Idaho Ski Junket

Earlier in February, I was lucky to tag along on a ski trip to the Idaho Selkirks with a bunch of guys who had been making this trip an annual pilgrimage for the last several years.  Just outside of Sandpoint, nestled in the mountains, an amazing log home sits on a butte at about 5000'.  One side looks out over the valley and other looks up at the surrounding ski terrain.  The friendly proprietor sleds in the food, the clothes, and the keg while the everyone else enjoys a leisurely 6-mile skin up a forest road.

Stretching the Legs

The conditions over the last two weeks have been kind of strange here in Oregon.  Heavy snows were followed by warm temps and rain, and then the following weekend clear skies dawned over Mt. Hood only to be joined by gale force winds.  Kristin and I made the best of it and took the skis ... and the camera .. for a couple of walks up on "the mountain."  Despite the weirdness, we enjoyed some fresh snow and a beautiful sunrise on Mt. Hood.  Oh yeah, and some killer parking lot french fries.  It ain't so bad . . .

Jaime and Anna under a rising sun

Scratchin' the Itch

Kim Crihfield on Taiwan On, 5.10c, Fourth Horseman, Smith Rock

This past weekend hopefully marked the end of the freakishly warm and dry winter conditions in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.  Pretty much everyone I knew was in the depths of powder withdrawal - a horrible affliction that causes irritability, anxiety and constant weather channel web surfing.  There are few known cures, most of which involve long car rides, airfare, or very large doses of self-prescribed medication.  Even with proper treatment, a patient's prognosis is uncertain until the very end.

The Story of Blue

The month of November brought torrential downpours to Portland, not the typical Northwest mist but a cold, driving rain that blew through the cracks of a jacket and soaked to the skin.  Kristin and I would dart from our car to the door and then inside our warm house to be greeted by our two furry cats.  During the summer, Maximus and Kiku despise the heat and often find a solitary retreat on a cold wood floor or in a basement corner.  But as the temps cool off, they start to spend their nights on our comforter, snuggled into the crook of our knees or nuzzled under our chins.  Slipping into a deep sleep to the sound of a fading purr is one of the great pleasures of life.  A cold November rain makes it even better.

Late Fall Sun at Smith Rock

Smith Rock - December 11, 2011

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we've been locked into a stable high pressure system for the last two weeks. The Thanksgiving weekend usually signals a switch to skis, but in the absence of mountain snow, recent conditions at Smith Rock have been excellent. Mostly clear skies, calm winds, and cool temps add up to great sport climbing conditions.

The last two weekends saw a small but stoked group of mostly local climbers enjoying the sun during a shrinking window of warm daylight hours. This shot is from a Saturday trip with Nate, fresh off more than a month of climbing in the desert, only to find more sunny stone back in Oregon. We had a great day of clipping bolts, but I'm still praying for a powder day!

Ski Stoke

This is some of best ski footage I've ever seen. Check it out. It may be the best 5 minutes of your day.

Wilderness Peak Turkey Hike

Over the holiday weekend, Kristin and I made our annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to Seattle for a very indulgent and sedentary celebration with my family.  Each year, we dream up cool adventures in the nearby mountains, but we almost always end up falling into a delicious pattern of beer, football and turkey with the family, topped off with the best apply pie EVER (thanks Mom!).  If we're lucky, we manage to sneak in a hike or two to stretch the legs and force some blood through our otherwise clogged arteries.