Rainier - taken at sunset from Camp Schurman In January of this year, I had been made an offer to join a wealth management practice in the bay area and assumed I would be moving to Oakland around May or June. As such, I decided I had to have another go at Rainier before I officially had been away so long that Seattle didn't feel like home anymore. I signed up for the Peaks of Life All Women's climb of Rainier via the Emmons route, July 21-22, 2018. I spent the first 3 months

My IMG team heads up to Muir from Paradise for my 1st attempt, Summer of 2011 I have been wanting to climb to the summit of Washington's highest mountain, Mt. Rainier since I moved to Seattle in December of 2004. I can remember the first time I saw the mountain, majestic and mocking in her sheer size and prominence – like she was looking down over the city, a clear winner in the contest of who's bigger and badder. My first attempt at climbing Mt. Rainier was with Internationa

Clear skies on the climb to Camp Muir After months of training-filled, REI-obsessed, anxiety-filled days, our weekend to climb Mt. Rainier had finally arrived. It meant more than just the $1244 we had spent on the 3 ½ day trip, and the nearly $2,000 on gear. It was about the almost six years that I had gazed at this mountain every time I drove across Lake Washington. Each time I saw it haloed in a pink sunset as I drove south on Rainier Ave. Every time it exclaimed its pr

Your brain finally registers that the beeping sound is your alarm clock. You can hear the wind howling outside, battering the tent, and every rational thought tells you to stay snug and warm inside your sleeping bag. But it's 1 AM, and it's time to set out for the summit. Struggling with heavy eyelids, you start to dress, not forgetting your down parka which will help ease the transition to the cold darkness outside. Gear is checked, crampons, helmet and headlamp are attach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyCx9oPFer0TBEX 2011 in Vancouver was my first blogging conference, and it was an absolute joy to finally put faces to the names of persons whom I already think of as friends. The travel blogging community is like no other I've experienced - there is endless support, encouragement, and of course, willingness to party! A huge thank you goes out to Tara Berger, Social Media & Communications Coordinator of AM Resorts for organizing our farewell bo