Excellent Adventures: North Cascades with Tommy Moore

Our friend Tommy Moore has been doing a lot of traveling lately. His last stop? The North Cascades which border Washington state and British Columbia. It's known for its dramatic scenery and rigid mountains and considered the most rugged mountain range in the United States. But the challenging terrain seems worth it for anyone who visits.

Bather: Briefly describe your trip. Why did you choose North Cascades?

Tommy: Raised in the Midwest, the North Cascades were a massive unknown. It wasn’t until my first road trip to Southern California that I was exposed to the breadth of mountain ranges wrinkling the West Coast. Within days of moving to the PNW, I knew all I wanted was to spend every possible second immersed within the Cascades.

My buddy, Alex, made the last minute trek from central Wisconsin to Washington. Neither of us had spent much time around alpine lakes, making it our priority to hike to as many as time would allow.

Finding a home in the Enchantments, the first leg of our trip was spent sitting alongside colorful, glacial waters. The landscape was such that is dreamed up by illustrators. Snowy peaks stood towering above lakes--their icy peaks reaching into the sky.

B: How did you get there?

T: In general, we drove but spent a good chunk of our time on trails.

B: Did you find the hiking and the terrain challenging?

T: Not native to the Pacific Northwest, or to any mountainous region for that matter, I’m still buffing up my hiking stamina. Many of the trails were heavily exposed with a decent amount of elevation. We handled the trails well, but the pairing of hiking and long hours in a car left our bodies unhappy.

B: How do the North Cascades compare to other national parks and sites in the US?

T: The Cascades are seriously underrated outside of the PNW—which is such a blessing. Home to some of the most respected trails and destinations in the country, there’s an overall appreciation of what is here from everyone.

B: Anymore travel plans? Where are you headed next?

T: I’m plotting out the final details of a short surf trip along the Oregon Coast. I have heard wonders about Oregon’s coast landscape and I’m stoked to see it for the first time.

Want to see more of Tommy?

Follow him on Instagram @tommymoorestudio or check out his website www.tommymoorestudio.co.