Eagles

Recently I have been heading up to the local water ways to photograph the eagles. Normally the migration of eagles is latter in the year, however it appears they just could not wait this year. I have been able to get some stunning pictures of the birds. These are some of the easier animals to photograph; they are general easy to find. Most of the time you are able get close enough to these birds to help you out with your shots. Most of my shots were taken in the rain and with poor light.

Cascadecompass Photography

cascadecompass.com is now up and running! This is my photography site; I have been a an amateur photographer for some time now. Recently I have taken steps to enter the competitive field professionally.
Here is a little of what the site says about me.

Josh Scholten in an amateur freelance photographer based out of Washington state. Josh works primarily as a wildlife landscape photographer, but ever his art does not stop there. Josh has done shoots for many theatrical productions, school events, church gatherings, sports, and specializes in low light conditions.

Josh's submissions are sent to a wide range of publishings such as: National Geographic, Backpacker Magazine, Sunset Magazine, REI, National Park Service, National Forest Service, Washington Trails Association, Dordt College, Canon Photography, and other acclaimed names.

His photography has brought him around the country; Josh has done shoots in New York City spending time in Carnegie Hall. Although he is based out of the North Cascades National Park, he has had the thrill of working in the spectacular backcountry of Yellowstone, Rocky Mountains, The Grand Teton, the beautiful Echo Park and Sand Canyon. He has also captured San Francisco and the surrounding area.
Several Professional photographers have reached out to Josh as a second shooter to round out their team at large events.

It is clear that Josh is willing to go great lengths capture the shot with goals of impacting his clients. He works with a full complement of gear that is expanding every day. If you have need for a photographer that is willing to go above and beyond get in contact with Cascadecompass Photography

Stoves

When I started looking at stoves I knew what I wanted. I have used several different types of backpacking stoves, and have never really been happy with what I had. I started with a cheap butane stove, this worked but it had no wind screen and did not produce the energy needed to cook well with. Latter I upgraded to another butane stove. Wile this one worked better, the efficiency was the same, poor. The compressed bottles are not reusable and do not last long. Every time you need more fuel you have you buy a new canister. Another problem I have found with butane is its performance at high altitude. The higher you get the less pressure there is in the canister, this make your performance plummet. I have not beed happy with butane when you need it the most, when the weather is cold. The efficiency of butane goes down the colder it gets. combined this with high altitude and you have yourself a virtually useless stove. I have always used white gas. although the fuel may be heavier I think you get an all around better product. I own a Primus Omni Fuel and have field tested a MSR XGK EX stove and I must say I have fallen in love with them both. The power that both these stoves is seen in operation. Unfortunately it is heard as well but the aren't the loudest stoves on the mark either so I figured its a good compromise.
I have

Packs

Over my years of hiking I have learned many new ways of doing things. Having started down the trail before I could walk I have grown up learning the skills necessary to endure the conditions of Washington State. These skills were challenged when I started hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I found that a long distance hike cannot be treated the same as a weekend hike. I knew this before I started down the trail of course and I had thought I packed accordingly.
As it turns out, packing this way actually made things more difficult for me. I had the gear that I needed for the trip; the problem wasn't having too much or too little. The problem was simply that my gear was not meant to go out on these kind of excretions.
After completing the first section trail I knew that I needed to change out my technology to accommodate these kinds of trips. I was not about to go ultralight with my gear. Everyone I talk to that uses this method seems to have the same problem, the gear does not last. This is not a surprise to me at all. I look at the design as material used to make these ultra light products and the bottom line is that they are just not built for longterm use, especially in Washington State. My gear would not be used just on the Pacific Crest Trail. I would be taking this stuff into some of the harshest conditions imaginable. I needed something that would last the torment of Washington and fit the need for the Pacific Crest Trail.
I started with my pack, the first thing that I saw with packs nowadays is the lack of strapping on the outside of the pack. Sure this saves weight and clutter, but it sacrifices convenience. with the type of hiking I do I need to be switching gear types all the time. Most of the switches are small, it is inconvenient to tear apart my pack every time I need something. The second thing I looked for was the design of the main compartment, was it functional enough to allow me into my pack without taking all my gear out. I chose the REI Mars pack, this is a mid size pack that is a little bulkier than your average distance pack, but it will and has proven itself time and time again. I have hiked with it in the blistering heat and pouring rain with no complaints.

Mapping High-School

You may know me as the person who has worked hard behind the scenes in the worship and fine arts center striving to make every show run smoothly. You may know we as the person willing to help out when it came to setting up a system for an event. It is true I have put my heart into what I do in the worship and fine arts center this has taken determination. As a leader in this department I have stood firm in my decisions; and I have been given enormous trust and responsibilities because of that. Now although I enjoy working in the worship and fine arts center or the WFAC as it has become known, this is not my true passion.

My passion has always been in the mountains, although I have enjoyed working in the theater and will probably continue doing so, at least to some degree, I am following the map God has laid out for me. I love the mountains, I love the outdoors, I love the features and life in it. Learning about these features has inspired me to pursue them.

In sophomore biology I was the one eager to get involved, especially when the labs took us into the field to get a firsthand look at the topic of study. Going to Wiser Lake, Fish-trap Creek, and the Nooksack River were highlights for me. Washington State History was instructed by Mr. Jasper. He was a man I could relate to when it came to the history of our state; he involved the class and made the story of Washington come alive. I was given the opportunity to teach his class one day, the topic was the history of the Upper Skagit River Valley, a place in our state that has seen everything from the footsteps of Native American Tribes to the Rush of water as Seattle City Light flooded the valley after the completion of Ross Dam

Although I was not officially in Senior Biology I did what I could to follow the topic of study at the time. However because of my plans I decided to take Earth Science instead. If I had to name a class that has influenced me the most this would be the number one! My life will be spent in the middle of all the material covered by Mr. Kredit. I was disappointed when I was not able to accompany the Senior Biology class on the trip to the peninsula, but that is one of the things that I had to face because of my decision to take a class more relevant to my future. I have said a lot about my future, now you are probably wondering what my future holds for me.

I will be attending Skagit Valley College next year, I will be pursuing  two certificates: the first being Parks Service and protection, this program will train and prepare me for visitor and resource operations and protection at all levels of government and private forestry agencies. I will then continue on to The Parks Law Enforcement Academe at Skagit Valley College, one of only nine federally accredited Academies in the country. This Academy will allow me to specialize in parks law enforcement among various agencies in the law enforcement community.
Earth Science combined with Mr. Kredit's experiences working in the National Parks Service has helped guide me to this decision. I have always been in the parks and each time I am in them I feel that this is where I am supposed to be. I decided to pursue the National Parks Service several Years ago, I can't remember exactly when, it may have been before high school; none the less what I have seen and learned in recent years has driven me to this field. Now after four years of study in high school the rest of life’s studies awaits.

During my journey at Lynden Christian I have gotten several opportunities that are unique. Without determination and dedication this would not be possible. I have traveled down the path of high school and will soon travel a new path in college. The trail outlined here is the Pacific Crest Trail, I spent six years traveling down this trail completing it only last summer. When I think back on my life at Lynden Christian I can visualize a trail, filled with obstacles, switchbacks, endless beauty, and pinnacles that allow you to take a glimpse of what lies ahead.
I start my journey along the Pacific Crest Trail at the Columbia River, on the Boarder of Washington and Oregon. When I entered high school knew a little of what to expect, after all my brother Tim had just graduated from it. But like all freshmen I had no clue how things operated in this environment. Before long however I got used to the new routine and started down the trail. Then came my first vista, I went up to the tech-booth. Because of the path that Tim had blazed for me it wasn't long before Mike Vos and Kai Iaconetti had me running systems right along with them. This was the start of my path on the tech crew.
Freshmen year came and went in a flash. I was moving along at a pretty good pace, managing the workload easily, getting on the honor roll for both semesters. I had the opportunity to go on the choir tour down to California, this was another vista of my year. I earned my first letter in Cross Country, and I finished the spring musical. I did track my freshmen year earning myself a letter in that as well. Before I knew it I was finishing the first section of my high school trail selecting the path for the upcoming year.

This was the last year that I would get to work with Mike Vos on the tech crew, I enjoyed working with him on the crew, we would often work during class to get the WFAC ready for the next event. At the time this did not effect my grades, of course it helped that I didn't have to do all the work myself.
The first semester came and went in my sophomore year without much excitement, it would be the second semester that would start to test me, this is where I encountered a bridge that was out.
I had started to notice my grades slipping in two subjects. In biology I could identify what the problem was; the problem was me, I had slacked off and as a result my grades reflected that. I proved to myself that I could work hard and got my grades back where they belonged. The second class was a frustration; math has never been good to me. I saw my grades slipping; the frustration came when I found that I could not control the drop without help. Mrs. Olson came along side me and guided me through the material. I was able to pass the class but only by a slim margin. This was my first taste of a struggle that I still deal with today.
Putting aside the grades I enjoyed my sophomore year. I did not take track, I got board running around in circles, instead I started helping Mr. Kredit at the meets. I was again impressed and inspired by the way Mr. Kredit operates, his ability to lead is something I have tried to model. The musical for the year was The Scarlet Pimpernel, This was Mike Vos' last show and we were determined to make it stand out. I brought a proposal in front of a committee to invest $8,000 in new lighting equipment. This would add to and update the existing fixtures. The proposal was passed and we soon had the control and technology we needed to set us apart from the rest of the high schools and community theaters around Whatcom County. Our efforts played off, Mike Vos and I were awarded a design award from 5th Avenue.
This highlight marked the end of my sophomore year. I had become comfortable with my stride and the pack seemed to be getting lighter.

The next section of trail would be the longest; in my junior year I had several core classes that needed to be completed. I knew what to expect. I was now an upperclassman, although what status that has I'm not sure.

Cross Country had a strong team, we new from the start that we would go far. This was the first team to bring both the boys and girls teams to state back to back. We continued our streak of firsts by bringing home the first ever boy’s team trophy
I was working alone now on the tech crew. I was given a free period to work in the WFAC as not to interfere with my classes. Working alone I designed the sound scheme for the spring musical, the system I would be operating during the show. But my big accomplishment this year was creating a light design that defied a traditional musical like Fiddler on the Roof. Again 5th Avenue Theater recognized me and I was nominated to receive an award for Best Lighting Design in the northwest!
My junior year went out much like my sophomore year did, only this time I was moving on to the last section of trail!

This is the year to remember! My senior year has been filled with many opportunities, everything from actually being in a class with Mr. Kredit to getting the chance of a lifetime, singing on the stage of Carnegie Hall in New York City.
I must mention Cross Country one last time, the team was again strong. However a barrier fell across my trail. The day before the biggest race of the season I was hit with swine flue and was forced to sit out the race. I was not the only one on the team that was forced to watch their last big meet flew past. I made it to state with the team, unfortunately one of my teammates did not; this gave me the opportunity to practice something that I have learned about myself as a leader, encouragement.
I moved on after Cross Country to another monument for me. One word Aida… This would be the biggest musical Lynden Christian has ever attempted to do. I was determined to make it my best show I had ever done, and I can safely say that this became a reality. I spent thousands of hours researching, planning, designing, rigging, and programming this show. Tonight I will find out weather or not I have been nominated or recognized by 5th Avenue Theater!

Yes Aida was a big summit for me, something that I am proud of, but the biggest event and opportunity of not only high school, but of my life came from choir.
The Lynden Christian Concert Choir went on tour, to a city known as New York and while in New York we received the honor of singing on the most famous stage in the world, Carnegie Hall! We worked hard all year to prepare for this trip, in the end every note was worth it!

Now we have arrived to where I am now, standing before you. My trip to the end of the trail is not yet over; there are still a few days left. After i leave this room I am not done with high school. Just as on the trail I am not done until I pass the last mile marker. God has marked every mile of my journey through high school. I look back at my accomplishments and even my shortcomings and can't help but smile, four years ago I wasn't sure how to get through the week, now there are just two left. The next path is waiting for me; it’s about time to start packing.

Hw. 20 is Open

The gates are open. It's 46 degrees at Washington Pass and cloudy. The forecast says it's going to get up as high as 70 in the Methow Valley. There's also an increasing chance for rain (60% tonight/tomorrow), but the freezing level is supposed to stay way up (6,000 ft.)

Bare and dry pavement (okay - there's some wet spots from melting snow), right now.

Enjoy your trip!

Jeff Adamson

Thats right Hw. 20 is now open, as usual I drove across after the gate opened. At Washington Pass the road was lined with walls of snow 10ft high; significantly less than last years opening. Just below Washington Pass a small slide came down that was being cleared as I wen't through. The road was clear all the way to Winthrop. The weather was nice and warm all across the mountain passes.

We Tried a Spring Trip

This years "Spring Trip" was a little different from what we are used to. Because of a late winter storm in the North Cascades we were forced to improvise with our plans. The original plan was to hike from Ruby Arm to Spencer Island, we soon learned that Hw. 20 would not be open early enough to grant us accesses to the trail head. So we came up with plan B; hike from the other end of the lake to Silver Cr. However when the winter storm hit the snow levels around the Cascades dropped below 500ft. Because much of the rout to Ross Lake is above 2000ft we were forced to once again change our plan of attack. We were running out of options and canceling the trip was out of the question. So we talked to a friend who owns a cabin outside of Deming, WA to see if it would be available for us to use. As it turns out the cabin was open and available for us to use. We decided to go with this plan and come up with ideas for a latter trip to redeem the season.

A Journey Through New York

Opportunity

I have been given an amazing opportunity, the Lynden Christian Concert Choir as been invited to perform with a mass choir in Carnegie Hall! We leave tomorrow early in the morning from the school. We will fly to New York were we will then immediately depart for New Jersey. There we will have the opportunity to sing at a school and a few rest homes. The next day we will depart again for New York City. We will spend the rest of the time rehearsing and sighting seeing around the city before our concert.

As a Christian School we are blessed to be singing on the most famous stage in the world a piece that praises our God. We will be singing Beethoven's mass in C major, a fifty minute worship service!

Aida

This years spring musical at Lynden Christian High School is Aida. This is a relatively new Broadway musical, opening on the stage of Broadway in 2000, with the rights becoming available in the year 2004. This is a new musical built around new theater technology. As Lynden Christian’s Master Theater Electrician I met this challenge head on.

Right away I knew that we would have to add to our rigging and circuiting before we could start thinking about starting a design. So

with the help of my crew we wired in 8 new dimmer lines to the back of the auditorium. Next we purchased four new cycloramic (cyc) fixtures to up date the existing units. We then took every fixture we own down for maintenance.

The lighting design for this show started six months before auditions were held. I took the music, video, and script and started to sketch out what some of the scenes would look like. This was then handed off to the director who brought the plan to out set designers to work with. This allowed me some time to watch the rehearsals to get a idea of what the blocking for some of the choreography would look like.The real work for this kind of show does not start until the few weeks before dress rehearsals. My crew and I often spent time working into the night getting things reading before the curtain

opens. Because this kind of show requires several individual fixtures, means that we must spend a lot of time rigging and preparing the fixtures before they can be programmed into the control consol. This is a long joint effort with the choreographers to give us a layout of their dances, the stage crew to give us exact locations of different pieces of the set, and the paint crew so we know exactly what colors we are working with.
Once this is done I could then start the task of programming the control consol. This involves stripping every scene down and adding elements of light until it provides the effect and

emotion necessary to bring the audience into the show. This takes a lot of time sitting in a dark auditorium, with just you and the lights. I spent over 17 hours one day programming cues into the consol. The final result is always worth the time.Going into this show I knew it would be the biggest challenge yet. It has taken everything I have learned over the years. But with the help of my crew, and Mike Vos we got it done! This is the biggest and best show I have ever done, and I think its safe to say that it’s this biggest show that Lynden Christian has ever done. This is defiantly the show to end on!

Good to Come

We are all faced with times when you known something is going to go wrong. When it comes time to confront this you are surprised to find it going quite well. I have had a lot of stress and deadlines lately. I cannot remember the last time I have been able to take a break from one of these deadlines. The work and time is now at the point where progress can be seen. I am now able to wrap my mind around what the final element will look like.
I have gotten used to things falling apart, when I want them to become stronger. I am surprised and overjoyed to find that now things are going smoothly and in the right direction. I can rest easy knowing that the decisions I have made are leading to a outcome of great potential. I look forward to what will become of these decisions; how will they affect the people around me?

Possible Excursions

Circumnavigate Ross Lake
Day 1: Little Beaver - Still Well
Day 2: Still Well - 39 Mile Camp
Day 3: 39 Mile - Green Point
Day 4: Green Point - Hidden Hand Camp
Day 5: Hidden Hand Camp - Devils Creek
Day 6: Devils Creek - Nightmare Camp
Day 7: Nightmare Camp - Hozomeen

Spring Trip
William's Lake

October Trip
Hozomeen

Sourdough
Day 1: Diablo - Sourdough Lookout
Day 2: Sourdough Lookout - Sourdough Lake
Day 3: Diablo

Park Butte (West approach)

Baker

Jack Mt.
Day 1: Summit Little Jack make base camp
Day 2: Summit Jack Mt.
Day 3: Break base camp - out

Challenger Mt.
Day 1: Boundary Camp
Day 2: Whatcom Pass Camp (base camp)
Day 3: Summit (north approach)
Day 4: Hannegan Pass Camp
Day 5: out

Nooksack Cirque
3 days

Day Hikes

South Twin
Church Mt.
Hannegan Peak
The Portals
Goat Mt. West Summit

Times Future

This is a time of transition; the world is about to get much bigger than the life I now know. The lessons I have been taught will soon be tested and formed. I have been able to work my way into a position of some influence at Lynden Christian. In a few short months this position will have to be given up. I am looking forward to the future with anticipation. I have grown through the recent years, both in my beliefs and in my character. I believe these influences on me will be beneficial as I go out into the world. It has been a short time, relative to life, that I have spent learning in a environment that has the only purpose of nurturing the future. However these few years will be the most important in my life.

I have been classified as a mentor, a role model, teacher, and leader; someone that you can come to seeking guidance or answers. This is correct I am in charge of a crew that runs serial key systems for productions at Lynden Christian. This role requires me to train these systems to the crew. I will be going into a career of law enforcement that will require these skills from me. I am not afraid to guide or direct, I often become the leader of a project that is unexpected. Other times I go into a project as a decided leader. I am a mentor, someone who can teach and guide.

The key theme that has been attributed to myself is responsibility, someone who is committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty. Again this can be seen through what I do. I have earned the trust of many putting me in positions to make decisions for others. I am trusted to get the job done, I am trusted with information, I am trusted with people. I take none of this lightly; every decision I make is considered before I move forward with action. There are several less prominent themes that have been attributed to me such as: self-assurance, communication, and strategic. These all contribute to how I go about my responsibly. I have had people come to me on a personal nature, because I have earned their trust, I have been allowed to make decisions the range in the thousands of dollars as the leader of a crew, because I have show my responsibly with it. If I show a lack of decrement or concern for any of the responsibilities I have, I would be a failure on my part one that could cost everything from money to, most importantly, friendships that I have built over the years. I do not take my responsibilities lightly.

My life plot would best be described as a quest or journey, a journey seeking for something more. It’s not a journey towards perfection or knowledge. My journey is simply life; I want to live life as it comes taking one day at a time. It is impossible to know what tomorrow is going to bring so why waste time worrying about it? Don Quixote took this to the extreme, he did however have the right idea life is worth living seeking for what is best and what is happening now. I have tried predicting what the next day will bring. The only thing I fond was disappointment. This disappointment came about because something was always not as I expected, sometimes good, and sometimes bad.

My past is over and done I cannot go back to relive it. The only option is to live in the present giving my all into what comes my way. I have made a comfortable life for myself, but its time to take that life and move into the future. I do have my doubts about what I am leaving behind, will what I have started continue on without me? It is now the decision of my predecessors, they will be the ones making the decisions, they will be the ones with the responsibilities, and they will be the ones accountable for their actions. When I am gone I hope my impression will survive for at least a instant. This is however out of my control, out of my hands. All I will do is continue down the path that has been set before me. I may think I have a good idea as to what lies ahead of me on the path, but in all reality I do not have a clue.

New 2010

2010 will be a year of change for me, and I am looking forward to it! It is true that this year holds many lasts for me; but with lasts come firsts. The biggest last for this year will be the end of high school. I will be graduating from Lynden Christian High School in June. After that I may never see some of the faces that I have become accustomed with. From Lynden Christian I will be off to Skagit Valley College in pursuit of a park service and protection, additionally I will be attending the Park Service Law Enforcement Academy at Skagit. Here I will meet new and interesting people.

Later this year I will be performing in Carnegie Hall wile on tour in New York with the Lynden Christian Concert Choir. This will be another first for me; going to New York, and performing in Carnegie Hall. It will be my last tour with the Concert Coir and last trip with the underclassmen. What a way to end a career with a great director, Mr. Smit!

To continue the finally of my senior year at Lynden Christian, I will be taking on the biggest show ever put on at Lynden Christian. Aida will test the limits of what my technical staff can do, wile at the same time creating the most stunning show that Lynden Christian has ever seen. This will be the last show for me, and what a show to end on!

A first for me will be graduating. I look at this using the same logic I used in cross-country. Graduation in the line of no regrets; as long as I know that I finished hard and ran the race as

well as I could, even if there are some missteps along the way, that is something I can walk away from proud.

More trails, more mountains; that is the plan this summer. I hope to be working with the National Park Service in the North Cascades Complex as a Park Ranger General. General Park Rangers perform a wide variety of duties largely determined by the duty station. "Front country" General Park Ranger’s duties include campground and fee management, bear management, water recreation patrols. General Park Rangers patrol in locations ranging from high visitor use trails to remote trail-less locations often in rough terrain for overnight periods. Duties include light trail and camp maintenance, backcountry permit compliance,

backcountry data collection, emergency medical services, and may involve arduous hiking and sometimes technical climbing. All General Park Rangers may have involvement in wild land

fire protection, search and rescue, interpretation, and a variety of visitor services. This is just the job to get me out in the hills doing the things I love wile making money at the same time.

2010 will be a year of firsts and lasts for me. I am exited for what’s to come bring on the New Year!