A few weekends ago, I grabbed my passport and headed up to Squamish for a long weekend of bouldering. Squamish is located an hour north (or 41 miles... or 60 something kilometers) of Vancouver, BC just off of the Sea-to-Sky highway on the way to Whistler. The city itself is located on the banks of the Howe Sound, and is a climbing mecca. It's prominent feature is the Chief - a large granite monolith. There are a plethora of routes (trad) up the Chief, as well a dozens of boulders strewn along its base. Nearby are a lot of other quality granite sport and trad routes. Pretty much everything you can ask for!
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Weekend Bouldering - Lost Lake and Carver /
A couple of weekends ago, I made it out to climb at a couple of local bouldering spots in preparation for a trip up to Squamish. You never want to go on a climbing trip with "gym hands," so I had to get out and grab so real rocks. One classic Portland spot and another newly developed/developing area. I have been trying desperately to finish out the remaining frames on three rolls of film from the Enchantments too, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
Read MoreRock of Ages Loop Hike /
Right before the new year, my buddy Temo and I drove out to the Columbia River Gorge to do the Rock of Ages Loop. This trail is 10 miles long, while gaining around 3000 ft of elevation. Over the last hiking season, I have been trying to knock out all the steep, scrambling hikes in the Gorge. This trail in particular sees a lot of traffic by those training for the alpine treks up the Cascades.
This loop starts at the Horsetail Falls trailhead, and begins by climbing up to Ponytail Falls.
Read MoreTom, Dick, and Harry Hike + Timberline /
Sometime after Christmas and before the new year, my buddy Tom invited me up to Mt Hood to run around in the woods. He had been sick for the couple weeks prior, and was in much need of some fresh mountain air, beautiful scenery, and exercise. And of course I am always down for an adventure.
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