exploring "america's alps" : the north cascades

let's be honest. i was disappointed when mt saint helen's was engulfed in a storm and we decided to go explore elsewhere. and on day one in the north cascades i cried. nerves. bleh.
lesson learned: keep up my backcountry skills (or skiing skills period) before venturing out to the backcountry.

despite my nerves and a bout of crying, the north cascades turned out to be quite spectacular,
and a fantastic experience overall. i was grateful to be with ceej, my brother, and his wife.
a good crew always makes for a good trip. especially when they're just as excited about
ice cream at the end of the day as you are (though my licorice-flavored ice cream turned out to
taste more like cough syrup, and, in a very rare situation, ended up in the trash. what a tragedy!).

another surprise: i was worried about my "mountain lungs" as i thought i may have lost them
while spending ten days in england with voyage magazine...
but my lungs and heart pulled through, and i felt really strong overall. up is easy. down isn't my fave all the time.

this little two-day trip was a nice taste of the north cascades. can't wait to visit this place in summer,
and again in the winter. motivated.


{photos by ceej, my brother (dan), and me}