NorthCascades, Alpine lakes wilderness

The alpine lakes wilderness between highway 2 and I-90 is one of the most amazing, desolate and dramatic places I've had the opportunity to backpack in. These pictures are from 7 day trip in late August that was cut short by 2 days because of snow, rain and generally un-fun weather conditions.

This picture may be the best one of the trip and was the first one I took! Arriving fairly late in the evening, the setting sun to the west was lighting up the hills to the east and casting a wonderful light turning the clear, cold blue water to a solid warm orange. Not only was the light amazing but this Island is one of the most architecturally perfect sculptures I've ever seen.

Joe Greene navigates some steep granite. This granite had amazing holding power making it possible to step on a 70 degree face without slipping. Of coarse coming down is always a bit harder requiring greater care in foot placement.

Tucks pot with fresh snow above.

An amazing snag. The tree next to it is probably several decades old making me wonder how old and majestic the tree/snag must have been in it's prime. Probably hit by lighting as even in it's decapitated form it's the tallest thing around.

Miss Goat was quite interested in my Gorp. Hoping to earn her keep she went from rock ledge to boulder, peering over the edge at us offering wonderful posses.

She followed me back to camp alternating between grazing licken off the rocks and giving us that endearing look willfully asking for a slightly more substantial meal. So tempting but all along I could see the ranger saying 'Don't Feed the Animals' and we didn't. Eventually she left.

From our campsite at the middle of Robin Lakes

Granite mountain with freshly frozen slush, no longer easily passable changing our back country plans to summit and exit via the valley on the other side.

Smallest of Robin Lakes with a steam that seams to drop off to no where.

Architectural rocks placed by a non licensed architect!

The biggest and oldest tree around. Over three times the size of anything near by. Somebody once said to me while watching me sort through a pile of scrap lumber to be burned, extracting the most amazing pieces, that they finally figured it out. 'Brad really loves wood', they said. It's true and I do, in all forms, but especially when still living.

Joe Greene trucking through the woods.

Joe Greene tying a fly late in the day, making a nice negative space with Cathedral peak.

Self portrait of Brad Hankins, dbBrad and MisterGreenGuy.com

Parting shot of primary foliage along the Cle Elum river with Cathedral Peak in the background.