New Track Posted

On the eve of the new year, Backpacker.com has posted the GPS track from one of my summer hikes - Blue Basin in the John Day Fossil Beds Nat'l Monument, in central Oregon. When we visited the Fossil Beds in early July, we were actually discouraged by the ranger from hiking this trail on that particular day - it was hot! We were told the basin was referred to as a "clay oven," with temps reaching up to 20º higher than the surrounding area - and it was 107º that day! We waited a couple days and the temps dropped a good 20º, making the hike much more doable. Still, watch out for rattlesnakes!

The 4-mile hike is fairly easy, starting at the Overlook trailhead and working clockwise to the rim, then down for a stroll thru the Island in Time. The canyon/basin is an otherworldly blue/green volcanic tuff, sculpted by water and wind. Inside the canyon are fossil displays of late eocene and early miocene-era mammals. Either before or after the hike, be sure to check out the displays at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. See my image gallery here.

Frozen Falls

The recent cold spell cast a frozen blanket over the Northwest, creating some spectacular ice sculptures out of several waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge. The most popular by far is Multnomah Falls, where visitors flock to see Oregon's tallest waterfall amid curtains of snow and ice. I've opened a new gallery with images of the frozen falls. All of these images were captured with my new Nikon D90.

In other news, I'm working on some editorial assignments for Backpacker magazine and the Washington Trails Assn. that will be appearing in upcoming spring 2010 issues. And though there hasn't been alot to do, I'm still compiling plans for my 2010 JMT thru-hike. The updates to the site have been slow, as I've had several other projects occupying my time of late. I'm hoping to get back to the imagery soon, as I still have lots from Yellowstone and Garibaldi that I want to get posted.

Hope everyone has a happy holiday. Cheers!

Climbers Missing on Mt. Hood

Oregon's Mt. Hood has stricken another group of climbers this weekend, claiming one, with two still missing. Search and rescue teams have recovered the body of Luke Gullberg, 26, of Des Moines, WA. The remaining two climbers, Katie Nolan, 29, of Portland, OR, and Anthony Vietti, 24, of Longview, WA have yet to be found. The three are all experienced climbers, who were attempting the summit via Mt. Hood's west side Reid Glacier. Rescuers believe that they may have been caught by avalanches with the recent storms and heavy snowfall on the mountain.

Almost exactly three years ago, a similar situation occurred when three climbers attempted the summit via the difficult north side. One was recovered, the other two were never found. At only 11,239', Mt. Hood continues to be one of the deadliest climbs in the Northwestern Cascade range; it is the tallest cascade mountain in Oregon.

As a fellow hiker and outdoor enthusiast, condolences to the Gullberg family, and hopes and prayers to the Nolan and Vietti families for the safe recovery of their loved ones.

UPDATE: Search Called Off (12.17.09)

Authorities and rescue teams have ended the search for the other two missing climbers on Mt. Hood, Katie Nolan and Anthony Vietti. Recent storms dumping over a foot of new snow, sub-freezing temperatures and whiteout conditions have hampered efforts for rescue teams to search the mountain with any success.

Condolences to all three families for their recent loss.