What an incredible adventure engagement session! This beautiful lake has been on my list of places to explore for quite some time (actually pretty much since we moved back up here), so when Elayne and Aaron said they were up for the hike, I was super excited! And with the early fall colors and snow on the surrounding peaks, it certainly did not disappoint! Once we got to the lake, there were gorgeous views practically around every turn and as the sun dipped below the nearby mountains, we did not see a single other person out there. Trails can get quite crowded on weekends, so I encourage my clients to make it a weekday adventure and it certainly paid off for us here. Elayne and Aaron looked amazing up there and her mustard gold skirt – wow! Her colors looked spectacular with the evergreen trees, rocks, and fall foliage! And they even brought along their dog, who was able to stand on his hind legs unassisted, which was quite cool! Elayne is a glass blower and while we didn’t get to incorporate that into this shoot, the surface of the lake looked pretty much like glass as the winds became more calm near sunset. And since the water temperature was still warmer than the surface air, steam rose off the lake as the air temperature cooled near sunset, which looked pretty amazing too!

It’s hard to believe that even though I live less than 30 minutes from the trailhead, I had never been to this lake before. But with so many amazing places to explore in the Cascades and Olympics, one could easily do a different beautiful hike every summer/fall weekend for their entire life and still not run out of new places to explore. It truly is a blessing to live in the PNW where so much natural beauty is right at our fingertips.

Thank you both for the amazing adventure engagement session! I had a wonderful time with you and can’t wait to photograph your wedding next summer near Mount Rainier! Enjoy the sneak peek!