Over the years, brothers Matt and Tom Desmond have climbed many classic Cascade peaks. Recently, due to work and raising families, the two somehow skipped a few seasons. This past June, they came "out of retirement" and, along with NCMG owner and guide, Paul Butler, wanted to tag another summit. Goode Mountain, the highest peak in the North Cascades National Park, seemed like the perfect choice.
Last week the NCMG guides had the opportunity to climb the North Ridge of Forbidden Peak as part of an AMGA Alpine Guides Course. The North Ridge is one of our favorite climbs and has two of the best bivy sites in the North Cascades. Here are a few pictures from the trip.
A few weeks ago, I was riding an Amtrak between New York and Boston with my wife, our 6-month old son and my wife’s uncle, a professor emeritus of economics. Between diaper changes (no small feat in the bathroom of a moving train) and packed in tightly between the business commuters, we discussed the benefits and costs of industry certification.
Incredible Powder skiing near the Dix Hut.
It's not deep, but it sure is fun.
Skiing in a "Bad" Season
Here is the latest snowpack observation from Stevens Pass. The snow has been piling up and Stevens has done a good job of playing catch-up. The skiing inside the ski area is getting better every day. The snow quality the last few days has been very good, with 16 inches of new over the last 48 hours. I even had a few face shots today off of Cowboy Ridge. That being said, the snowpack is still pretty shallow in this zone (average at 5,800' = 100 cms).
In a mountain range stacked with classic alpine climbs, the West Ridge of Forbidden is definitely one of our favorite climbs in the North Cascades. Last week I headed out with a long-time client of mine, John Williams, to show him one of the best climbs in the Cascades. We have climbed quite a few classics over the years, most of the time with his wife Susan. The Matterhorn, Mount Rainier, Mount Shuksan are just a few of the fun climbs we've shared together.
After our great trip to the Bugaboos last year Leslie came back for some more climbing in Canada. This time we decided to head farther east into the Canadian Rockies and attempt Mount Assiniboine. Conditions had been dry most of the summer but right before our trip the mountain picked up a bunch of new snow. We were undeterred and were looking forward to the added challenge.
The NCMG trip to Rainier this year was super cool. We had a small, strong team, great weather and climbed one of the more striking lines on the mountain - The Fuhrer Finger.