The WA100 project (based on the classic Bulger List) is a mountain challenge like none other that I’ve personally encountered. Shortly after moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2013, I had the privilege of learning the basics of mountaineering and alpine climbing (completely new activities to me at the time), and it quickly became clear that this type of movement in the mountains was the truest expression of my self and my love for this local landscape. My work as a photographer allowed me to experience mountains on all Seven Continents, but my heart was firmly planted in my home mountains. During the 2018 climbing season, I celebrated my favorite national park, North Cascades National Park, and its 50th anniversary by climbing 50 peaks inside the park (a project I called 50 Peaks). But a bigger project has always been on the horizon. The Bulger List — Washington State’s 100 highest peaks — is a project I’ve said I would tackle “one day” for many years. All of these 100 peaks sit in my beloved Cascades, the mountain range that literally changed my life. After this past year reminded me, once again, to not take life for granted and to not delay dreams, I decided to make my “one day” now.
I’m thrilled to take on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge while also bringing about real, measurable change along the way. Being able to venture out into these mountains, the traditional lands of past and present Indigenous peoples, is a great privilege. And it is that privilege I plan to leverage to elevate others. I will do this by partnering with and amplifying the voices of some amazing nonprofit groups that fight for outdoor advocacy, inclusivity, and representation and make outdoor gear, education, and experiences more accessible to everyone. I will also amplify individual members of the outdoor community that have inspired me and so many others. The giveback will take many forms including spreading awareness, peer fundraising, and more, and will aim to inspire others to look at how they connect with their own local landscapes and, in turn, how the land connects us all. All in all, I hope and expect this journey to further deepen my personal connection with this local landscape while hopefully opening my mind and heart, and the minds and hearts of others, to how we all belong in the mountains.
