When we look back on 2020, most will probably remember it as the year that lasted a decade. The COVID-19 pandemic. Record-breaking unemployment. A reckoning for racial justice. Devastating fires and storms resulting from climate change. Murder hornets! A contested presidential election. A second surge in the virus, worse than the first. You might ask, “Why are we in this hand basket, and where are we going?”

Yes, a forgettable set of circumstances in a year to remember. As we ride it out, the Eternal Optimist pops up, quick to point out some of the many good things for which I’m grateful: Valerie and I remain healthy, happily retired, and occupied. Dimitri, Victoria, and Beau are healthy, happy, and gainfully employed. We have electricity and hot water each morning! We have plenty of good food and other resources on which to live. So many wonderful friends and family.

For Tahoma and Its People, it’s been a great year. After ten years of research and eight rejections, Washington State University published the book in March. A special thanks to Bill Gesler for his tech support and that we were able to sell books from the website straight away. In April, I started giving book talks via Zoom and on other online platforms. Book reviews came in, all of them positive. A September surprise was Tahoma’s selection as a finalist for the Banff Centre Mountain Book Competition.

For December’s blog, here’s the year in review in pictures, through the lens of the book and the mountain. And here’s to brighter days ahead. In the meantime, keep your boots dry and your spirits high.