Seeking Solitude: A Photographer's Guide to Hidden Hikes in the North Cascades

Some 2,000 miles of trail wind through one of the largest stretches of wilderness in the Lower 48 states: behold the mighty North Cascades ecosystem! And yet, crowds are a common recent complaint as thousands of visitors tend to crush into the same overused trails on the same day. How can you prepare for and plan forays into the “American Alps” that retain the ever-elusive wilderness experience?

In this new online program, we’ll discuss techniques to avoid the crowds in the region's most popular locations as well as highlight hidden spots off the beaten path. This course will equip you with resources to understand and take advantage of varying weather, trail conditions, and stunning seasonal occurrences that are not to be missed.

Your instructor Wyatt Mullen is a Skagit-based landscape photographer and science communicator interested in the impacts of climate and weather on the North Cascades region. From the snows of winter to the lupine blooms of summer, he has spent much of the last three decades exploring the trails, forests, and mountain summits that make the greater North Cascades Ecosystem so unique. Recently Wyatt traversed 85 off-trail miles along the crest of the Cascades from Cascade Pass to Glacier Peak, summitted 4 of the 5 Washington volcanoes, and carried skies on his back for 3 days just for a couple turns on the glaciers of Mount Olympus. In the last 5 years of almost-weekly adventures, a combination of planning and luck has led to fewer than a half-dozen crowded experiences in these premier natural areas.

During this program, we’ll tour the North Cascades region through Wyatt’s lens and uncover hidden gems to rival social media hotspots, consider the best time to witness seasonal events such as flower blooms and fall foliage, and review preparedness principles. With hiking season around the corner, you’ll leave this program with new tools in your toolkit and your motivational batteries charged up!

This program is intended for hikers and explorers of all abilities. Wyatt’s stunning North Cascades photographs are well worth attendance from armchair adventurers as well.

If you can't make the specific date or time of a class you want to take, you can still register and we will send you a link to view the program on your own time! All registrants will have access to the class recording for a limited time to re-watch too.

Photos by Wyatt Mullen