmon after a busy couple of weeks. I had promised Brie that I would climb the Monkey with her before the end of the season. Time was getting shorter so we headed out for an evening ascent of "Monkey off my Back" (5.9, Ao) during my prep days. Then on to the Deschutes river as a course director then straight back to base to prep the for the next river (in Idaho) the Lower Salmon family and Adult course.

Brie pulling through the final aid moves before the final pitch as the sun goes down (we topped out at sunset)
The stars spinning around the north star with a group camped below on the Deschutes river (camped at Ed Rogers)
Mike Mourar running the right side of Oak Springs with his umbrella up.
Paddle cat flip drills on the Lower Salmon (Caitlin and Lauren)
Part of the massive lightning storm that passed over us on the 4th day on the Salmon. My camera was the only thing that was dry during this - I could have rung my sleeping bag out the next morning!
Making dinner
One of the best things about work - working with good friends, Meagan, Myself and Nadia dressed for success.
I have been working on this a bit this summer - an HDR image of rafts in camp. (Three images at different exposures overlayed on top of each other to bring out more vibrancy)

Now I just have to get ready for Rach and Chris's wedding before heading back to Idaho to run the Main Salmon with friends.

Squamish

Some dirtbag climbers we met

Just back from a week of climbing in Squamish BC. My first real trip to Canada (except that one time that my flight got rerouted through Toronto and Anne took me out drinking till my 6am flight) which just showed what a great country this is. Just a short 10hr drive which got a little longer when i got lost in downtown Vancouver at 2am in the morning and we were climbing pristine granite. After a first tired day "warming up" on the smoke bluffs we were into the multipitch trad routes on the Cheif. Ryan and I managed to average ten pitches a day, hitting a lot of the classics as early as we could to avoid any crowds. Our last day was spent connecting three routes (Diedre, Boomstick crack and the Ultimate Everything) to create a 19pitch route with the last pitch the crux at 5.10b (probably E1/2 5c). All in all a good trip followed by a day back in Oregon and then an attempt at the easiest free route on the Monkey at Smith Rock (Monkey Space 5.11b - still got to complete it unfortunately as Ryan and I both chickened out of the final 3 bolt 11b moves!). Some photos.......

Topping out of 19 pitches - I have never been so tired leading as I was on the last pitch.
Ryan leading the crux pitch of "Over the Rainbow" 5.10a
Me leading the 5.7 tree on "Angels Crest" (5.10c)
Somewhere on a ledge on some route
Ryan styling up "Angels Crack" on Angels Crest (one of the trad crux pitches)
My attempt to be arty with my small camera - Ryan leading up the wet offwidth crack on "Rock On" (5.10a)
Me on the "Agrophobes Towers" pitches of Angels crest.

Now I have just one more 15day course in oregon before more time off, some rafting trips and some work in Washington.

Circles

Okay so all the images are not uploading but there was only two left anyway. I seem to be doing laps of certain areas right now on the 4 crew 22day course in oregon. Lots of time spent on Three Fingered Jack with groups that did or did not summit, lots of hiking up and down one short (4mile) section of the pacific crest trail and a fair amount of time spent on base packing food for all the groups. I have tried to spend some time learning new photography techniques but it seems a little hard on a short amount of sleep.

Trevor sorting webbing for the fixed lines on Three Fingered Jack (530am)
Dressed for anything.
I should probably know what this is. Its probably a weed but looks great this time of year.
The staff of the 4 crew course taken with the fisheye lens on the first day. Jay, Erin, Trevor, Paul, Mandi, Maxine, Karen, Molly, Stu, Brettt, Brighton, Daniel, Jor-El, Nadia, Me, Meagan, Ashley, Rusty and Jay
A poor attempt at a circular 360degree panorama. I totally messed up the "nadir" (or feet) shots but still feels good to stitch 42 images together. The peak to the top left (actually North) is Mt Jefferson and the bottom right (actually south) is the Sisters Wilderness.

Next - a climbing trip to Squamish BC.

Summers coming

Just finished my first 22day raft/mountain course of the year. Oregon has been desperately hanging onto spring with lots of snow in the mountains and the river still high. The first week on the river was made even better by Benny Kaiser coming over from Australia and coming on the river with me for a couple of days and then me getting to instruct for a couple of days. I then decided to take my skis into the first section of the mountains (yes - for work!). I only had to carry them for the first mile and the last two of 5 days and got to ski all over the Sisters Wilderness. Summer is finally here though, right in time for my 1.5 days off between two 25 day blocks of work. 1.5 days of climbing at Smith trying to avoid the heat interspersed with lots of good food and drink. Now back to work.

Benny perfecting his baking while employed as my personal chef (meaning I had even less to do than normal on the river)

Probably my favourite shot so far with the fisheye lens - Nadia, Drew and I on the gear boat on the lower Deschutes

Watching the sunset from the Cheat Grass on the Lower Deschutes.

Evening circle on the river.

My canp on the NW ridge of Broken top waiting to get some sunset shots of the Sisters

One of the shots.

Another Fisheye shot. Trevor, Erin and Bri playing farkle (yes that s a game) in their tent at night. 22min exposure.
A cool bug a student gave me at course end.
The day off - Ashley leading in the shade at Smith.