Washington state is a diverse and expansive landscape. On the coast, massive waves crash into cliff-sides adorned with towering evergreens. To the east, expansive plains stretch for as far as the eye can see. Yet, look at any license plate and you’ll see the feature that Washington is truly known for: mountains. From the postcard worthy silhouette of Mt. Rainier, to the scores of peaks and sub-peaks visited only a handful of times each year, Washington contains a lifetime’s supply of mountain adventures.

This is exactly what a group of mountaineers in the 1970’s thought. The group referred to themselves as the Bulger’s, and they were the first to catalogue the state’s 100 tallest peaks. This list they established is known as the Bulger List. Until recently climbing each peak on the list was the pursuit of several decades. Enter Jason Hardrath. In 2021 Jason set the fastest known time for completing all 100 Bulger Peaks in just 50 days, 23 hours, 43 minutes. Little did he know that this wild accomplishment would inspire a much younger climber to see what he was made of.

On Sunday June 18, 2023, twenty year old Andrew Okerlund slung a pack over his shoulders, turned on his headlamp, and started into the brush of Northern Washington to climb his first Bulger Peak of the 2023 season. He wouldn’t stop for 85 days.