Happy Holidays from the Douvilles
Dragontail Peak 2009
I took this trip in early June of 2009. I was looking at some old photos and just had to post them here. Ken, Mandala, John and I backpacked into the upper Enchantments Basin, an area of towering peaks, year-round snow, and alpine lakes. The Enchantments form the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was the last weekend before the overnight visitor quota permits were required for the summer. We knew early June in the Cascades meant we’d come across a good amount of snow, so we packed accordingly (read heavy).
The goal was to climb Dragontail Peak via the East Ridge, a relatively easy scramble/snow climb. Dragontail gets it’s name from the rock needles all along thin crest Southwest of the summit. At 8,840-ft, it’s the second highest peak in the Stuart Range (second to Mt. Stuart, 9,415-ft).
After hauling our butts and our gear up Aasgard Pass we made camp in the only flat and snowless spot we could find. It proved to be a great spot, with views of numerous granite peaks and outcroppings all around. It was getting too late for a summit attempt so we studied the mountain, took pictures and watched the sunset.
To save weight, I chose to bring my bivy sack instead of a tent. Risky move that time of year. I was lucky and we didn’t get snowed on, but it was still a cold night for me. I was able to capture some great photos of a near full moon rising over the Enchantments. Had I been in a tent I probably would’ve missed that.
We woke up early the next day shrouded in clouds. I guess you could call it fog, but at that altitude you really are in the clouds. It was a little disheartening because the previous day was so clear and beautiful. I had been imagining the view from the summit all night, and now it looked like we wouldn’t get to see much from the top.
With fresh legs and no overnight gear on our backs we made quick work of the climb. The snowfield got moderately steep near the top of the ridge but overall it was pretty tame. Once on the ridge it was a simple 15 minute hike to the summit. It was completely socked in with clouds so there wasn’t much to see. After snacking on some trail mix we hiked back to the snow and glissaded/hiked back to camp.
We packed up and hiked out the same day. We probably stopped in Leavenworth and had burgers and beers on the way home, but I can’t recall. The most memorable part for me was camping in such an amaizng place. The Enchantments are an incredible setting for a climb.
Custom Wedding Design Package
So, Sara and I got married on October, 1st. However, this post isn’t so much about our wedding as it is about all the custom illustrations, designs, stationery, posters and even a website, that Sara let me have fun with. Sara didn’t want traditional invitations so I made them funky, fun and totally us. We love how it all turned out.
Grand Cayman Island Honeymoon
Grand Cayman Island. British West Indies. Drive on the left. Watch out for Iguanas. Kiss a stingray. Drink a lot.
Sara ♡ Jake – Reception
The outro to our wedding video. This is just so much fun. It really captures the night. Click here to watch the intro video.
Video: Matt Norbut
Music: Port O’Brien – I Woke Up Today
Planner: Jaime Johnson
Sara ♡ Jake – Intro
The intro to our wedding video. Words cannot express how impressed I am with this. Sara cried when she first saw it. I just keep watching it over and over. The music, by the vocalist and guitarist of Sigur Rós, is perfect.
Click here to watch the reception video.
Video: Matt Norbut
Music: Jónsi – Tornado
Planner: Jaime Johnson
Reception Photobooth
We had a photobooth at our wedding reception. Our guests could put on all kinds of fun hats, gloves, feather boas, and other fun accessories. Once they came out they got two prints, one to keep and another to put in a photobook – which served as our guestbook. Fun times were had by all!
One Month
Today marks one month until I marry the love of my life, Sara. I thought it would be a good time to post this photo-mosaic of our wedding logo using pictures of the two of us. I plan on printing this out about four feet tall so we can put it above our mantle. I hope it will be something special we can look at for years to come.
The mosaic itself is 40 tiles x 40 tiles for a total of 1,600. I only used about 200 different images, so each one is repeated several times. I even snuck a few pictures of our cats and dog.
That’s all for now. After the wedding I will post all of the great wedding collateral I created – save-the-dates, invitations, programs, thank you notes, etc. Until then, wish us luck!
Framework Rocks!
Some rockin’ dudes I know asked me to put together a website for their band Framework. I’m happy with the result and so is the band. If you’re into rock music check out their upcoming shows.
Lil’ Carol’s Honey & Bee Products
Update: The website is no longer active.
Lil’ Carol is a close family friend who also happens to resell my father’s honey. Since she’s been doing so well with the honey business I though she should have a website. I created quite a few custom illustrations and gave the whole thing a very artsy craftsy feel. Take a look at it and let me know what you think.
www.lilcarolshoney.com
Oh boy, we’re goin’ on a hike!
360° Panorama • Leigh Lake • Snowshoe Peak
Click to embiggen
This was my dog Snow’s first backpacking trip and she was so excited she barely laid down the entire drive! I have been training her with a dog backpack and every time I get it out she goes nuts. “Oh boy, we’re goin’ on a hike!”. Little did she know that it was an over-nighter in Big Sky Country. Montana!
I’ve been all over the Cabinet Mountains but had never been to Leigh Lake. I’ve summited Snowshoe Peak several times and looked down on the 2nd largest lake in the Cabinets, but never actually stood on it’s shores. It has a very short (but steep) 1 mile trail to get to it, which has always turned me off. Generally the shorter the hike, the more people you’ll see – not my cup of tea.
Leigh Lake Falls covered in snow.
With this season’s massive snowpack there was a definite possibility that we might not even be able to drive all the way to the trial head. We just figured it would keep a lot of people out and create a little more solitude (bonus). After a little pre-planning I got out of work early last Friday, grabbed my gear, grabbed my dog, picked up Jon and headed to Montana.
It turns out we were able to drive all the way to the trailhead. The hike itself was pretty easy until the last quarter mile. We had to negotiate snowfields, raging waterfalls and some light scrambling. The entire lake was still frozen over and there were very few spots to put a tent down without being on the snow. Avalanches rumbling off of Snowshoe Peak were frequent and amazing. Nearly our entire time there was spent taking pictures and watching the avalanches.
My home for the weekend.
While we were there a local photographer, Bob Hosea, hiked up for the day. He stayed for a few hours and we chatted with him a bit. He gave me his business card and once I got home I emailed him. He sent me a few of the photos he took that day and they were incredible. How lucky is he to live so close to such a great area?
I finally wore her out.
As for my dog, Snow, she did great. She carried all of her own stuff and probably ran about 200 miles in total. When we got home she slept for three days. I’m pretty sure she had fun.
Snowshoe Peak Panorama
Click to embiggen
Apiculture (Beekeeping)
Those that know me, also know that my dad is a beekeeper – or apiarist, if you want to get technical. He started it out about 15 years ago as a hobby with just a couple hives in the garden and it has grown into a full time gig with 150+ hives. You can find his honey locally in Spokane at Main Market Co-op, Simply Northwest, Rusty’s Produce and others. Look for this label:
I have gotten the opportunity to help him out several times over the years. While my dad forgoes gloves and a suit, opting to only wear a veil, I suit up head to toe. He says wearing gloves restrict his fingers too much. Needless to say he gets stung several times a day, it just doesn’t bother him much.
Most years he ships some of his bee hives to farmers in warmer climates for the winter. Almond farmers are said to get triple the almond yield just by putting one hive per acre on their farm. Some apple farmers in Central Washington also use my dad’s bees on their farms. But from spring to fall he keeps his bees here locally in the Inland Northwest, producing some of the finest local honey available.
The Michael Building
Bob Spooner at Goodale & Barbieri recently asked me to work on some marketing material for one of their building projects, The Michael Building. The Michael Building, in downtown Spokane, will be renovated from the ground up with state of the art mechanical systems, electrical and plumbing while still maintaining its historical roots. Ground floor retail with 3 floors of office space will make this the next great mixed-use building in the downtown core.
Looking to attract businesses that want modern, creative workspaces, Bob had me design a building logo, a full-color gate-fold brochure, a website, and more to come.
Working on this project I learned a lot about the building (and Spokane’s) history. It was built after the Great Spokane Fire of 1889. The fire destroyed 32 square blocks, virtually the entire downtown. Residents and business owners rebuilt the downtown core quickly and many of the buildings built after the fire are still standing today.
She’s A Keeper!
In a neat little coincidence, I got to do some work for the Spokane Humane Society at about the same time Sara and I were thinking about adopting a dog. This is one of the billboards I created for them and below is Snow, our newest family member. She’s a 10 month old black lab mix and we couldn’t be happier. She’s definitely a keeper.
Lady Lily :: Little Lou Productions
Recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some very fun stuff for a new independent film company. Little Lou Productions needed a logo and some collateral material for the world premier of their debut film Lady Lily: adventures in god’s country. I was given free reign on the Little Lou logo, so I presented three totally different ideas and they picked my favorite one (pictured above).
The film already had a great poster (kudos to whomever designed it), so I didn’t mess with it other than to add the requested laurels. I also created two sided postcards, a t-shirt and premier party artwork.
The world premier of the film will be at the Spokane International Film Festival this Friday, Feb 11th.
Go see it! It’s an awesome, weird, funny, creepy, sad and beautiful film – in other words, it will stick with you.
“Magic Lantern | Fri, Feb. 11 | 7:30 pm, 7:45 pm, 11:30 pm | It’s a sexy mind trip. The premise: two best friends spend the summer at a cabin, and a local man wedges between them. The backdrop: panoramic views of Priest Lake. The soundtrack: unique indie scores. Mind trip: the conclusion’s unexpected.” – The Pacific Northwest Inlander
Cashmere Skin & Body
I recently had the opportunity to do some work for Emily Gant of Cashmere Skin & Body. Emily, formerly of Spa Paradiso, started Cashmere and she’s had great success ever since. When discussing ideas for a logo she pointed to a unique wire-frame flower on the wall that she really liked and mentioned that she loved the colors gray and cream. I took her input and ran with it. I came up with several ideas incorporating the flower and different font solutions and after one small adjustment to her favorite design, the logo was finished. (I love it when that happens!)
My fiance is a loyal Cashmere customer and loves their services. The spa is welcoming, warm and inside the historic Flour Mill. Give Emily a call!
Merry Christmas
Buyin’ Some Boots or: A Snowy Scotchman Summit
I have been desperately needing new hiking boots this entire year, but have been unable to find a suitable replacement that fit my exacting criteria: affordable, full leather uppers, on sale, waterproof, sturdy, cheap, and comfortable. I basically wanted my old, worn out, nearly destroyed boots to be new again so I wouldn’t have to buy boots that I would end up hating.
When Ken and Mandala invited John and I to join them on a hike up Scotchman Peak I knew there was going to be snow, and I knew I had to get new boots. And fast. It was Thursday when I got the call so I had to find boots Friday or risk having frozen, wet feet. White’s Boots to the rescue! Having exhausted all my other boot buying options on previous shopping trips, White’s Boots was the only store I hadn’t tried. I had never been there before, so I wasn’t sure what I would find. Well, Jackpot! They had the exact same brand and model of my old boot on clearance. And on the shelf, right above it, a leather Scarpa mountaineering boot for 70% Off. I tried them both on and went with the Scarpa.
6am Saturday morning I picked John up at his new apartment in Brown’s Addition (nice place John!) and we drove to Coeur d’Alene to meet Ken and Mandala. After an uneventful drive we arrived at the trailhead and started hiking around 9:30am. Ken had reminded us about hunting season the night before, so John and I had some hunter orange vests on so we wouldn’t get shot by any hunters.
The trail itself starts out steeply before finally settling down with a series of switchbacks. We hit the snow early on in the hike, and my new boots were working great so far. After a couple miles we ran into some hunters that weren’t having any luck. Orange vests to the rescue. We continued on and the snow kept getting deeper. At a certain point the the forest opens up and the trail switchbacks several times through a treeless hillside, exposing you to either great views or finicky mountain weather. We picked a rather snow-stormy day and had to forge through the exposed open slope with wind and snow blasting us the whole way. Back into the woods for a while before the peak opened up to an exposed mountain top. The snow depth varied from just an inch or two in the windiest spots, to a couple feet deep.
John, being the fastest hiker, led us competently up the snow and rime covered rocky mountain top in a mild snowstorm. Visibility was poor to say the least. Every once in a while John would proudly stand atop a false summit looking back at me and yell “Is this it?”. I had climbed this peak several years ago, so in these near whiteout conditions I had to determine whether we were really on summit or if we had to keep going.
Yes. Finally! We made it. There’s a little rock wall wind shelter and remnants of the old fire lookout on the summit, so it’s a dead giveaway even in a snowstorm. We didn’t stay on the summit long as there wasn’t much to see and it was kinda cold. I didn’t get a lot of pictures either because of the weather, but we had a great time. It was great to hang out with John, Ken and Mandala again. My new boots were awesome – no blisters, no hotspots, warm and dry. Afterward we drove through Sandpoint and had an early dinner at MickDuff’s Brewery – which is becoming a nice tradition for post-climb grub. Two words: Gorgonzola Fries.
Chimney Rock
This famous local formation is one of my favorite places. Part of the incredible Selkirk Crest and visible from Priest Lake it rises 400 or so feet above the ridge it sits on.
Chimney Rock was my first traditional multi-pitch climb. That first time, we backpacked in the long way (6 miles vs. 3) from the East along the pack river trail. A memorable trip to say the least. Future trips have always been made from the Priest Lake side. Even though you hike up and over Mt. Roothaan on this route it is still much shorter. So far I’ve only climbed the Standard Route three times and a weird variation of the Rappel Chimney Route once – level II, trad 5.4 & 5.7 respectively.
This past June of 2010 we hiked in from the West side. The entire 3 mile approach was snow. It was a gloriously sunny day though, and we climbed the rock with no problems. Climbing the face surrounded by the basins and peaks covered in snow made that climb pretty special.
