Mac n' Trout A trip to the North Cascades National Park by David L. Miller Copyright 2001
In late September of 2001, Ethan Hickman and Joel and David Miller struck out into the North Cascades National Park.  They hiked roughly 10 miles with an elevation gain of about 6,000 feet.  The trip included cresting Cascade Pass, exploring the Peltin Basin, fishing at a lake (5,000 ft) fed by the Sahale (pronounced sah-hall-ee) Glacier, and camping at the base of the Sahale Glacier at 7,200 feet before heading out.  This poem is a result of the experiences during that trip.
A damp forest, sunlight breaking through, Distant rumbles, snow crumbles downward We cris-cross the mountainside, always upward, We listen to water in different forms, always downward The top of Cascade pass, out of one valley and into the next, A single sojourner named Dave, dispenses wisdom Into Pelton basin, safe and secure A carpet of red, a moonlit night of singing Fresh blueberry pancakes, what could be better? Chocolate chips? Granola? Fresh brewed café? Out of the valley, back to the pass Our necks crane backwards, the hill is before us Steepest section yet, new bird knowledge fills our head View at the top with unheard of beauty Leave the packs! Down to the lake! Each cast a success, dinner awaits 900 feet down & 900 back up, packless It made no difference, our muscles grow weary To the glacier, ho! I strike out alone over the ridge, Whilst Joel takes a growler and Ethan snacks Covered with grass and shrubs, Johanasburg looms near, Curving ever nearer to the glacier, the slope ever steeper Quickly overtaken by Bean & Blunder, the sun flashes from behind gray clouds An assault on glacial till, we must make it before dark Set up the tent! Break out the food! Pots of water! Oysters, potato’s, Annie’s Mac n’ cheese galore Bean & Blunder, huddle, sickly, ready to wretch I relish the choice of oysters not taken, and Annies not plundered Vermin everywhere, picking and prodding, I hit the tent now rain is falling, inside Out at 2:30am, the clouds have cleared, The moon, the stars, and thousands of peaks appear Ethan blunders for the door, hurry its dawn! We bask in the glow, the clouds have all gone Our mind is blurred, by the clear vision of grandeur among us A view of the lake, the ridge, and all that came before us Seven trout for breakfast, others Sahale assault, We mix soft fish with Annies, and create Mac n’ Trout Down we must venture, six miles & 3600 feet We remember our previous struggles, our knees beg for rest Down we pound along the ridge, past the lake Back to the pass, new friends await 3.7 miles? Hah, we’ll make it in a half-hour Past baby streams, and white flowers revived by recent shower Onward we plod, from whence did all these switchbacks come? The forest still damp, the peaks still grumble, the white truck is whaiting! Back, to where were from? Or from where were going? From civilization to the wild, to each a different city.