If you are considering climbing the Mountaineer’s Route, I heartily recommend it. The route is spectacular. Be aware, however, that hiking conditions are currently unusually favorable on the mountain. Under more normal circumstances, the Mountaineer’s Route can well be a technical endeavor requiring ice axe and crampons, and the skills to use both safely (more...)...
National Geographic Magazine has posted their latest cover story online: The Big Thaw, on the Earth’s vanishing icepack. That the world’s glaciers and permanent snowfields are melting is certainly not news. What is surprising is how fast the ice is melting. The loss of polar ice and glaciation has been predicted for years. But scientists (more...)...
With Shasta’s conditions looking mediocre at best, I think I’m ready to call it a season and switch to hiking mode. Putting the skis away for a few months gives me a chance to rest the body and do a little work on the site. After a long hiatus, I’ve begun updating my book review (more...)...
When there is snow, SierraDescents is Andy Lewicky's California backcountry skiing and mountaineering website. Without snow, sierradescents becomes an ill-tempered hiking and climbing blog.