Defining Climbs in the Cascades: The Book
Hello, all! Thanks for visiting the page. My name is Mallorie Estenson and I am a mountain guide, climber, skier and writer living in Seattle, Washington. Some quick things to know about me:
- I have a degree in Journalism from Western Washington University '15
- I have written for Alpinist, Mount Baker Experience, Backpacker Magazine
- I have the phrase "What would Fred Beckey do?" tattooed to the inside of my arm
- I live and breathe the Cascades full-time, year-round for work as a mountain guide
- I have a strange affinity for the stories of old men, particularly the gnarled climber types
Why are we here? Because I have a favor to ask. It has always been my dream to write a long-form book; hopefully eventually a few. To me, there are few places more inspiring than the Cascade Range, which stretches from British Columbia into Northern California.
The Cascades are home to some incredibly rugged and remote terrain. As a result, it has produced many of the famous climbers you might know today -- including but certainly not limited to Fred Beckey, Colin Haley, Steve Swenson and Graham Zimmerman -- and many more that you haven't heard of.
This book will explore the natural history of the Cascades, a relatively young mountain range geologically speaking; the indigenous history of the Cascades and the stories behind the names of the peaks and volcanoes many Pacific Northwesterners spend their entire lives staring at; and finally, some of the incredible things accomplished in remote, alpine places before and after social media was around to document it.
Still reading? Great. We're off to a good start.
Let's cover the nuts and bolts of this extensive project. Here's an approximate timeline of how this project will play out:
- Research & interviews begin Fall 2022. Beginning with the Cascade Alpine Guides (affectionately known by climbers as "Beckey bibles") and meandering through various already published guidebooks, the extensive climbing library housed by the University of Washington, and works published by Mountaineers books. I'll interview tribal authorities on the Indigenous names and stories of the peaks Cascade climbers know and love. Next, I'll interview climbers and try to collect as many first-hand stories as I can of defining climbs in the Cascades -- like the first Ptarmigan Traverse, in which the Ptarmigan Climbing Club climbed many of the peaks along the now iconic North Cascades route establishing first ascents in their wake.
- Sifting and writing begins Winter 2022. Short winter days in the Pacific Northwest will enable me to compress an enormous volume of information about my beloved home range. During this time, I will be able to fill in any gaps in my research or interviews.
- Editing & book design begins Spring 2023. I will hire someone to review the work and help make it the most tidy, polished version of a book that it can be.
- Book is sent to publishers Summer 2023.
- Book is delivered to you Fall 2023. Includes: book and profuse thank you note from author.
All of these deadlines are intentionally vague. However, the goal is to have a book delivered to you no later than September 1st, 2023.