The Park Butte Lookout is a decommissioned fire lookout from decades past. Perched on a precipice along a ridge on the south side of Mount Baker the lookout commands a wide view of the North Cascades.
Now maintained by the Skagit Alpine Club the lookout is open to the public and if you wish, you can spend th night there.
Which is what I did a few days ago, I hiked up, hoping to get images of the night sky and Milky Way.
But, alas, it was not to be, after sunset the clouds rolled in.
The North Cascade mountains in Washington State are rugged, lush, stark and colorful all at once.
Lupine and the North Cascades
Abundant rainfall creates fantastic meadows filled with wild flowers while at the same time sculpting the ridges and peaks into serrated knives of stone.
The two main entry ways into the North Cascades are the North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) and the Mount Baker Highway (Hwy 542)
Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake, along the Mount Baker Highway
While there are a few places, such as Artist Point (located at the end of Hwy 542) and Washington Pass (the highest point along Hwy 20) where you can drive to see the scenery, most of the time a trip here involves hiking.
Liberty Bell from the North Cascades Highway
Along these two byways there are many side roads leading to trail heads that take you up (always up!) into the high country. There are so many trails and choices!
The North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) is a part of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway. This is the Best Road Trip Vacation in Washington State!
If you are interested in fantastic, colorful prints of the North Cascades to adorn your home or office here is a link to my North Cascades Gallery. There you can purchase Canvas Wrapped prints (framed prints are available) as well as Fine Art prints.
One of the most popular hikes along Highway 20 is the Lake Ann – Maple Pass Loop. This 7 mile hike visits Lake Ann, cupped amongst peaks snow and flowers and offers spectacular views of the nearby summits.
Wildflowers along the Lake Ann – Maple Pass Trail
This summer I am offering Guided Photo Tours of the North Cascades. We can pick a trail, based on your available time and venture into the mountains for some stunning scenery and photographic opportunities and/or training. Tours are available for both day hikes and overnight trips.
Skyline Divide is a trail reached from Highway 542. This trail leads up and onto a ridge carpeted with lupine, paintbrush and other flowers with grandstand views of Mount Baker, adorned with glaciers.
Mount Baker and Lupine from the Skyline Divide Trail
If you are looking for a guide book that catalogs most all of the North Cascades Trails, I recommend the book “Hiking the North Cascades” by Erik Molvar (Falcon Press). This book provides accurate info about each trail including mileage, elevation gain, and details of flora and fauna.
Another fabulous day hike is the Sauk Mountain Trail.
This trail is an easy(ish) hike up into the high country with smashing views of the Skagit Valley. 
If you like a dash of solitude to go along with your mountain scenery then you’ll need to don a backpack and hike at least a day travel from the parking area. Here the crowds disappear and you have the place (mostly) to yourself.
Hiking along Sahale Arm
In the next installment I will describe a few of the most stunning overnight and extended hikes in the North Cascades.
Trail along the North Fork, Bridge Creek
If capturing images of the Night Sky is your thing, check out our Night Sky Photo Tours and the Night Sky Photo Gallery!
Glow of Aurora Borealis
Here is another shot from the other night along the Baker River.
Camped under the Milky Way 3
I had in my mind several images, planning and scheming as we hiked in, having the kids in the tent illuminated with the I-Pad, having them look out of the tent, in awe at the stars.
Here is the i-pad shot. Not too bad! A little overexposed on the face of the kid (Dawson) holding the device.
Then I tried an image with them looking out of the tent. I used the red light function on my head lamp to illuminate their faces and this is what I got:
At first I didn’t even try to edit it, it looked so red.
But later I decided to give it a try. I edited (in photoshop, as a raw file) the foreground, then went back and edited the raw a second time, but edited just the sky.
Then I merged the two and did final editing.
That’s Joe on the left, wrapped in the sleeping bag. And my son, Max is the incredulous one on the right!
Not too bad!
I guess I’ll have to take the kids camping more often!
Looking at the stars
This view of Mount Shuksan in the North Cascades (Washington State, USA) is the most photographed mountain in North America. This is due to its beauty (and Picture Lake!) and the fact that you can drive on a paved road to this very spot!
Here is an image I captured in the fall.
Mount Shuksan
And here is a less common view, an image from last night!
Mount Shuksan and the Milky Way
What is Earth Day all about?
We live on a cool planet.
Mount Rainier
It’s beautiful.
Point of the Arches
There are mountains.
Colchuck Lake, Enchantments
Oceans.
Washington Park, Anacortes
Rivers.
Bridge over Skagit River
Flowers.
Skagit Tulips
Meadows.
Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness
Animals.
Deer at Cascade Pass
People.
Atop Maple Pass
and LOTS more.
Park Butte Lookout
Lets try harder to not fuck it up!
Snow Geese on Fir Island, Skagit Valley
Skagit Valley
Spider Meadows
Isolation Lake is the first or last lake you visit on your trip into the Enchantment Basin, depending upon which direction you are hiking the loop.
Campers along Isolation’s shore
If you managed to hike up Aasgard Pass (more than 2,000 ft. elevation gain in less that a mile) than its your first.
Camped at Isolation Lake, Enchantments, Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Isolation Lake Panorama
If took the long route past Snowy Lake, then Isolation will be your last lake in the high country before heading down and out.
But either way, its a fantastic place.
Isolation Lake
High above timber line it is a world of rocks and ice.
Isolation Lake, Enchantments
Blue, gray and white are the colors here.
The air is crisp, sharp, clean.
A meadow is nearby with a small copse of larch hiding the toilet.
Isolation Lake
Sunset brings new colors, reds and orange, magenta and violet.
Isolation Lake
Later the stars appear.
Prints are available here!
Camped at Isolation
Dome in a moon scape
Isolation is a world of wonder.
Start of the Copper Ridge trail
Recently I received a photo request from a magazine looking for images of Copper Ridge in North Cascades National Park.
When I receive a photo request for a location I’ve visited and have decent images, I go and review the folders and choose the shots that I feel best fit my idea of what the publication is looking for.
I will have a look at the original images and their edited versions, trying to decide if I may have learned any new Photoshop skills since my last editing session, and if so, I open the original raw files and start the editing process over, from the beginning, on each shot that I feel holds promise.
Ruth Mountain and Mount Shuksan
I have no idea whether any of the images will be chosen for publication, in fact the chances are against me, but its fun to revisit these fantastic places and relive my short visit to their majesty.
These images are all a part of that process. You can view these images, and more North Cascades Vistas in my gallery where they can be purchased as canvas prints and fine art prints.
North Cascades National Park, in Washington State, is one of the most rugged and least accessible National Parks in the lower 48. Lots of rain and thick flora make the mountains a sheer hell to bushwhack through. So, most travel in the back country is along trails. The northern section of the park has few trails really, there are large sections of mountain fastness that people very rarely visit.
Evening light at Copper Ridge
One very popular trail is along Copper Ridge. The trail starts at the Hannegan Trail head and crosses over Hannegan Pass and then heads up Copper Ridge. There is a campsite atop the ridge, Silesia Camp. Its small, only two or three tent pads. But the views are spectacular. From here you can see Mount Shuksan, and Ruth Mountain, straight across the valley and, a little to the west, Easy Ridge and Whatcom Peak in front of Mount Challenger, draped with glaciers, and just south of this massif, the needles of the fabled Picket Range jut skyward.
Its a cool campsite!
Silesia Camp
Just below the camp is small Egg Lake, with a few more tent pads. The trail heads northerly from here, to the top and the Copper Ridge Lookout. Rangers man the lookout through the summer and this is the highest point on the trail, at almost 7,000 feet.
From here the path descends down to the shore of aqua blue Copper Lake. This is the next spot where you can camp, but the views are lacking. Its a great place to stop for lunch and a swim!
The ridge hike follows the contours through forests and meadows, now and again popping out into the open for more jaw dropping vistas until, finally reaching its end, you plunge steeply down more than 4,500 feet to a ford of the Chilliwack River.
If you make the trip in early August you may be lucky enough to find yourself fording the river full of spawning salmon!
Whatcom Peak and Easy Ridge from Copper Ridge
Mount Shuksan from Copper Ridge Lookout
Sunset at Copper Ridge
Hiking along Copper Ridge
Silesia Camp Sunset
Copper Ridge Trail
Capturing sunset
Copper Ridge Panorama
Copper Ridge Lookout
Copper Lake
These last two images are from the end of the Copper Ridge trail, at the Chilliwack River and its confluence with Indian Creek. Here is where yo may have a salmon encounter!
Indian Creek
Indian Creek Salmon
The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,400 mile long foot trail stretching from the US border with Mexico through California, Oregon and Washington State to Canada.
Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness
Powder and Shull Mountains, from the Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness
The northern most part of the PCT follows the Cascade Crest crossing Rock Pass, Woody Pass and then making a long gradual ascent of Lakeview Ridge.
Rock Pass, from Woody Pass
Here a more than 7,000 feet the views are breathtaking. Lining the international border are Hozomeen Mountain, Joker and Freezeout Mtns and Castle Peak. To the west the snowy dome of Mount Baker is clearly visible. Three Fools Peak dominates to the horizon to the south.
Three Fools Peak from the PCT on Lakeview Ridge
The grassy ridgetop is a fine place to camp. Snow lingers here, usually until August, providing water.
Lakeview Ridge at Sunset
Jack Mountain from Lakeview Ridge
The easiest way to get here is to drive to Mazama and take the road towards Harts Pass, up the steep valley and towards Slate Peak. The road (generally suitable for passenger vehicles) bisects the PCT just below the summit of Slate Peak. This it the highest point that can be reached by car in Washington. From here its about a 20 mile hike to the top of Lakeview Ridge.
The Glacier Peak Wilderness, located in the North Cascades of Washington State, is one of the lower 48’s most remote wilderness areas.
Glacier Peak with Tent and Stars
Glacier Peak in the Morning Light
Mount Baker (known as “White Sentinel” to Native Peoples) is the queen of the North Cascades range, towering over the NW corner of Washington State.
Mount Baker in the Morning
Mount Baker from the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail
Park Butte Lookout and Mount Baker
Mount Baker and Coleman Glacier
Mount Baker in the Fall
Mount Baker and Stars
Baker Lake Road
Mount Baker from the Skyline Divide Trail
View from inside
North Western Images - photos by Andy Porter 