Sahale Arm at Sunset

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A bit about how this photo came to be.

If this is TLDR here’s a video recap

As the story goes…

My brother got married in Portland Oregon. There was a weather window in the Cascades after. Andrew and I had been hoping for this. If you know anything about the cascades in November… you know that days where it’s not dumping rain or snow are few and far between. 

“An extra day is an extra 5 bucks” - said the uncharacteristically jolly hertz employ. We drove North

The view from atop the Sahale Arm had been on my radar for 4-5 months, ever since a few of my friends had made it up at the beginning of the summer climbing season.

The Sahale arm is challenging in the summer, but quite popular, getting a permit is a challenge. However, once fall wanes the permit system disappears, and the demand goes way down (for good reason) as the inevitable snow at elevation adds a few degrees of difficulty to the ordeal. The North Cascades are an inhospitable place in the winter. 

There was not another soul parked at the winter trailhead.

We ate ramen bombs (a dirtbag delicacy of a ramen noodle cup with instant mashed potatoes added) and left our car at the end of the open road under the cover of darkness

Headlamps on — up the closed road for 3 miles to the summer trailhead where we made our first camp in the snow. on a dry patch found under a pine tree between the snowpatches — at this point the snow was shallow and easy to navigate.

Day 2 the switchbacks — the scoop from our friends who had gone up before us was that the switchbacks were a mind killer. 38 something odd switchbacks to be exact 1800 some odd feet, we trudge up just after dawn with high moral. Completing the switches with some amount of ease. What our friends failed to note, is that in November, post switchbacks, the snow gets deep, for the rest of the journey. as we press on moral weakens as we find the worst is not indeed behind us.

At Lunch, somehow both of our lighters are not lighting. two angels approach from behind — we converse — they’re just hiking up to the pass (where we currently are) for a lunch view, then returning. We asked if they had lighter, and they had waterproof matches… which without, we would have had no way to cook our meals, or melt snow for water (the only water source at this elevation and time of year)They said “keep the matches, pay it forward” had they not our journey would have turned around there. The matches are still in my hiking pack as i’m writting this waiting to be passed on to the next hiker in need.

Andrew’s double leg cramps aside, we press on. 

It feels important to note that Taylors version of 1989 had just released, and happened to be one of the only albums I had downloaded at the time. “now that we don’t talk” was running on loop as we slogged up. The “from the vault” tunes now have equally tremendous and pain-filled memories associated. Thank you Taylor.

The switchbacks were no mind killer, the final 2 miles were the mind killer, with the destination in sight the whole way up the arm — taunting, each step twice the effort as a snowless one.

Making our own switchbacks up the last 800 feet of skree, the last corner before the post anointing our ending point.

We made it.

After an extended celebratory period, Andrew begins heating water for dinner, and setting up camp. At this moment I take the photo you see above, from our campsite. For the first time deciding to experiment with stitching together multiple frames of medium format film. I sit in the moment wondering if stitching negatives together would work. It did.

What followed was one of the worst nights of sleep of my life, and one of the most rewarding sunrises. Mayhaps the sunrise version of this campsite view will follow in the shop.

Regardless, if you choose to put this photo up in your home, I hope it reminds you there is life and beauty found both in the extraordinary and everyday.

Thank you for looking.

Much love,

-Nate Shorman