I won’t even pretend to feel like the great polar and mountain explorers of yesteryear, or like soldiers who’ve just returned home from a long tour. I can say, however, that there are times (like now) when I can empathize with them. As I return from an amazing trip in the woods I can’t help but feel a bit directionless. In the mountains, despite the weather, one’s direction presents itself with startling clarity. Whether you can get there is another story.

Needless to say, my four climbs in the North Cascades over the past two weeks were amazing experiences. The trip was marked by generally clear weather. Wet days (there were two during the trips) are tough and cold, but when the shroud of clouds lifts the world seems that much brighter and even more glorious.

I’ve had a hard time being out of the woods though. It’s irking me, I usually look forward to burgers, beer, a hot shower and all the other accoutrements that society has to offer. This time it’s different. I want to crawl back under the wilderness shell right now. The contrast seems irreconcilable.

A stop at Target in Burlington, WA on a Sunday, our first stop out of the woods, found me among people happily giving their money away to large corporations on their day off. My absence, during a move, has stressed the relationship with my partner of four and a half years. And my grandmother, who played an integral role during my early childhood, has been in the hospital with a large brain tumor.

This chain of events left me feeling pretty overwhelmed. Home now for four days I’m feeling a bit more adjusted, but the feeling is bittersweet – I’m headed back to the Cascades for a Shuksan and Rainier trip, 10 more days away from my home-life and easy access to updates on my grandmother’s condition.

I’m more fortunate than most though – without the highs and lows life would be uninteresting. There would be no perspective by which to judge things. For now enjoy these very beautiful photos from the past week.