Thursday 23 November 2023

Glacier Peak Circumnavigation - 2001!


Continuing my search through old photos for my next book project I came across a packet of colour prints labelled Glacier Peak. These are from a 95-mile 8-day circumnavigation of Glacier Peak in the North Cascades in Washington State that I walked in October 2001. Half the trip was on the Pacific Crest Trail, which I'd hiked 19 years earlier. I'd thought this one of the finest sections on the northern half of the PCT and was glad to be back. 

Finding these prints had me digging out my journal of the trip, which is full of words like beautiful, magnificent, glorious, superb, and spectacular. I was clearly impressed! The weather was excellent throughout, the temperatures mild for the time of year. 

The route led from deep forests of huge trees up to high passes with splendid and dramatic views. The autumn colours were brilliant. The mountain landscape was awe-inspiring. 

Several of my camps were high in the mountains with stunning vistas all around. At every one I only needed to crawl under my tarp to sleep, in order to keep the dew off my sleeping bag. Mostly I sat outside, absorbing the wilderness.


This was one of the finest short backpacking trips I've ever done, as perfect as I could imagine, and reliving it again through these pictures and my journal is wonderful. I'd love to be back there again.


Current information on the trip here

Photographic note: The colour print film was Kodak Gold 200 ISO. The prints are machine-made postcard-size ones. I could probably get better results from the negatives. I photographed them handheld with my Sony a6600 camera and Sony E 35mm f1.8 lens.





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