Let the Adventure Begin!
Before submitting an inquiry for our day trip, please read the information below about this tour:
Physical Ability
This tour is an intermediate hiking trip. This excursion is not for everyone. Prior to booking a tour, customers should be able to complete a hike of the following caliber:
6 miles
- 2,000 vertical feet
- Carrying a 20 pound pack
- Individuals unable to meet this physical requirement will not be allowed to partake in the tour for trip timing and safety reasons, both for themselves and the group as a whole
- For those unable to meet the physical demands of this trip at the current time, please either consider booking our less strenuous multi-day tour, packraft rentals, or let us know and we can recommend a training plan for you to prepare for a future booking of our day tour
Seasonal Factors
Generally, our tours run from June to mid-October each year due to limitations from snow
For those unfamiliar, the Cascade Mountains receive a lot of annual snowfall and our day tour requires us to wait until the snow has melted off the road to the trailhead and most of it off the trail. Because of this, our season is dictated by the year’s snowfall and rate of snow melt. Some years we can start in early June, and other years we have to wait to start our tours until mid-July. The same goes with the end of the season. When the snow starts falling in the mountains in the fall, our tour season comes to an end. Sometimes this happens in early October, other times we can run tours until the beginning of November
That said, for those booking tours from in the months of June, July, and October, please keep this in mind that certain dates may not work due to current environmental factors
Please see the details in our booking calendar for the most up-to-date information on when our day tours will be running this year
Climate Change Factors
As you might be aware, heat waves, wildfires, and wildfire smoke / unhealthy air quality, have become increasingly problematic in the Pacific Northwest over the past decade.
- Heat Waves
In the last half-decade especially, climate change has brought onto the Washington Cascades an increasing amount of severe, summer heat waves. While we certainly don’t wish for these disastrous events, heat waves often create some of our best tour experiences
During heat waves, the higher elevation mountain landscape is pleasantly tolerable and the frigid alpine water and lakes become comfortable to swim in. So while don’t encourage these events to happen whatsoever, we will not cancel tours for these events, but instead make the most of the unique situation climate change has presented us
The following are the times during the season heat waves are most frequent: June – August
Wildfires & Unhealthy Air Quality
Due to climate change, in recent years, we have seen an uptick in the number of wildfires in the Washington Cascades. Because of these events, unhealthy air quality, primarily caused by wildfire smoke has become a terrible issue in the Pacific Northwest (and beyond). Due to this, any trips with an AQI of > 150 will proceed forward. Any trips with an AQI of < 150, can either proceed with the trip with the use of a mask, reschedule, or receive a partial refund (provided this decision is made before noon the day prior to the schedule trip).
The following are when wildfires and their effects are most common in the in PNW: August – October
Advanced Notice
In order to properly accommodate each guest, a minimum of a four (4) day’s heads-up is required for bookings of this trip
For the highest likelihood of guaranteeing a booking, please reach out to us or book as far out as possible
For those looking for bookings within four-day’s time, please consider our rentals instead, as they can accommodate shorter lead times
If all this checks out, please provide us with your information for this first-of-its-kind adventure by filling out the form below: