We just returned from an incredible 4 day backpacking adventure up in North Cascades National Park. I did my first backpacking trip about 55 years ago when my dad took me on an 8 mile journey on the Odum Trail on Cheaha Mountain down in Alabama. It was an eye-opening experience and I remember well that exciting feeling mobility, carrying all of the gear needed to survive and choosing to set up camp in a beautiful location. We camped near a waterfall and remember falling asleep to that soothing sound and then waking up and cooking breakfast over an open fire. Every year I still try to do at least a few nights into the backcountry to conjure up the magic of that first trip. It always brings back good memories of all the journeys I have done into the remote areas of beautiful places. This year we chose the beautiful North Cascades National Park about 100 miles from Seattle. I packed pretty light with respect to camping gear, but my camera gear added a few extra pounds. This is a place where photos don’t do it justice since so many of the views in the high country are panoramic. Video does a better job, so I put together a short clip with some footage that gives you a good impression of this special place along with a few photos. This park is almost 700,000 acres and about 90% of it is totally wild, untouched and truly spectacular! Most of the high elevation hikes are just now getting to the point where you can access them as the snow melts back. Some our destinations included Cascade pass, and then on to Boston Glacier. We camped along the opalescent waters of Doubtful Lake which still had some large icebergs on its surface, and was totally frozen until about 10 days ago. We also hiked the east trail along Lake Ross and then ascended Desolation Peak to the fire lookout. It was an amazing trip for sure. Follow us on Instagram @osp_images to see our daily post of this and other wild and beautiful places we witness in our lives.
