Personal: Mt. Rainier National Park
Earlier this year I had a wedding on the western side of the state of Washington, and I took that opportunity to head out that way a little early to hike with my friend and fellow photographer Zach Nichols. He’s not only a talented wedding photographer but also a great landscape one (really you should check out his instagram page - especially if you like mood Pacific Northwest photos) Anyway, while there I had the chance to do some hikes alone, but also with him. I’m super pumped to be able to share some of my favorite photos from that trip. Some may seem the same to you, and some may not convey super well on a small screen, but I hope you love them as much as I loved taking pictures of them. It always reminds me of the verse in Psalms 19:1 - the Heavens declare the glory of God. Indeed, he is truly the master painter. I should also note, I mixed in some phone photos in here too, because I couldn’t help myself. I hope you can’t tell the difference. :)
The first day in Rainier National Park, my friend Zach and I woke up and drove to one of the many mountain lakes to get sunrise photos. After spending some time there, we hit up a couple notable waterfalls on the way back to get some sleep and relax before sunset.
Sunset on the first day was incredible. Zach was unable to go on the hike with me so it meant some time alone in the mountains with the Lord and his beautiful creation. With an amazing wife, and two incredible boys, it’s pretty weird to have truly alone time, but i’m glad for it. I would be lying though if I didn’t say I thought of them often up there, and I can not wait to take them on the same hike.
Despite hiking down in the dark the night before, Zach and I woke up at 3:30am the next morning to head out on another hike. This was a huge highlight for me, not only because we were again treated to some incredible weather, but the location was truly epic. With views of both Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier, and standing on the edge of a 1000 foot cliff, it was one of those sunrises where every photo you took was “the best”. So if you see several repeats or look-alike’s here, i’m sorry i’m not sorry. It was just that awesome.
After the sunrise hike I had several hours to kill before I could get into my air bnb (I was sleeping in a hammock for the first couple days), so I went on a quick hike in Rainier National Park to check out some of the waterfalls. Typically, this is not something i’ve ever particularly loved (waterfalls are cool… just not THAT cool) but these ones impressed me. This was also the end of my adventures on the trip. What a blast, and I can’t wait to go back. Perhaps next time a couple will let me bring them up there for some epic wedding photos - now that would be awesome.
