Graham Gephart Photography & Writing Blog

Summer may have beautiful warm evenings, but it’s fall when the sunsets really seem to explode here in West Seattle. The sun moves a bit further south in the sky, and sends amazing colors straight at the house from across Puget Sound. With weather getting more temperamental, clouds go from dark and moody to explosions of color in just a few minutes. It’s been an awesome fall for sunsets on the porch, but one from last week set the new high mark:

Camping and hiking on the coast in Washington is one of those experiences that sounds amazing, but the reality of coastal rainforest often leaves a soggier reality. Planning a free weekend with friends more than a month out, we would’ve taken any weather we got, but it was a supremely pleasant surprise to get one of the nicest weekends of the summer for a backpacking overnight in Olympic National Park. With Lulu still rehabbing her new knee, we settled on the easy access of Third Beach with the ability to hike further over the weekend.

Looking back at Seattle from the Bainbridge ferry on Friday afternoon. While we cruised across the Sound, the advanced team snagged a camp site in Forks for an early jump Saturday morning.

The crew en route to Third Beach in Olympic National Park: Roger, Phil, Mike, Shannon, Shelley, Lulu, and Wren. The NPS ranger asked if we were going for a couple nights. Nope, just packing a lot of toys. While the surfboard didn’t see any use, just about everything else did.

The hike in went quickly, and we lucked into a group packing up on the prime site on the beach. A quick drop of gear to hold the site, and we continued on over the next headland to explore further for the day.

The headland crossings in the Olympics can be interesting, but with mostly dry trails things went pretty smoothly for Lulu and her new ACL. I wouldn’t want to work up and down some of the steep cliffy sections in the rain, although ropes left along stretches are certainly meant to make things a little easier.

The rest of the morning we explored the beaches further south toward Scotts Bluff, relaxing for some lunch, building sand castles, and catching more sun than we’ve had for a lot of the summer. Temps were in the mid-high 70s, with no clouds and no wind… a whole different world from the other times we’ve been out to the coast. I could’ve just as likely needed a shell or warm jacket for hanging around other summer days.

Our prime campsite… big enough for a group of 8, perfect log counter for cooking, nice firepit, and secluded spot out of sight from all the other camps on the beach. With crashing surf, we couldn’t hear another group. Fun for the afternoon: slackline, yoga, frisbee, football, and more. Bringing the beach slackline was an excellent idea, as Shelley demonstrates above.

Time for dinner, prepping a big meal of burritos for eight. Perfect spot to enjoy the meal, and watch the sun dip below the headland to the north, pink evening glow cast warmly on the sea stacks.

The fire burnt bright, and we passed marshmallows, s’mores, and the flask of Scotch around the ring. I hadn’t seen the stars so bright in a long time, letting us trace the Milky Way across cloudless skies all the way down to the horizon where the bits of light met a dark sea. As a shooting star trailed downward toward the water, I couldn’t help but think we stumbled onto the winning ticket for a Washington weekend.

Misty and foggy in Seattle this morning, one of those days where it really feels like you’re living on the ocean and not just around some big lakes. Having so much water around really rounds out the things to do in the summer, from kayaking to swimming and island adventures. More photos soon from recent adventures in the San Juans, but in the meantime, a shot from a long-ago early ferry commute across Puget Sound to Vashon Island.

Sunrise crossing of Puget Sound, a cold and crisp fall morning for the bike commute.

Something cool from the web – Parks Canada posted a year-long time-lapse from one of their remote wildlife cameras online. The result is a pretty incredible diversity of wildlife sharing the same trails as humans hiking, skiing, and picnicking out and about. Some people might be startled to see bears and cougars wandering through the same spots as their hike that day, but I think it’s a pretty incredible perspective.

Maybe I should set on up in our back alley in West Seattle, maybe spot the local urban coyotes and possums that prowl the neighborhood.

When Seattle summer weather falters, the only thing to do is make a run for the East side of the Cascades. Usually enough to brighten up an outdoor weekend with warmer temps and more sun, we got part of the bargain this time around. A full campground late Friday night had us pull the familiar routine of roadside guerilla camping Friday night, followed by scoring the only tent site to open Saturday morning in Owhi campground. Chance of showers became definite rain, and we did tarp construction to be proud of. The sun finally came through on Saturday afternoon for a little bit, allowing some exploratory hiking and a bit of fishing, but overall just a nice, relaxing weekend hanging out outdoors with friends – listening to the rain patter, smelling the pines, watching the camp fire, making s’mores, sleeping soundly in the tent.

1 tarp, 1 rope, 2 kayak straps, 2 miscellaneous straps, 1 hiking pole, 1 dog leash = sturdy shelter all weekend!

Basil enjoying what dogs enjoy most. Photo by Lulu.

Graham fishing the Cooper River - beautiful water, but not a hit. Photo by Lulu.

Good times, good friends, good beers.

Mount Adams (skiing the volcanoes, continued)

After a successful climb and ski of Mount Hood on Friday, Darrin and I stocked up at the K2 house on a ton of leftovers, breakfast and lunch supplies, water, and hit the road for the Trout Lake USFS Ranger Station. Pulling into the lot around 9:30, we certainly weren’t the only ones thinking about the amazing amount of snow and the excellent weather forecast; at least 5 or 6 other cars pulled up while we went about filling out our own backcountry permits to climb the next day. After setting up a quick camp on the side of the access road, we set an early alarm to repack our bags and hit the trail early.

With down tress and snow still blocking the road down low, we put on tennis shoes and shouldered packs weighed down with skis and boots. Hitting the trail at 6:30am, we made quick progress of 2.5 miles up the road to the Cold Springs campground, where we transitioned into ski boots and starting skinning on (mostly) continuous snow. Through the trees, the flanks of Mount Adams began to appear high above us, and the scope of the day’s work became obvious.

Darrin breaking out of the trees, looking up at another 5,000' to go.

The second-tallest peak in Washington, Mount Adams is a slog. I knew that ahead of time, but it’s hard to think of much else when you’re hours into the approach and can still see so much looming overhead. It’s inspiring and disheartening, all at the same time. Still, the weather waas beautiful, and in spite of concerns about how we might navigate 12″ deep runnels and sun cups down low, we pressed on at a decent pace.

Looking back down the South Face of Adams, Mount Hood shining in the distance after the previous day's climb and ski.

On a big day like this, it’s important to keep fueling constantly, whether you feel hungry or not. Occasional breaks and snacks break up the climb and keep the energy stores from running too low. Having spent the previous three mornings ski testing and having climbed and skied Mount Hood the day before, energy conservation would be important. Darrin set a perfect pace heading up Adams, and we found some ideal places to relax for breaks, including a catnap on the Lunch Counter rocks for 10-15 minutes below the South Face.

Mount Saint Helens rising to the west, another volcano in the range.

Skinning eventually turned too steep as the snow softened, then began its transition to wet slush, and we switched to crampons for easier climbing. One step, two, three, four, counting out each one. My pace slowed as we hit 10,000′, and then 11,000′. The false summit slowly inched closer, until I finally crested the ridge to join Darrin for a break on the plateau. To the south, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and the Three Sisters glistened again in the sun, while Mount Saint Helens appeared over to the west. Across the plateau and up another 500′ sat the true summit of Mount Adams at 12,276′, but just shy of 3pm and standing atop our planned route of the Southwest Chutes, we decided to make the changeover to ski perfectly timed, incredible corn.

Darrin pointing down the SW Chutes, amazing skiing all the way to the exit in the upper left.

Our ascent route up the standard South Climb had been fairly heavily trafficked and showed questionable snow down low. Looking down the SW Chutes in comparison, we had found exactly what we came for. Three chutes, mid-30s in pitch, with perfectly smooth corn snow for 4,000′ of descent. Easily the best corn I’ve skied in Washington, it rivaled some of Tahoe’s sun-ripened best. Flowing for turn after turn, I chased Darrin down the chutes, both of us ignoring groaning leg muscles already tired from the previous couple days. With each turn, a wave of snow splashed alongside, lapping at my tails like whitewater sneaking up on a surfer. Later that night on a four-hour drive back to Seattle, Darrin and I talked about what drives someone to do something like that. The math never seems to add up, to suffer on the up and the out for 11 hours for less than an hour’s descent. It’s an effort-reward ratio that seems way out of whack, but knowing the perfect sensation of carving down that mountainside high above the rest of the now-green Cascades, it just makes sense to me.

Looking back up 4000' of immaculate corn on the SW Chutes.

In the end, there was a little more adventure just to top off the fun, as Darrin and I made our way out an epic bushwhacking traverse to get back around the mountain to the trail and our sneakers for the hike out. At that point in the day, it was just about moving, skiing over dirt, moss, rocks, snow, logs. My skis are so covered in mud, pollen, pine sap, and other spring debris that it’ll take a couple hours to clean them up for the summer storage. But the extra effort and push just added to the sense of accomplished and strengthened the smile at the end of the day. When we finally got back to the car, 11 hours and 58 minutes had elapsed since our morning departure, covering 7,400′ of climbing and almost 18 miles. An epic day in the Cascades, and another ski project with a check-mark next to it on the list. It was the perfect late season ski day, and with the exhaustion and elation at changing out into flip-flops, the perfect way to close out the 2010-2011 ski season. From here out, it’s officially summertime, and I’m okay with that.

It’s impossible to ski in the Pacific Northwest and not develop a fascination with the volcanoes of the Cascades. Rising far over the rest of the range, they’re visible from anywhere and everywhere. Rainier dominates the skyline of Seattle, Baker looms over the San Juan Islands, Hood looks out over Portland, Adams and Helens poke up above I-5 in between. On a sunny day, at least one of them is visible from just about any other peak, and even on cloudy days it’s easy to clear the low ceiling and look at the snowy summits floating high above the gloom.

I’ve daydreamed over skiing the volcanoes since coming up here, and I’ve slowly started to tick things off the list. Lulu and I tour a lot of the ski season, but there’s a pretty big difference between heading out for a powdery backcountry day at the Pass and heading up one of the big peaks of the Cascades – from greater difficulties with weather and avalanche danger to glacier travel, long approaches, more vert, and a number of other challenges. We whetted our appetites for more big peak backcountry days last year on Mount Shuksan, which while not one of the classic volcanoes, is a formidable ski as the 10th tallest peak in Washington.

Following the July 4th holiday, I traveled down to Oregon for a week of ski testing at Timberline ski area on Mount Hood, and this time I packed a couple extra bags of backcountry and camping gear. With deep snowpack lingering long into summer this year, the timing seemed right to try and knock a couple more off the list.

Mount Hood

I first skied at Timberline ski area on Mount Hood almost 10 years ago, on a film trip with Unparalleled Productions. It was the quintessential dirtbag film trip, laying out sleeping bags in the trees next to the park & ride the evening that everyone was supposed to meet up, then camping out for the rest of the week at the abandoned airstrip down in the valley. I’ve been going back every June and July for ski testing since coming to K2, but for lack of weather, time, equipment or fitness, had never climbed up to the summit above the ski area.

Lanes of hardpacked morning snow above the marine layer at Timberline, Mount Jefferson rising above in the distance.

After passing up a perfect day in June because I didn’t have my backcountry safety gear, I resolved not to return without my backcountry kit in the future. Packed for July, the weather turned out perfectly as the ski test wound down on Friday morning. The bulletproof groomers inbounds began to soften during the morning debrief, and Darrin and I decided to climb up for the afternoon to check out the conditions before deciding on whether to stay another night and try for Mt Adams the next day.

Darrin nearing the bergschrund on the Hogsback.

The afternoon temperatures stayed cool, and we climbed steadily up away from the crowds of teenagers that swarm the resort for summer park camps. Resting briefly above the fumerole known as Devil’s Kitchen, we switched over to crampons and ice axes to climb up the Hogsback and up one of the chutes to the summit ridge.

Darrin on the summit ridge of Mt Hood.

I’d long envisioned topping out above the chutes to find a mellow snowfield leading to Hood’s high point, terrain features that my mind must have imagined. After some steep climbing through wet, almost glass-like crystals and hard ice underneath, I stood on top of the chute, peering down the sudden drop of the Sandy Headwall, falling away dramatically for hundreds, if not a thousand feet to the glaciers below. While the footpath along the ridge to the summit was plenty wide (a “butter-knife-edge ridge” we declared it), we took care in placing each step.

Looking down the Sandy Headwall on Mt Hood's north face.

Conditions necessitated a short downclimb through the summit ice/rime, and I was glad to switch back from crampons into my skis for the long-anticipated descent. It’d been a long time coming, and it felt great to carve slushy turns down the slopes that have taunted me for years. Back at the car after almost 5,500′ of skiing, Darrin and I exchanged a high five and started plotting out a plan to camp out and head for Mount Adams in the morning.

Back in the parking lot, enjoying the change to flip flops and admiring the view that's taunted me for years.

Coming tomorrow… a full-day, late season ski assault on Mount Adams to close out the ski season officially for 2010-2011.

Tally for the July 4th weekend, 2011:

• Backcountry ski of Dege Peak
• Road bike ride around Mercer Island with Lulu
• Hung out on the beach and swam in Lake Washington
• Caught up with old and new friends
• Ate too many Bakery Nouveau pastries
• Ate too much Husky Deli ice cream
• BBQ’ed two of the three days
• Finally saw the Lake Union fireworks, after 5 summers living in Seattle.

We went into the holiday weekend not quite sure what the plans would be as Lulu continues to rehab her knee. While some of the past year’s plans (backpacking, kayaking, or other remote getaways) weren’t possible, it made for a great mix of activities, and a really relaxing weekend that could’ve have been more fun.

Post-ski hangout in the parking lot at Mount Rainier National Park, Saturday.

Bakery Nouveau and homemade cappuccinos with Torrey and Dan on the patio.

Waterfront viewpoint for the Lake Union fireworks, courtesy of Matthias and Andrea. Great way to cap it all off!

I’ll keep posting these snapshots here and there, and just added a new category – Photos on the Go – for just that purpose. As much as I love my big camera set-up, the quick shots on the go can be just as much fun.

I’ve been lucky enough to make turns in July for the last couple years for work, with our regularly scheduled ski testing at Mt Hood, OR. In fact, I’m heading out the door in a few minutes for a couple days of ski testing down there again. But with a huge snowpack across the Cascade Mountains and a perfect weather forecast for the Fourth of July weekend, I jumped at the chance to make it a full multi-sport holiday.

The Sunrise road into the park just opened on Friday. Still tons of snow.

Joining up with a group of Alpental regulars, we headed to the Sunrise side of Mount Rainier National Park, where the road to 6000′ had just opened on Friday. The plan was a quick ridgeline tour up Dege Peak, with easy, 1000′ laps of corn snow to repeat in the sunshine.

Chris hits the top, Mt Adams in the background

Sparkling skies, smooth corn snow, and beautiful warm temperatures made it into a perfect morning. Hard to beat the scenery too, with views of Mt Rainier, Mt Adams, Glacier Peak, and many more.

An unknown skier from a second group skiing the gut on Dege Peak.

Back to the parking lot after a couple laps for a beer and a snack, and then still made it back to Seattle for a 4pm BBQ with friends in Greenwood. Sitting out in the lawnchair on a warm evening (finally, no need for a sweatshirt!) combined the best feelings of earning some late season skiing and thoroughly enjoying the start of summer. With 4 days off for the holiday, it was a great way to mix a bit of the spring that never happened with the summer that’s soon to come.

Well, it’s been long overdue, but a new site is on its way up. Really long overdue, in fact. The last photos posted were almost 5 years old, pre-Seattle, pre-current camera/lenses, pre-a-lot-of-things.

Photo by Paige Elizabeth, a creative wedding RSVP depicting Lulu and me from our friend Julia.

A few dreary weekends in early summer in Seattle was finally all it took to get things rolling. It’ll still be a little while before I get the site fully buffed out, but I aim to start uploading much more frequent content, that’s for sure. Keep checking back, this is where I’ll be posting our adventures.

Thanks,
Graham