Alpine Wanderlust

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I just remembered it’s the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service today! It was created under the National park ...
08/25/2026

I just remembered it’s the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service today! It was created under the National park Service Organic Act which states that the “purpose is to conserve scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

I’m so thankful that generations ago, leaders decided to implement this act as one way to preserve nature for us to enjoy today. My hope its that we can continue doing our part so future generations can continue to enjoy nature. There’s so many nuances to what should and shouldn’t be done in wilderness and public lands and maybe there can be a balance.

Anyway, here’s a small collection of National Park Service sites! Fun fact: the NPS governs more than just national parks. Swipe to see what else it governs.

Second fun fact: NPS does not govern national forests. That is distinctly part of the United States Forest Service (USFS), which is under US Department of Agriculture (USDA). I always thought it was funny that the organization that handles your food is also the one that handles the trails. But it makes sense because the USFS handles lumber and forest management for agriculture.

Time stamping a sunset from camp up to 8:46pm in this photo because sunset isn’t just one photo. Which time is your favo...
08/24/2026

Time stamping a sunset from camp up to 8:46pm in this photo because sunset isn’t just one photo. Which time is your favorite?

7:51pm - We just finished dinner and started to pack some food away

8:02pm - I was starting to notice golden hour, ran up the ridge for pictures of a different view to abandon this view

8:07pm - snuck in a little side view from the trail as the light was getting better

8:16pm - Took a toilet break and went back to camp

8:24pm - Ran back to camp for the show and saw our first bears as I was brushing my teeth

8:30pm - ogling the light

8:31pm - The photo taking got more frequent as the light shifted quickly

8:42pm - Ahhh the moment I was waiting for. That sweet alpenglow

8:44pm - But it only lasts a few minutes because summer sunsets are rather short. Enjoy the last minute because then it’s off to hang out food bags at the bear hang and get some sleep

Increasingly more busy. Views of camps from backpacking in the Olympics. I truly hope the meadows aren’t overused and th...
08/20/2026

Increasingly more busy. Views of camps from backpacking in the Olympics. I truly hope the meadows aren’t overused and this was an exception.

As people start to camp on fragile alpine meadows, they soon disappear from being trampled on. I don’t know the exact science or statistics but definitely meadows can recover from one or two times of camping. But if people are romping all over every single weekend? I don’t think that takes any science to know that the meadow will turn into a dirt patch

But what would be the most responsible thing to do here?

Most people have hiked at least 5 miles here in hopes for a campsite, and if they can’t find a spot even with scouting around, and they’re not capable or unwilling to walk another 3-5 miles for another camp, it does seem like the next possible option is the meadows, unfortunately.

On the way out, I definitely found some spots that are more rock/soil based for a less impactful campsite if people are willing to go just half a mile further

One post for the bears 🐻I felt so lucky to be able to photograph them from a good distance away. Maxed out my 200mm lens...
08/17/2026

One post for the bears 🐻

I felt so lucky to be able to photograph them from a good distance away. Maxed out my 200mm lens and they were only maybe 50-100 feet away in the meadow below where we camped. I was so surprised by how cute I found them, especially when they really were just minding their own business.

But while they were cute to look at from camp, we took no chances at night and held our bladders till dawn 😆

Overall, I’d say this was a pretty good first backpacking encounter with some bears for me! What would you do if you saw a bear near your camp?

It’s crazy that I almost missed this gorgeous alpenglow hour. I’m not a morning person but I always set an alarm 15-20 m...
08/14/2026

It’s crazy that I almost missed this gorgeous alpenglow hour. I’m not a morning person but I always set an alarm 15-20 minutes before sunrise while camping just in case.

This trip, I knew the marine layer would sit at a high elevation, so it was a 50/50 chance we’d see anything.

I kept peeking out my tent door to see if we were socked in, and it really looked like it. But what I didn’t know was that on the other side of my tent, the clouds were swiftly blowing between us and Mt Rainier.

Immediately, I got up and started running around like a mad woman trying to get the right view and anxiously waiting in between each clearing.

If you swipe through, you’ll see what the cloud coverage was like in-between no-views!

Backpacking in Mount Rainier National ParkI forgot I hadn’t shared this yet here but a whole new blog post is up. We had...
08/12/2026

Backpacking in Mount Rainier National Park

I forgot I hadn’t shared this yet here but a whole new blog post is up. We had the most filling time up here. Despite no water on the trail, we were met with shady trees nearly the whole way up and the best breeze that helped keep us cool until camp.

Plus incredible light, the whole place to ourselves, and bears!! Never knew I’d be so calm about bears 🐻

https://www.alpinewanderlust.com/dry-smoky-exposed-shriner-peak-overnight/

Smoke vs no smokeI kind of hate how I can now create another set of smoky vs no smoke hikes instead of season by season ...
08/07/2026

Smoke vs no smoke

I kind of hate how I can now create another set of smoky vs no smoke hikes instead of season by season or year to year.

Originally we intended to do a fun scramble here since our power was out for the day anyway. But between doing some heavy leg loading the last couple days and the smoke, we decided to turn around. It’s quite annoying not knowing how smoke layers end up moving through the days since the sensors are all at ground level.

There were still plenty of people out here and plenty camping, to which I hope they made it okay with the amount of smoke they probably were inhaling.

For smoke forecast, here are some of my favorites I’ve found myself and through friends:
firesmoke.ca
airlater.com
maps.airfire.org/wsu/

More vertical scenes from South Sister
07/24/2026

More vertical scenes from South Sister

Lake views from a hike in the Alpine Lakes WildernessDon’t forget to self issue a permit (or sign trail registers) appar...
07/20/2026

Lake views from a hike in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Don’t forget to self issue a permit (or sign trail registers) apparently rangers get pretty annoyed if you’re in the APW without a permit, it’s free and easy to fill out! And it’s important for the park to understand trail usage for statistics and search and rescue efforts.

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