In May, 2002, the striking snow and rock cone of Oregon's Mount Hood, called the Mount Fuji of North America, made national headlines when an Air Force Reserve Pavehawk helicopter lost power, crashed and rolled 1,000 feet down the mountain during an attempted climbing rescue. Earlier that day, four climbers were descending from just below the mountain's 11,239-foot summit, passing near several rock towers known as the Pearly Gates. ...

Kyle and I had been moving for over 18 hours, skiing five miles of glacier and climbing 3,100 feet of the convoluted south west ridge of Peak 11300 in Alaska. The setting sun bathed the peaks in a soft, rosy light. As Kyle rappelled to a small col in the ridge, where we planned to bivy, I snapped a few pictures and smiled....