Base Camping Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Where is Kyle Miller?

Buckner Mountain Descent of North Face

Looking at the North face of Buckner Mountain in the North Cascades of Washington State

Buckner Mountain and its North face is one of those areas in Washington that has reached legendary status. Being both steep and a bit isolated it is known but rarely seen by many people. With a summit of 9112 feet it is the 10^th highest peak in Washington state. On the North side the slopes run down to the Boston Glacier before draining to Thunder Creek. The South side of Buckner Mountain drops almost over 4,000 feet to Park and Basin Creek. The main approach is via Cascade River Road before climbing over Sharkfin Col. With a solid weather window this was our plan on a 2 day trip into North Cascades National Park.

With a full moon and clear skies it was time to head out into the mountains and try something big. Jason and I kept throwing ideas back and forth until reaching a agreement that we should visit the remote Chiwaukum Mountains. It was our hope that we could find a scenic camping spot and get some turns. Since it was early January we knew it was going to be cold with short days.

Echo Rock and the Flett Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park

October turns on the Flett Glacier is a tradition for the Turns All Year people in the Pacific Northwest. With the glacier being the closest permanent snowpack to Seattle it’s the perfect place to keep the streak going. While it is raining in the lowlands usually that means snow in the high country. With just a few inches of powder the Glacier is smoothed out and the perfect place to get the first turns of the season. With a storm arriving in the PNW my friend Scott and I made plans to go get our first turns of the season.

Silver Star Mountain is one of the gems of the North Cascades and it is easy to understand why. With a summit of 8,876 feet it is the the high point of the Methow Mountains. From Highway 20 it is the dominant peak just north of Washington Pass. Being situated on the eastern side of … Read more

Mount Ruth and the Interglacier

Mount Ruth and the Interglacier are the two main at the head of Glacier Basin in Mount Rainier National Park. From the basin floor the faces rise dramatically over 3000 feet. With a 4 mile hike up the Glacier Basin trail you can find yourself surround be these mountains to the South and the 3rd Burrough to the north. With a 5,000 foot freezing level and cleared out road to the White River campground it seemed it was a rare late Spring day to find powder. Our plan was to do an overnight camping trip in the basin and ski whatever line or lines that got our attention.

Obstruction Point in Olympic National Park

With weather in Washington looking sour for the Cascades we decided our best chance for weather would be the Olympics. kjkrow=Kyle (from splitboard.com), Dan (crstlextrm from TGR) and Myself Kyle Miller went out to Observation point for a four day tour.

Everyday at my work I watch the sunrises over the Olympic Mountains but never really head that direction.

The view from the Four Seasons in Seattle

Ski Touring around Mowich Lake in Mount Rainier National Park during winter had always been an interest to me. Knowing there was great terrain surrounding it we decided to do a camping mission. The plan was for Scott and I to leave after work on Thursday and skin up to the lake, spending three nights in the area. Once at camp we would ride the surrounding area until Sunday afternoon then head back to the car.

1/10 ridge getting glowing in the sunshine

Sheep Lake has some great terrain surrounding it with a few different aspects. From Shepard Peak to Chinook Pass there is some great areas that see little traffic. Knowing this I made a plan with my friend Scott to do an overnight trip out there. This would give us the opportunity to explore the area and ski some lines we had looked at for a while. Once we felt that it was time to go we would exit via Chinook Pass.

Mount Fremont is one of those peaks near Sunrise Visitor Center that still hold snow one the road opens in mid July. The Peak and numerous sub summits and options for skiable lines so it is the perfect area to spend some time in. The are is one of the more popular areas in Mount Rainier National Park. There is a hiking trail to a lookout tower on the true summit but we decided to camp on the ridge. This would give us great views and skiing directly from camp.

Looking down on Camp Shurman and the Emmons route to the summit

3rd Burroughs and the Interglacier was an idea that Dan and I had put together as the perfect late season camping trip. With the Sunrise road still closed we would drive to the White River Camp ground and hike up. The plan was to camp just below the summit of the 3rd Burroughs and the next morning we would ski into Glacier Basin and climb the Interglacier. It would be a long trip linking up the 3rd Burroughs and the Interglacier but it would have stunning views.

Buckner Mountain Descent of North Face

Chiwaukum Mountains Camping Trip

October Turns on Flett Glacier

Silver Star Mountain in the North Cascades

Mount Ruth and the Interglacier

Obstruction Point in Olympic National Park

Obstruction Point in Olympic National Park

Mowich Lake Basecamp and Ski Touring in Winter

Sheep Lake Camp and Chinook Pass

Mount Fremont Camping Trip

3rd Burroughs and the Interglacier