Showing posts with label Cascades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cascades. Show all posts

Friday, May 26, 2017

Guides for Glaciers

Climate change is making mountains more dangerous and threatening the prosperity of the guiding profession. This spring a historic mass of ice broke off from Colfax Peak, sweeping across the standard ascent route for Washington State's Mount Baker climb.
Photo: Kel Rossiter

Recently, Guides for Glaciers (G4G) was established, with a mission to address the issues of the changing mountain environment and its impacts on the guiding profession. G4G intends to mount an educational campaign to bring together common stakeholders in order to influence public policy and preserve the longevity and economic sustenance of the mountain guiding profession globally. The longevity of the entire guiding profession hinges on guides’ ability to advocate for climate change policy and preserve our mountain environments well into the future.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Canary of the Cascades

Part way down the staircase from the Montenvers train,
looking down at the Mer de Glace.
Photo: Chris Wright
For those who want to see glacial recession first hand, go and visit the Mer de Glace in Chamonix, France. In 1909, the Montenvers train was built to take sightseers and adventurers up to the Mer de Glace, which when it opened, was at the level of the train. To reach the glacier from the train now, one needs to take a tram down approximately 200m, and then a staircase another 400 steps down, and counting. I have been visiting Chamonix for the last 15 years, and I have seen a dramatic drop in the ice. We often climb over the staircase after skiing from the Aiguille du Midi, making it easy to observe the changes year to year, as the place we enter keeps lowering.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Volcano skiing in the PNW: As a Sponge

the Mowich Face of Mt. Rainier (via a 600mm lens)
A couple months ago a good friend and I road-tripped out to the Pacific Northwest, from Montana, for an extended weekend of volcano skiing.  Though the Cascades experienced one of the leanest and warmest winters in recent memory, blue skies were in the forecast, and I had a break from guiding commitments, so we figured to give it a go, Gumball Rally style. 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Mount Rainier, summer wrap-up

This past Labor Day weekend I finished up my guiding season on Mount Rainier.  It was a typical year for weather and conditions, sometimes it was cold, windy and snowing and other times there was blazing hot sunshine.  Spectacular settings and strong clients will be the dominant memories of the summer.