Sea of Clouds at Mt. St. Helens

There are few wonders so surreal in the high mountains as a sea of clouds rolling in waves through the high valleys. Here at Mt. St. Helens it often cloaks the volcanic blast zone, the shattered peak of Mt. St. Helens rises high above the churning vapor. 

This is among my favorite meteorological phenomenon - standing above the swirling mists is a truly surreal experience. Enjoy a few of my best photos of these stunning sky-scapes.

Hauling Hay the Old Fashioned Way

For many years now I have walked behind a grumbling pickup truck, belching exhaust fumes, as we pile a wobbling tower of hay bales atop it. These bales are the end result of a long process of cutting, churning, and binding by massive roaring machines. However, it wasn't so long ago in the grand scheme of things, that bringing the hay in was a far more human endeavor. This weekend, we went back to our roots and had a glimpse of how our ancestors summers must have been spent in the ripe fields of the midwest and Europe.

The Antiquities Act: A Monumental Success

Coldwater Lake, Mt. St. Helens NVM -
 one of the many wonders protected
by the Antiquities Act 

Of all the various designations of public land, National Monuments are most close to my heart. This is likely due to the fact that my entire life up to this point has taken place on the doorstep of one of the finest: Mt. St. Helens. Some of my earliest memories are from days spent hiking through the beautiful desolation of the blast zone. The influence of this place upon me has been profound, and were it not for the Antiquities Act the region may never have been protected.

Euphoria at White Pass - spring skiing at its finest!

Tumac Mountain, a young volcano North of White Pass

It’s spring, but it can be hard to tell when you’re skiing in the Pacific Northwest right now! Powder in the morning and conditions that remain great throughout the day - crazy when you think back to this time last year when it felt like the middle of summer! White Pass still wears it’s lush coat of deep snow, so deep that the protective padding on the lift poles is entirely submerged! It is a good to see such a robust snowpack after the last few years fraught with drought and fires. It is immensely reassuring to know that the mountains are well stocked and that the retreat of the glaciers might be slowed, if only briefly.

Be sure and watch my White Pass skiing adventure video - I finally got up the courage to film with my DJI Osmo gimbal camera while skiing, which made things a lot more exciting than previous skiing videos that I've made!

UST Hex Tarp Review

I have a habit of going camping in the very worst weather possible, and last week, backpacking on the Olympic coast was no exception. Normally, foul weather camping means the utter misery of cooking and eating dinner in the pouring rain. This time, though, I brought along the Hex Tarp by Ultimate Survival Technologies, hoping to be able to eat a bagel without it getting soaked in a sudden downpour.

Timberline Ski Adventure

 

Early spring is, for me, the prime time to hit the slopes here in the Pacific Northwest. It seems to be the time of year when such trips jive best with my life, and when the various ski areas are at their least crowded. However, the weather can be just as wintry in spring as it is in the deepest depths of winter, as we found out this past Tuesday at Timberline on Mt. Hood.

Rinsten Spring - Kickstarter Spotlight

Anyone who has ridden a bike down a rugged gravel road, or even a decent gravel road, will know that it can be an uncomfortable experience, to say the least. The Rinsten Spring aims to solve this issue and make your cycling experience more pleasant and comfortable. Rinsten is hoping to get this bicycle shock absorber onto the market via its new Kickstarter campaign.