After the landscape itself, the memories made with companions, and the wildlife seen, the weather is usually one of the most memorable parts of a backpacking trip. Bluebird skies, sideways rain, scorching heat, unexpected inches of snow – these are often the things which come to mind when reminiscing on trips where weather was either a blessing or a curse. In much of the West, another weather phenomenon also has an outsized influence: smoke. Even if you’re hundreds of miles from an active wildfire, the mindboggling amounts of smoke created by tens of thousands of acres burning can creep into the area you’re backpacking and cast an eerie pall over the area and into your lungs.

Unlike rain or snow or cold, it's more difficult to utilize clothing or gear that can help to mitigate the impact of smoke on a trip. The only options you have are to cancel the trip altogether, or adjust your expectations and embrace the unique atmosphere created by the obscured views and filtered lighting. When you do head out in smoky conditions, smoke can make any trip that much more difficult.

A Smoky 6 Day Trip in North Cascades National Park

While I’ve been on a handful of trips where smoke has been a noteworthy characteristic, a traverse of the northern part of North Cascades National Park stands far and above as being the only I’ve been on that has been almost completely defined by the presence of smoke. For five days of a six day trip, thick wildfire smoke was my constant companion. It can, unfortunately, be objectively stated that wildfire smoke will make any trip less enjoyable than it would have been otherwise – I doubt even the most skilled lawyer or public relations expert could make a halfway compelling case otherwise. Although my trip was plagued by less than desirable conditions, it was still a memorable trip in spite of, and in certain limited instances because of, the extremely smoky conditions.

As with most backpacking trips to national parks, preparation for my trip began months in advance when I applied for a backcountry camping permit. Roughly 60 miles, my trip passed through some of the most beautiful terrain in the northern part of North Cascades National Park, and arguably some of the most magnificent scenery in the Cascade Mountains. Given the trip was in such a stunning location, permits for several of the campsites I would be using are particularly competitive. Fortunately, my permit application was successful and I ended up with a life-list itinerary – charming lakes, deep old-growth forest, and an amazing alpine basin with views of glaciers, peaks and filled with tarns. The first week of September seemed to be an ideal time as well, berries would be ripe, trail conditions would be good, and the weather would usually be dry and mild.

After picking up my permit and completing the lengthy car shuttle, since I would be starting at Hannegan Pass and coming out at Ross Lake, I was excited to get on the trail. The forecast was reasonable, but a bit hotter than seasonal temperatures. No worries, I thought, as three of the five nights I would be camped near lakes and could enjoy a refreshing swim in the ice-cold waters. This trip would conclude a larger backpacking vacation, as the week prior I had spent six days in Olympic National Park – backpacking through expansive meadows, camping at beautiful lakes, crossing high mountain passes, and soaking in a hot spring. I’d enjoyed perfect weather at Olympic National Park and was hoping my good luck would continue. Making the vacation even more special was that my mom had joined me between the two trips for a few days and to help me set up the shuttle. So, after bidding her goodbye at the Hannegan Pass Trailhead I started the trail in high spirits.

It being Labor Day weekend, the crowds were a bit thick the first few miles and I passed about a dozen hikers on the side trip to Hannegan Peak, where I got my first (and only) views of the stunning North Cascades mountains. Jagged peaks soared, snowfields reflected the sun, glaciers dotted the mountains – it was an incredible sight and a great way to start the trip. Unfortunately, by the time I woke up the next morning, the only chance I had for seeing similar scenes on the rest of the trip was to look at my camera.

After a hotter-than-expected hike during which I foolishly missed an opportunity to filter water before arriving at a lakeside campsite, the evening sky began to get a slight bit hazier. This was a foreboding harbinger of things to come, but I was simply glad to be at camp and drinking water. When I exited my tent in the morning, the views had diminished greatly but the smoke had yet to reach the truly oppressive levels which it would later in the hike.

As I strolled along Copper Ridge continuing on my way, it was hard not to be somewhat disappointed and discouraged by the limited views I was getting while hiking a premier trail known for its amazing views of Washington’s high country. I was able to commiserate with other hikers at the Copper Ridge Lookout regarding this unfortunate circumstance before I tackled the long descent to the Chilliwack River. The Chilliwack crossing was refreshing and easier than expected, with several colorful salmon in the river providing a neat and novel spectacle for me to witness.

Although I arrived at my campsite in mid-afternoon, the sky looked about the same as it had mid-morning. Gray, but backlit and oddly oppressive. There was a certain thickness and weight that isn’t present on merely overcast days, but which is manifested in the smoke that results from thousands of acres of forest going up in flames. Further adding to the less than auspicious day was a creekside accident which occurred when I was trying to repair my malfunctioning water filter, although I would later be assured by the manufacturer's warranty department that I couldn’t have field repaired the filter so the attempt at a repair was a moot point. At least I felt validated for carrying my back-up iodine tablets along on so many trips where they went unused.

Once again awaking to smoke in the air, I continued on with my trip and started hiking along the Chilliwack and eventually up to Whatcom Pass. I had no other alternative, since I had been dropped off – there was no “bail out”, I simply had to hike out to my car, some 40 miles away at this point. I was able to find a certain beauty in the smoke that morning, as the way the morning light filtered through the smoke and old-growth evergreens gave the forest an even more mystical feeling; it almost felt ethereal and dreamlike. While not as enchanting as when I hiked through the old-growth hemlocks of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a misty, foggy November day, hiking among the big trees with spectacularly filtered lighting is among one of the more special forest moments I have had.

As I made way up to Whatcom Pass, I began to notice the physical toll the smoke was taking on me. Itchy eyes, raspy throat, and it seemed like I was hiking at 10,000 feet instead of less than half that. Fortunately, I would camp at the next spot for two nights, allowing me to rest and recover. Even though the views from Whatcom Pass are supposed to be some of the most majestic in North Cascades National Park, I couldn’t see more than perhaps a quarter-mile. Whatcom Peak, Challenger Glacier, and other peaks and glaciers were hidden behind a wall of smoke. Even with the smoke, the immediate scenery was impressive; I can only imagine how amazing it would be with clear skies. Ripe berries, beautiful tarns in rock pools, impossibly steep scree slopes towering above, and lovely meadows all made for an idyllic alpine scene.

I explored around as much as I could over 2 days, with the highlight being watching a bear swim across one of the lakes, and I read a book while hoping for some clearing of the skies to allow me to experience the full grandeur of the landscape. No such luck. It felt a bit like listening to a great song but only hearing one instrument. Two years later, I still think of my time in this section of the park as being the most time I’ve spent in the prettiest place I’ve never really seen.

Back to the Trailhead

It was another two smoky days through beautiful old growth forest to my vehicle at Ross Lake. The huge cedars glowed in the same light that made the forest along the Chilliwack so magical, but that minor highlight did little to soothe my irritated eyes and throat. After finally making it back to my car, insult was added to injury when the entire ten-hour drive was through smoke-filled landscapes, with the section in the high desert around Grand Coulee feeling almost apocalyptically empty and smoky. Settling back at home from the trip, I was struck with the bittersweet notion that this was a trip that, despite having been “done”, I would need to do again to fully experience it.

Need to Know

Information

North Cascades National Park offers backpackers plenty of terrific options for experiencing the phenomenal scenery of the North Cascades. From quick overnights to multi-day trips, this park has something for everyone. Despite being fairly close to Seattle, the backcountry of the park is relatively uncrowded as a result of the permit system used to limit use. While permits can be frustratingly difficult to secure for the premier trips in the park, for the lucky ones who receive them the benefits cannot be understated – especially when compared to the crowds at campsites in the less regulated Alpine Lakes Wilderness closer to Seattle. For experienced backpackers and mountaineers, the cross-country zone camping allowed in NCNP allows for a sense of freedom, exploration and often solitude that is refreshing when compared to the – albeit necessary – regimented structure of backcountry camping in most national parks.

Best Time to Go

The "casual" (i.e. no snow travel, relatively mild weather) backpacking window in North Cascades National Park is relatively brief. Heavy snowpack typically keeps the high country and passes under snow until July and snow can begin to pile back up in early October some years. August and September are perhaps the best months.

Getting There

The bulk of North Cascades National Park is accessed by Washington State Highway 20 (North Cascades Highway) and secondary and tertiary roads emanating from it. This paved road bisects the park and is flanked by the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, which is part of the larger North Cascades National Park Complex managed by the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. The North Cascades Highway closes in the winter, but various types of outdoor recreation are allowed depending on location and if the recreational use is motorized or not. Access to the northern part of the park is provided by Washington State Highway 542 and the access roads branching off from it. Depending on your trip, you will likely use one or both of these roads, especially if you're doing a point-to-point hike.

Books and Maps

For most on-trail travel and limited cross-country travel, the Trails Illustrated North Cascades National Park map by National Geographic is sufficient. There are several great guidebooks to help you plan your trip as well, such as Hiking the North Cascades and Best Easy Day Hikes North Cascades (both Falcon Guides).

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 42 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.