Scott Kranz

I’m so excited to announce my next big personal project: the WA100 Project ! Over the next two seasons, I am embarking on a personal journey to climb and document Washington state's 100 highest peaks. These summits are all in the Cascades, the mountain range that transformed my life and that I've spent the last decade exploring. Why this project? I have great privilege to experience these mountains, and I want to leverage that privilege to hopefully do some good. So, this project's purpose is to examine and celebrate the ways in which we can connect with our local landscapes while also giving back by uplifting and supporting the outdoor community and some amazing nonprofits: @climbersofcolor, @shejumps, @soultrakoutdoors, @theventureoutproject, @wanatlparkfund and @washingtontrails. These groups strive for inclusivity and accessibility in our outdoor spaces and make outdoor gear, education, and experiences more accessible to everyone, and it's an honor to shine a light on them and amplify their missions, members, and programs. I invite you all to follow along on this journey, on my website (www.scott-kranz.com/wa100, link in bio) and at #WA100Project. I feel a great sense of excitement and energy around this, and I look forward to climbing, sharing, and learning along the way. #wa100project

Unshared scenes from the first half of #WA100Project. I just wrapped up my latest climb, an outing with new & old friends from @soultrakoutdoors, which led to the climbing goal's halfway point – the 50th peak of 100 – and I'm currently editing away (more on that trip soon!). Until then, here are some moments from several of the first 50 peaks... 1. Dakobed (Glacier Peak) from Mount Formidable. 2. @moonmountainman at sunrise, steps away from Cardinal's summit block. 3. @alpine_explorer among the craggy peaks of the Chelan Slam. 4. @nomadikmax ascending the final section of rock up Goode Mountain. 5. @downtofowler in front of Forbidden peak among the Inspiration ice cap. 6. @mchugh8161 among the wildflowers and haze in the Entiat subrange. 7. @topomountainman capturing scenes from near Mount Stuart's summit. 8. @nomadikmax among the wildfire smoke and haze in the Entiats. 9. Teamwork and headlamp rappels onto the Klawatti glacier. 10. Mama and baby goat near Sahale glacier camp. Thanks to everyone supporting this project, its purpose/mission, and the community members and groups along the way. It all comes down to deepening connections with our special local landscapes and creating shared experiences of moving in nature and up mountains. So stoked for the rest of this journey🤘

GEAR GIVEAWAY! [CLOSED] This month’s #WA100Project gear giveaway, hosted with my friends at @eddiebauer, is for a Flying Squirrel 40° Sleeping Bag. I love wrapping up in this innovative bag on summer nights. It’s a solid, lightweight (only 23 ounces) alternative to a restrictive mummy-style bag, and I must say its name (the “Flying Squirrel”) is on point haha. You’ve got to try it! To enter the giveaway: (1) Follow @eddiebauer and @scott_kranz; and (2) Tag a friend and mention where you’d camp with your new sleeping bag! (Additional comments with tagged friends equal additional entries). We hope this gear helps you get outdoors safely and comfortably as part of your next overnight adventure, wherever that may be! – Contest open to US and Canadian residents and ends on Sept 17, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be randomly selected and announced and notified by direct message by Sept 20. Best of luck! This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. #Giveaway #Contest #LiveYourAdventure #EBPartner

Alpine abstracts. Big and small details that have caught my eye during this first season of my #WA100Project. So much beauty out there, it’d take a few lifetimes to capture it all…

September, already? How? August was a good one, with a mix of photo workshops, some #WA100Project climbing, and even a weeklong family trip in the Sierra (from which I just returned). Before that, though, I snuck in a four-peak trip in the Entiat subrange with an amazing group of new and old friends. Despite some hazy/smoky conditions, the shared experience was exactly why I climb mountains in the first place: a sense of awe and solitude in this local landscape, group navigating and problem solving rugged complex terrain, and plenty of new perspective gained when you step on each high point. Enjoy this set and expect much more climbing to come this month! Have a great weekend all ✌🏼

Among these mountain frames you'll see captures of my friend and fellow photographer @kellyselzler as we ascended one of the hundred peaks I’m climbing for my #WA100Project. (She too is on a journey to climb the top 100!). She's just one of the many amazing & strong female climbing partners I've teamed up with this season and in past seasons, and there’s no doubt I'm a stronger and better climber/human because of each of them, as I've learned from them and followed in their footsteps up these peaks. All that said, today I wanted to shine a special spotlight on SheJumps (@shejumps), which is celebrating its 16th birthday this November! SheJumps increases the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities to foster confidence, leadership, and connection to nature and community. Since found in 2007, it has served more than 46,000 participants! Year after year it uplifts and empowers women, making the outdoor space - and world - more equitable. If you can, please join me in supporting @shejumps by visiting my profile link where you can also learn more about their amazing work and programs, like their fundraising climbs up many of the iconic volcanos here in Washington State 🙌🏼 📍Wenatchi, Syilx (Okanagan), Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla lands

I’m already looking back on what I’ve documented during the first (of two) climbing seasons of the #WA100Project. Here’s Part 1 (landscapes) of my favorite images of the project (thus far!) all created using my @sonyalpha mirrorless at the settings mentioned. Would love to hear which shot is your favorite below ⬇️ ! Peaks pictured: 1) Kulshan from Klawatti, 2) Dakobed from Fortress, 3) Dumbell, 4) Buckner, 5) Goode from Golden Horn, 6) Robinson, 7) Mount St. Helens, 8) Sahale, 9) Little Tahoma, 10) Buck Mountain, 11) Dakobed, 12) Kulshan from Fortress. #SonyAlpha #SonyPartner #WA100Project #ad

“So you really climb up thousands of feet just to stand there and watch the sun go down?” Me: “Yep!” (with a smile) 😀 I’m always blown away at where my feet/legs can take me over the course of a day. And when I reach a mountain top as a destination, I often can’t imagine any better way to spend the time than to just stop and soak up the beauty of this local landscape and the last light of the day. Such a great privilege to visit these wild areas, to be able to move up through this terrain, and to have the right gear to get me there safe and sound. @eddiebauer #liveyouradventure #ebpartner #wa100project

Big and small scenes from our @mountrainiernps photography workshop which I instruct every year along with my friend @stephen_matera. This year we experienced it all and had the opportunity to document a huge variety of unique scenes. Some compositions were jaw-dropping and would slap you in the face, and others were smaller and more subtle and made you work for it, which often leads to the most growth as a photographer. Grateful for an amazing group of fellow photographers, and the privilege to explore new gems within this special park. l'Il be announcing my 2024 workshops later this season! Want to be the first to know? Visit my bio link to join the waitlist for your workshop of choice… 🙌🏼 #mountrainier #photographyworkshop #pnw

The last few weeks have been dedicated mostly to photo workshop instruction, which is always fulfilling, but I did sneak in a long-awaited summit of Dakobed (Glacier Peak), something I've been meaning to do for years since a failed attempt in May 2016. Joined by my two brothers @nomadikmax and @coltonandrewjacobs, we covered many trail miles and much vert and then reaped the rewards with a summit bivy unlike any other I've experienced. All of our legs were fully worked after this two-day mission into a pristine landscape to visit the state's most remote volcano, my 33rd (of 100) of the #WA100Project. NONPROFIT 🔦: if you’re like me, you’re a huge fan of Washington Trails Association (WTA) (@washingtontrails) which mobilizes hikers and everyone who loves the outdoors to explore, steward, and champion trails and public lands. Through its Trails for Everyone initiative, it’s fighting to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive experiences on trail. Because trails and access to the outdoors are a must-have. If you can, please join me in supporting @washingtontrails and Trails for Everyone (link in bio). ✅ WA100 Peak 33 Dakobed / Glacier Peak 📍Sauk Suiattle, Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla lands

(2 of 2) More scenes from this week's photo workshop in North Cascades NP with an amazing group of photographers. In addition to our landscape/nature/wildlife imagery (see last post), we happened to witness and document the initial firefighting efforts on the Sourdough Fire. At the time (Sunday/Monday), it was merely a few acres, and now it's nearly 3000 acres and the historic highway is officially closed. (On Sunday, aerial crews had to halt efforts because a random visitor elsewhere in the area was illegally flying a drone near the fire … a friendly reminder that it's illegal to fly a drone in a national park or wilderness area (without FAA authorization) under normal circumstances, let alone when there are live firefighting efforts.) In any event, it was a unique but sobering opportunity to document this snapshot of the fire and these heroic firefighting efforts. The utmost respect and gratitude to all who are involved in trying to contain this blaze. l'Il be announcing my 2024 workshops later this season. Link in my bio to join the waitlist and be among the first to know. #northcascades #photography #workshops #pnw #noca #sourdoughfire #sourdoughmountain

(1 of 2) Baby goats, hidden waterfalls, electric sunsets, and supermoons. Just a few scenes from this week's photo workshop in North Cascades NP with an amazing group of photographers. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this park and range are truly my favorite place on earth, and so it's a huge privilege to experience and document it with others - all while sharing everything and anything I've learned about the art of photography. l'Il be announcing my 2024 workshops later this season! Link in my bio to join the waitlist and be among the first to know 🙌🏼 #northcascades #photography #workshops #pnw