The North Cascades // Alpine Climbing

Backpackers hiking through the tall evergreens of the Pacific Northwest

Hiker descending from an alpine lake with Mount Stuart in the background at sunrise in the North Cascades National Park, Washington

Guides enjoying the Summit of Forbidden Peak in The North Cascades

Camper enjoying a rest by his tent in the North Cascades, Washington

Backpackers / Climbers saluting before their trip in the North Cascades, Washington

Sunset at camp in the Boston Basin in the North Cascades, Washington

A Climber on the West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

Climbers making S'mores over a Jetboil Stove in the North Cascades, Washington

Climber belaying on Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

Climber on the West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

A climber at camp enjoying a cup of coffee under his umbrella during the rain in The North Cascades

The West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

Boston Basin with an undercast of clouds on the way to Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades

Climber driving a snow picket in on Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

A climber enjoying the Summit of Forbidden Peak in The North Cascades

Camper making S'mores over a Jetboil Stove in the North Cascades, Washington

Mountain Goats heading toward sunrise - North Cascades National Park

Climbers on the West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

Alpine start at camp in the Boston Basin of the North Cascades, Washington

Camper boiling water for dinner in the North Cascades, Washington

Climber leading on Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington

Backpacker taking in the views of the North Cascades right at the edge of tree-line

Backpacker backlit hiking in The North Cascades, Washington

A guide and climber traversing the West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in The North Cascades

Climber packing up for his trip to the summit of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades

A climber practicing glissading in the North Cascades, Washington

Climbers ascending towards the summit of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades

Climber tying two ropes together to rappel off of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades

Oatmeal for breakfast while backpacking in the North Cascades, Washington

Backpacker ascending above the clouds in the North Cascades, Washington

Scarpa approach hiking shoes in the North Cascades National Forest

Backpacker hiking into the fog of the Pacific Northwest, Washington

North Cascades Map at camp in Boston Basin

Hiker crossing a stream at the Alpine Lakes area near Mount Stuart - North Cascades National Park

A climber traversing the West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in The North Cascades

Mount Stuart during the blue hour in The North Cascades, Washington

Campsite views near Mount Stuart in The North Cascades, Washington

Mountain Goat sunning near Mount Stuart in the North Cascades, Washington

Mount Rainier seen from Mount Stuart - North Cascades National Park

The North Cascades National Park and the Forests surrounding The Pacific Northwest hold a special place in my heart. Even though I have cut my teeth in The Atlantic Northeast climbing, I spend a lot of time climbing in Washington – it feels like a second home. These are a collection of photographs from some of my alpine climbing trips out west with some friends the main objective on these trips was to have fun first and capture great photographs second. We visited Forbidden Peak, Stuart Peak, Frenchman Coulee, and a few other great areas in the beautiful state of Washington.

On our first trip, I brought along the Hasselblad 500cm medium format film camera to the summit of Forbidden and was able to capture some amazing images which you can see in the 6×6 Hasselblad Portfolio. It was well worth the extra weight climbing to get some beautiful analog photos throughout the climb, it really slowed me down and allowed me to enjoy the trip all that much more!

Our primary objective for the first trip was to summit Mount Rainier, it got canceled due to 2 feet of snow, thunder, and lightning storms above 10,000 feet, we will be back to the summit in the future for sure!