Monday, August 8, 2016

Enchantments 2016

3-min video just out of our August-2016 trip  plus my poem inspired by the experience

A Place Like This / Mark Seker / Inspired by the Enchantments, WA Cascades / August 2016
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A place like this reveals the blue grouse so near 
and her family appears, four so dear
to share this trail and linger with me 

With stars so many I cannot see the normal shapes
and meteors streak oh my how bright 
Did you see that one over there? 

With water so clear I drink with no doubt 

A place like this has rushing falls nonstop from my start
Natural noise the kind that calms and won’t stop
Ice fields melt over falls short and tall
and brooks babbling

Then, silence 
Best of all… the silence

Iceberg lakes in August light
Stark landscape black and white
Yet wait was that a verdant wild garden
with spring flowers 
I just walked through?

Green life, sky blue, white snow, black rock, 
purple, look close
then blend to the palette 

The sheep without fear, as if I’m not here 
Mom with her kid
and another pair over there
and again in my camp
I mean their camp not mine

Where is the trail?
I’m used to a trail, this is remote. 
Do we need a trail?
They don’t

A place like this with fish 
I can see 
And the osprey so close
the fish never saw until… too late

What is that fragrance?  
So strong without break
So sweet, I slow 
to breathe, eyes closed

Granite so hard, as if permanent
Jagged tops, smooth domes to walk
Yet a tree I see sprouts life 
in that tiny crack

A place like this 
Was that a dream 
or was I just there? 

Monday, May 11, 2015

Mt St Helens, Mother's Day mountain mardi gras


Team Frank Mungeam, Mark Mochon and I cross dressed up once again, allowing me to summit my 14th time of MSH.   25 fun photos here 

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Mt Baker


Epic weekend with pals BWB, Vern and Steve.  Here's our music video: https://animoto.com/play/T2szr4zYejJDcEqtzYcD6Q


Monday, May 27, 2013

Mt Shasta bid May-2013

Quick report and photo link from a bid to summit Mt Shasta this weekend. Frank Mungeam and I drove to the sunnier state south on Friday with intention to climb the Hotlum-Bolum route on the north side. Car camped in luxury at the 7000' north gate TH that eve, and packed up to high camp at 9000' on Sat.  Weather moved from CAVU cloud free Sat morning to thru a series of declining stages until we decided Sun at 7am after a few hours of socked-in clouds sort of like heaven only without the view, that our summit bid was off.  

Most dramatic was the show from 5-9pm Sat as we set high camp with repeated snow/sleet squalls separated by long views to Diamond peak and Klamath Lake, dramatic clouds, thunder close enough to touch. We encountered approx 8 other teams, all with the same outcome, the highest reported he got to 12000' before wind knocked him off. 



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Mt St Helens summer summit

Today I joined four first-timer mountaineers on a hike up the popular Monitor Ridge summer route.  Our neighbors Jamie and Matt asked me to go along a few months back with Jamie's brother Mark and wife Emily.  

All went well on another fine CAVU day on the mountain.  Click for the rest of the pics and flicks.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Frank's 50th birthday MSH summit party

Yesterday, Frank M decided to spend his 50th birthday snowboarding off the summit of Mt St Helens, and I got to go with him!   He picked an incredible day with the mountain still covered in unusually late snow, bright sunshine and air so calm the birthday candles wouldn't blow out at the summit antic birthday party.

We made great time to the summit in less than 5 hours, lunched on cupcakes and whisky, then shredded downhill almost 3 miles of beautiful backcountry spring snow, losing 4000' feet over the 40 minute freeride.  Incredible.  Especially for Frank's 6th time on a snowboard!

Click here for pics and flicks to prove we don't make this stuff up.