Gorgeous overlooks of the Cascade Mountains… Scenic, pristine alpine lakes… hikes through enchanting mountain pine forests… and a lovely couple celebrating their engagement… YES please!!!! This amazing adventure engagement session had it all! And then some! I met up with Laura & Jon (a super super sweet couple, by the way!) at Lake Wenatchee state park, east of the cascade crest. A short walk through beautiful pine forests brought us to gorgeous Lake Wenatchee, where we explored the shore and took like three thousand photos of the two of them overlooking the lake from various locations. OK, maybe not quite three thousand… but it was incredible! I loved how laid back they both were – they were up for anything and we had a great time talking and laughing along the way. Plus, they both live in Redmond, which is where I grew up! So, big points for that too!
Leaving Lake Wenatchee, we drove back up to Stevens Pass and hiked up a trail to a beautiful alpine lake above the pass. At over 5,000 feet elevation, spring was just getting under way up there and the dense, mountain pine forest was absolutely breathtaking with the evening sun peaking through the trees. The only interruptions to our otherwise completely peaceful, tranquil, and serene experience up there were the mosquitos. Yep, it took them a minute or two, but they found us. I suppose since we were the only significant source of carbon dioxide for at least a mile in any direction, it was probably inevitable. We never saw anyone else out there the entire time. After oohing and aaahing at our beautiful surroundings and capturing some of the last rays of sun peaking through the trees, we gathered our gear and started out for our final destination – a ridge overlooking Steven’s Pass. The trail itself was, well… almost nonexistent. I lost track of how many times we lost the trail over a patch of snow or when it would just seem to disappear into dense brush. It was slow going and I’m still in awe of how well Kelly handled the terrain in her dress and hiking boots! Fortunately, we knew the direction we needed to go and eventually emerged on the ridge shortly before sunset. Let me just say, it did not disappoint!!! It was stunning! Kelly and Jon looked incredible on the overlooks we found there, looking down on the Steven’s Pass ski resort and surrounding mountains. Her absolutely stunning red dress!!! Seriously, the amount of fun we had up there was indescribable!!!
After another three thousand photos up there on the rocks… (ok, maybe not quite three thousand, but still…!) and with darkness approaching, we needed to make our way back down. Navigating the dense brush and non-existent trail were much easier somehow the second time even in the fading light and with a little help from gravity we found ourselves back at the lake and the main trail. We donned our headlamps and made our way down the steep trail in the dark, which is always the way to go if you want to capitalize on the golden hour. I have to say, I preferred walking up myself (as opposed to down). Actually, I think all of our knees would probably agree on that one! But without question, it was totally worth it! 😉
Thank you both for the absolutely spectacular engagement session! You both rocked it all the way! It’s so cool that you love to hike and explore together. Wow – it’s like I’m reliving the adventure going through the images! Such an awesome time that was! Enjoy a sneak peek at a few of the many highlights!
I’ve always thought Pacific Northwest alpine forests are the most beautiful forests on the planet. This session re-inforced that thought for sure! This was an absolutely stunning, enchanting forest like no other!
Is this not the most beautiful forest you’ve ever seen??!!!!
