There were so many archived photos and words in my temp folder, a work in progress. Yet, I decided to post this short one just to share some photos taken during the trip and mark the start of the year 2025.
Mount Shuksan was definitely on my list, though I never thought I’d head there so early in mid-January. This January was extraordinarily dry. Seattle had an unusually long stretch of winter sun—roughly two weeks—and the dry days continued until almost the end of the month. As long as the weather was good, and invited by friends, I took another alpine start on the weekend of the 18th.
When we arrived at the parking lot, the local staff of Mt. Baker Ski Area had just started to arrive. Then the morning golden hour began. It was the alpineglow. It was probably one of the most pinkish and orange skies I had ever seen. Sadly, at that time, we were touring on routes surrounded by trees. By the time we entered an open area, the sky was already too bright.
The entire route toward Mount Shuksan first required a descent into the valley. But the downward path was just too sketchy—rock-hard ice covered the frozen earth, and the steep slope was scattered with loose figs. Eventually, we struggled for too long here before finally making it down to the valley.
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The snow coverage was definitely not good—there were holes and stones everywhere. Since I was only expecting an outdoor workout, I wasn’t surprised by the conditions. With some further climbing, our group eventually ended up at the top of a waterfall and, later, at the bottom of the White Salmon Glacier.
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The view was stunning, but since the entire bowl was in the mountain’s shade, it was extra cold. We didn’t stay long and tried to enjoy a bit of skiing and riding before facing our final struggle—climbing back up the slope we had descended earlier. Looking back, I saw the ski resort basking in the sunshine. People were gliding down, warm and relaxed. For a moment, I couldn’t help but question why I was up here shivering instead of down there, enjoying the ride.
Still, I was glad I came. For one, I got some exercise; I also met new friends; and as a bonus, I took some pictures for a friend, which ended up being used by the Seattle Arc’teryx Instagram account!
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Now, as I prepare for a series of worldwide trips, I’ll definitely boost my energy to update this space more!
Plus, on the ride back, we captured a perfect view of Twin Sisters Mountain from State Route 9 during the golden hour. A pity my camera lens was only 105mm.