Our hike through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness was so picturesque, we decided to portray it entirely in photographs. We hope you enjoy this visual journey.
Day 150: Snoqualmie Pass (Mile 2402)-Lemah Creek (Mile 2423.5); 21.5 miles
Day 151: Lemah Creek (Mile 2423.5)-Near Spinola Creek (Mile 2444); 20.5 miles
Day 152: Near Spinola Creek (Mile 2444)-Above Trap Lake (Mile 2463.5); 19.5 miles
Day 153: Above Trap Lake (Mile 2463.5)-Stevens Pass (Mile 2476); 12.5 miles + resupply in Skykomish
Wandering the Wild 
Soooooo beautiful! Thank you!!
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Thanks Rachel, so glad you like the photos!
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What hit me today was 2 things: 1: the mist & the coloring & shades it produces; and, 2: how I might drive up into mountains & feel awed by & overwhelmed by them, but you 2 know you are able to scale & travel among them ON FOOT. Somehow that seems pretty incredible!
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Mountainous foot travel is an amazing thing about the PCT. The trail keeps us up on ridges amidst peaks, and brings us through some really awesome spots. Many of these places aren’t accessible except by foot or horseback!
The smoke and fog we’ve been walking through recently gives the landscape a whole different feel, which is exciting visually. Good point about that change.
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Fabulous photos! I am wondering as you get closer and closer to Canada whether you will feel only a sense of triumph and great accomplishment, or whether you will also be sad that you have come to the end of such an amazing journey. I can’t picture the two of you with 9-5 jobs, so it will interesting to find out what you decide to do next.
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Glad you like the photos, Barb! Most likely you are right, we will feel excited to finish such a long and demanding trek, and we’ll also feel sad for it to end. But we are both adventurous types, so there should be some exciting things in our future!
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I am really jealous now…
Ferns are my favorite plant. Nice picture.
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Ferns thrive in Washington’s climate. They have beautiful, elegant forms. It’s no wonder they’re your favorite.
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So who snapped the picture of your calves? Was it the chipmunk contemplating his existence?
Beautiful pictures, what an amazing part of our country.
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Thanks Jim, it really is a spectacular area, even more so for us, since we haven’t hiked here before.
It was just a helpful rock holding the camera, though maybe we should ask a chipmunk to help with the next photo.
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Damn, I gotta get myself on the PCT.
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It’s an incredible experience! And you can hike just a section if you prefer. Lots of people do that and love it.
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Loved the photos! I am especially drawn to the first one. This photo is just perfect!
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Thanks Jane, we felt that first photo especially captured the feeling of being in this area. The lakes and peaks are quite dramatic!
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Wow. The quality of light, the green-ness and ruggedness, the close up wonder. Thanks!
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Thanks Suzanne, we do try for a good variety of photographs. It’s the only way to really show all the facets of a beautiful place. Glad you like!
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You guys totally inspire me. Is there a way to do this section in a weekend??
Thanks for sharing your journey!!
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Thanks Matthew, we love to inspire!
The whole section is too long to do in a weekend, and the PCT didn’t cross any roads the whole time. However, you could depart from the PCT and take a different side trail out. Spectacle Lake seemed to be a popular destination for long weekenders.
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Love the little critters…another top notch photo essay!
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Thanks Mom, they are very cute, and we get a kick out of their funny noises.
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Really enjoyed meeting you guys @ Stevens pass while we waited for the bus. Hope that hitch came soon after we left. I am enjoying the blog and photos and am going to follow and anxiously wait the book. Great shots and stories thanks for sharing. If you need a few more backpack trip ideas while you are in seattle send me an email!
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Thanks Ryan, it was great meeting you. A U-Haul pulled up behind the bus after you got on, and we got a ride to town from the driver.
Great to have you following, and I can’t wait to start work on the book. I have a lot of great photographs waiting to be shared there!
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Awesome photos! I also love the one of you guys walking taken from a low vantage point – how did you do it? Beautiful storytelling!
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Thanks Sabrina! We are especially glad you like the storytelling. That’s what we love to do, even when we use only photographs to do it.
For that last photo, we rested the camera on a rock, set it to manual focus, and used the self-timer. We wanted to mix things up a bit.
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Gorgeous! I’ve driven over Steven’s Pass, but it just doesn’t do the area justice. Thanks for the great photos and for not hoarding these for you book. :)
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Thanks Denise, and don’t worry, I still saved a few for the book. It’s just that in such a picturesque place, there was plenty of beauty for the blog and for the book.
The PCT has shown us just how much more there is to see walking through a place instead of driving. The difference is powerful.
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You captured a Pika – cool! Your posts make me feel like I am on the trail just not doing all the work:) Thanks for sharing – Have a Beautiful Day:)
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We love the pikas! They are gathering plants and grass now to get them through the cold, snowy winter. Cheers!
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you aren’t kidding. great collection of photos.
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Thanks Jason! We feel this is an amazing place that most people don’t know about.
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Not knowing much about pikas, I found this YouTube video by David Attenborough. It’s very short and informative and the pikas are as cute as can be chopping down wildflowers to store them for the long winter ahead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqtm9dkAu4o
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Thank you, Jan! I didn’t know what they were, either!
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Pikas only live at high altitudes where it’s cold, so most people probably haven’t seen one. They can’t survive in warmer climates because they overheat!
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I wish we could watch that video here, but it will have to wait until we have a better internet connection. We have spied a couple pika hay piles in the rocks. They are hardy creatures.
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Hope those Wenatchee fires aren’t impacting you much. Here on the 11th floor we are thinking of you two and wishing you lots of great energy and clear skies for your remaining steps to the border!
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The fires haven’t been too bad. We can smell the smoke and there is often a foggy haze in the distance, but the trail hasn’t been affected. We are almost in the final stretch. Thanks for all your good thoughts. We are really excited!
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