Best Photos of 2023

2023 was a truly amazing year, with so many things to be thankful for. Becca graduated with her PhD from UC Santa Barbara (congratulations!) and we both took the summer off to travel, with amazing trips to the Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan, Turkey, Sweden, the Lofoten Islands of Norway for rock climbing, and many more special destinations. We are so lucky to have been able to visit so many beautiful places. After an busy summer, Becca moved up to Seattle, and life together has been action-packed and wonderful. We had an amazing fall, savoring the beautiful foliage that seems to last forever in western Washington, as long as you pick the right terrain to look for it. Adam and I took a quick trip to southern Utah for our birthday with some great friends, and then we had an amazing start to the ski season, with a big storm followed by an unusual high pressure system keeping the North Cascades Highway open through Thanksgiving, making for easy access to some stunning mountains beginning to grow their winter coats.

Here are some my favorite images from the year!

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Matt skiing the South Face of Black Peak, in North Cascades NP, WA. May 2023.

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Mount Adams and the Goat Rocks at sunrise, from high camp during a ski ascent of Little Tahoma, the second highest peak in Mount Rainier NP, WA. May 2023.

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Morning light on Tskawahyah Island during a backpacking trip with dad in Olympic National Park, WA. June 2023.

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A dead horse above camp at Urdukas during our incredible two week long trip in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan. June 2023.

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Sunset panorama taken from near Goro II, with Masherbrum at left, on the return leg of our Karokoram trip. June 2023.

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Becca climbing Dosethrisset in the Lofoten Islands of Norway, July 2023.

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Midnight "sunset" in the Lofoten Islands. During the time we were there, it never got truly dark. July 2023.

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Wind blowing Licorice-root at dusk during a lovely climb with Becca of Glacier Peak, in Washington. August, 2023.

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Sunrise in the Palouse region of Eastern Washington. August 2023.

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Flowers line a creek above Leigh Lake, during an ascent of the classic CMC Route on Mount Moran with Becca and Luc. Grand Teton NP, WY. August 2023.

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Becca and Luc climbing the CMC Route on Mount Moran, far above Jackson and Leigh Lakes. Grand Teton NP, WY. August 2023.

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Sunrise from inside the fire lookout on the summit of Saint Regis Mountain, NY. August 2023.

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Mushrooms in the Adirondack Forest in Upstate NY. August 2023.

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Striking "fairy chimneys" at sunset in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey, during an amazing trip with the Vincents. September 2023.

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A highlight of our Turkey trip was a morning hot airballoon ride, giving us a new perspective on the dramatic landscape. Cappadocia, Turkey. September 2023.

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A long exposure of moonlit clouds above Bears Breast mountain, taken during a trip with Mike to complete the Alpine Lakes High Route, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA. October 2023.

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Adam, Dunlin, Louis, and Matt riding down the last descent of the Angels Staircase mountain biking loop with golden Larches in the background. Sawtooth subrange of the Cascade Mountains, WA. October 2023.

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Fall foliage near Coles Corner, in the Cascades Mountains, WA. October 2023.

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Adam riding in the Navajo Rocks area near Moab, during a late fall trip to Utah, the day before our birthday. October, 2023.

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Twin Falls, in the Snoqualmie Valley of Washington. October 2023.

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The full Moon rises over Mount Washington and the Oregon Cascades. October 2023.

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Liberty Bell and the Early Winter Spires during the first big snowstorm of the season. North Cascades, WA. November 2023.

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The Green River Gorge, WA, with fall foliage. November 2023.

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Adam skiing the Maple Leaf Couloir in the North Cascades on an amazing early season ski day, the day after Thanksgiving. November 2023.

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Sunset on the southern portion of the Pickets Range within North Cascades NP, WA. December, 2023.

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Jaclyn on rappel in Mud Spring Canyon, Red Rocks NCA, NV. December 2023.