Cutthroat Pass

Last light on the ridge

The larches and groundcover catching the last of the light, with some imposing North Cascades ridgelines appearing out of the evening haze. The mountain the back is Dome Peak, one of the most heavily glaciated non-volcanic peaks in Washington

Across the valley

A first larchy view across the Cutthroat Creek valley to the ridge beyond

The trail ahead

Looking up the trail to our destination (the ridge) beyond

Autumn Ablaze

Autumn in the Cascades is truly magical, with so many different vibrant colors all at once.

The Trail Ahead (Pano)

A wider shot of the trail, with the stunning underbrush and the increasingly prevalent larches

Slice of heaven

The red groundcover, the golden larches, and the trail through. What's not to love?

blue and gold

Framed

Everything on the way up was beautiful, but I was trying to find interesting framing – what is the main character of the shot? In this case, I think maybe it's the lone rock in the foreground, in conversation with the peak in the background. Or maybe that's a stretch and I just couldn't get enough of the colors. Who's to say?

Side light

Something you notice quickly when taking photos of fall foliage is that the angle of the sun makes a huge difference. Leaves and needles that are bursting with color when backlit turn drab and bland in full sun. The side light is probably the best compromise position, as it keeps the sun out of your frame, but the colors still burn

Midground

This shot has layers. The whole way up the trail, I was trying to find the right balance of larches and mountains in the background. The ridge wasn't particularly photogenic, but it felt like there needed to be something worth looking at behind the trees. At this point, nearing the top of the trail, I think we finally got there

Home Sweet Home

We settled on a campsite just below the ridge, quickly set up our tent, and then hustled back up to catch the sunset

Golden on the ridge

Looking into the sunset, everything is shade or haze except for the larches climbing up the sunward side of the ridge. I love the color here – the shift from golden hour to blue

Golden Ridge

A slightly tighter capture looking across the North Cascades Highway into the heart of the range

Home ridge

The Pass

Looking back at the actual pass after a quick excursion to a notch in the north to check out the PCT winding around the mountains

Rays

Last light on the ridge, and sunrays across the valley. I just could not get enough of this angle

Sunset Glow

The distant peaks are finally glowing gold in the last light of sunset

September