Human activity in the Cascades in winter is concentrated on the ski resorts scattered here and there and their surroundings, as well as the prestigious volcanoes. The North Cascades in particular are difficult to access and rarely see human visitors. This makes it all the more exciting when someone does make their way through the jungle and even drags their skis with them.
Jason Hummel learned to ski without lifts, with skins and telemark bindings. As a child, he and his brothers made Mount Rainier National Park unsafe. After briefly straying into the financial sector and working as a consultant in a bank, he realized that he belonged in the mountains. He realized a dream that many people share and turned his passion - mountains and photography - into a career.
Hummel's specialty is long, complex crossings. Unlike the Alps, there are no huts and hardly any trails in the North Cascades. "Wilderness areas" in the USA really are wilderness as we hardly know it in this country. You can spend days or even weeks walking from A to B and not encounter anyone. Hummel and Co. are particularly fond of doing just that. In a self-published book financed by Kickstarter, he has now compiled pictures and stories from three such trips: the 16-day crossing of the "American Alps", an ascent of the northern flank of Mount Despair and the first winter crossing of the Picket Massif. The texts are largely diary-like; they are about wet socks, fear, feelings of happiness and disgusting bagged food.
