As I hiker and a climber in this, the 21st century, I tip my fleece stocking cap to those who traveled before me in the mountains and wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. Native Americans first hunted, made homes, and seem to have lived in harmony with nature in what today we call "the back-country." Later, white settlers, trappers and traders came along; and still later appeared adventurers like me.
I camped last weekend in the North Cascades at the edge of a glacier at an elevation of 7200 feet, and my tent occupied the most amazing “View Property” ever. A fairly strenuous day-and-a-half of hiking had been necessary to deliver my hiking partner and me to that spot. While we cooked dinner on a light backpacking stove, I looked out at the sea of peaks that went on as far as my eyes could see...and then I laughed.
I laughed because so many of the peaks I could recognize have names given them by my Johnny-come-lately brethren, and a lot of those names suggest fear and intimidation. There are peaks named Mt. Challenger and Mt. Formidable, for example, while others are called Fury, Sinister, Damnation, Perdition, and Torment.
Scary-sounding names, yes... though anyone who has ever spent time in the North Cascades will also tell you about the lonesome tranquility and peace one can experience there. Consider these place-names: Peach and Pear Lakes; Foggy Dew Creek; Poodle Dog Pass; and Meander Meadow.
The picture above is of the Triplets during the “magic hour” of sunrise, and below are other images that presented themselves during the weekend. The last photograph is sunrise light over Mt. Goode, a jet trail adding a man-made visual element to the otherwise natural scene.
