Cascade Pass

This piece is my musical reflection on my time in North Cascades National Park in August of 2021, my first time being in this part of the country. Being from the east coast, I frequent the Appalachian Trail and surrounding hiking areas to get away from my busy life and reflect. The Appalachians are some of the oldest mountains in the world, and as such, I have grown accustomed to hiking through the "green tunnel" as hikers affectionately dub trails in Appalachia where you can hike endlessly through forests for a single view. This was not the case in North Cascades. I felt immediately transported to a time and place untouched by human civilization. Ahead of me were towering mountains, and on either side of the valley I hiked through, waterfalls thousands of feet high flowing straight from the glaciers which continually form and shape this region. It was an almost primal feeling where I felt close to those who first inhabited the land, as if those who walked this path thousands of years ago would find what I saw familiar. As the day went on however, more traces of human civilization and that impact on the environment became visible. There was a constant smell of burning pine, and a haze which descended from wildfires that were ravaging the west coast, and a bulldozer working to rebuild a washed out water crossing. The feelings I still am left with are those of hope, but also anxiety, hoping that we can continue to preserve these magical places for future generations to enjoy, and be inspired by.