It was the most grueling photo trip I'd ever taken...

Dropped off by helicopter deep in the North Cascades wilderness. Trekking for three days, much of it bushwhacking. Fording rivers while holding my precious camera backpack over my head to keep it dry. Losing half my provisions when one of my bear-proof canisters proved to be anything but. And, finally, a near-vertical scramble up a talus slope, bringing me to the shores of a crystalline alpine lake.

Only, I couldn’t find a good composition, and, anyway, the light sucked. So, I came back down, returned home, drove up to Snoqualmie Pass, pulled off at the Gold Creek Pond parking lot, walked the couple hundred feet or so to the picnic area, and captured these images. I hope you enjoy them.