We originally intended to circumnavigate the Baker River but had to reroute with some unexpected weather. Not quite the adventure we hoped for but still glad to check out the Northern Pickets!

A quick trip to the highest point in the Monte Cristo Range.

The Sawtooth Slam is a great way to knock out five easy mountains from the Bulger List (a rough list of the state’s 100 tallest mountains). The larches were a little past prime, but collectively they gave off a darker yellow hue that was noticeably different from the weekend prior. Pretty cool to see the full lifecycle of these larches this season!

The previous day zapped more energy than expected, so I went for one of the more straightforward peaks in the area.

First time for me checking out the Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness area and really seeing the dense larch groves less prevalent in the rest of the Cascades.

Finally knocking this one out in between an iffy forecast window!

A scenic loop to see soak in the fall colors and perhaps the impetus/rebirth of this very website!

A nice loop to tag two peaks while enjoying some fall colors.

A nice warmup before venturing deeper into the great Glacier Peak Wilderness. I used to think the Entiats were a little lame and colorless, but revisiting the area was much cooler now that I could identify many more peaks of the GPW/North Cascades and able to remember fondly some of the prior experiences I’ve had on those peaks.

Been saving this one for those weird forecast days. I don’t think I give the Alpine Lakes Wilderness enough love. Definitely hoping to have more Plan A days here instead of relegating this area as a backup to “cooler” plans. A bit more crowded, and the peaks are a bit smaller, but I overlook how comparably rugged it is to the North Cascades.

A throwback and “free-solo” of my first alpine climb.

Gotta tag the state high point while I’m here right? If I ever want a taste of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo range around the PNW, the Lost River Range is not terribly far. The peaks are bigger too!

Hesitating on the original plan to get up Mount Owen with the goal of scoping out the northern leg of the Grand Traverse. Went for an attempt the previous day and got poured on not even before leaving treeline - definitely not trying to take any chances with the conditions since the critical downclimbs are shaded. This morning I got discouraged by the flashes of lightning so I slept in, which ultimately prevented me from getting to Owen.

Finally climbed the Grand Teton, which I felt was a bit overdue. Did the most I could in the Tetons without a partner, but was still able to romp around the range to see what’s out there when I come back with better objectives.

Knocking out the fourth and last of the so called Great Fourtneer Traverses, and my last outing in Colorado this year.

Pretty unremarkable summit of Pikes Peak, although I think this 14er is over-hated. I thought it was quite a nice walk (despite the cars).

An unexpectedly smoky day, but probably the best of the so called Great Fourtneer Traverses in Colorado.

The Ouray 100 ultramarathon probably ranks as one of the hardest races in the country, clocking in at over 100 miles, ~42000 feet of vertical gain, at an average elevation of 10200 feet.

What a fun name for a mountain! Mount Sneffels stands tall among its neighbors and it really does catch your eye driving south towards Ridgway. This is the outing where I really learn Colorado is a pay to win state and I won’t apologize for saying that 😤. Beeeautiful views though.

Checking out what I think is the more boring part of the San Juans, only because it’s so isolated from all of the other interesting peaks to the east. My second so called Great Fourtneer Traverses in Colorado.