The Legendary North Cascades Backpacking Trip

The Legendary North Cascades Backpack Trip

By Ben Henry

                At the beginning of the Legendary North Cascades Backpacking Trip, I found myself among a group of students I didn’t know; but it seemed as though everyone else was thoroughly bonded already. Early on the second day we faced our first challenge of the trip: the river crossing. When we got to the river, we could see the problem: the river was raging, and we knew it would only get worse as the snow melted above in the hills. We worked together to set up a safety line across the whole river to hold on to, and one by one, we crossed the ice cold water safely. Later in the day we came across the first snow. I volunteered to lead the group through the snow, kicking steps and testing to make sure it would be safe to cross; I wanted to challenge myself but also wanted to prove to the others in the group that I was capable (as a freshman surrounded by seniors). We encountered a lake with a snow bridge that we were forced to walk across. I was the first to go, which was scary but exhilarating when I reached the other side safely.

               The next morning it was still cold and rainy, and some of us were already outside, making cocoa for the group. Today was the first day I can confidently say I remembered everyone’s names. We trudged up through a snowy forest and over a pass, when we reached our high point above some lakes we found a perfect flat, snowless rock to share lunch and stories together in the sunshine.   This was one of my favorite moments in the trip.  We had a 360 degree view around us of the vast forests and mountains. The next day, we tried (and failed) to navigate through snow, boulder fields, dense forests and cliff sides to find a campsite for the next night.  At the end of the day, we got lucky (the advisors would say it was skill) and ended up finding the perfect location on the top of a ridge with a view of the mountains, the valley and a beautiful aquamarine alpine lake. We spent the following day on self reflection; games and hiking down to cross the snow bridge before it melted away.

                  The last night of the trip we camped at the end of the lake, with a view of the mountain that I found amazing.  Some of us found a huge boulder balanced over the stream coming from the lake, which was flat enough for them to set up a tent, which of course they did.  On the final day we hiked down, over the river and past our first campsite. I paused here and remembered a time when I felt like a stranger.  After a few moments I hustled to catch up with the group – my family.