FAST
PACK
DAYS
A SPRING PHOTO ESSAY
WORDS AND IMAGES BY
BRENDAN DAVIS
Let your eyes wander through our latest photo essay from
photographer Brendan Davis about their multi-day backpacking
adventure in the Glacier Peak Wilderness in Washington.
Abstract motion blur image of hikers crossing a stream, wearing large backpacks and outdoor gear. The photo captures dynamic movement with streaks of color, emphasizing speed, activity, and the energy of backcountry adventure.
Portrait of Forest Woodward in his tent.
To introduce the crew I'll start with Forest, who took these photos with me. Forest and I met at Phantom Ranch in the bottom of the Grand Canyon and became fast friends while I experienced white water and rapids for the first time. Since then, I've looked up to Forest as a photographer and filmmaker, and I have been lucky to have been able to work on several projects with him where we document folks through outdoor journeys in one way or another. To be able to shoot photos with him is always a lesson in keeping the eyes open and looking for what feels special.
Hannah hiking in a meadow.
Hannah and I first met bike touring around Bears Ears National Monument in 2017. Over the years, we've stayed in touch and crossed paths on various mountain running events. She lives in Silverton, Colorado, making art, writing, and spending lots of time wandering seldom-visited wild spaces.
CJ smiling with his backpack with a snowy mountain landscape in the background.
CJ and Forest have known each other for years, maybe even at least a decade, and have spent time in skiing huts in Montana and Canada together. When we were planning this trip, Forest knew that a combination of CJ's excitement for adventure and knowledge of the trails in his own backyard would be a great and crucial addition. CJ works in nonprofit development in Pakistan and is a competitive runner and ski mountaineer.
Portrait of Brendan.
I am a photographer and filmmaker currently living in Brooklyn, New York—which in a lot of ways doesn't totally makes sense for the work that I mostly do, but after 8 years in Boulder, Colorado, I wanted to explore city life for a little bit while still taking time to make it out west. Though I am currently excited to take some adventures from the city and in the North East, this summer I have big plans of packrafitng in New York City waterways and checking out some long trails straight from the city. It's been a change of pace that feels worth pushing.
CJ sits beside a white MHW tent at sunrise, surrounded by alpine terrain with patches of snow and rugged granite peaks in the background. The scene captures a peaceful moment high in the mountains, with soft morning light breaking through clouds over the dramatic ridgeline.
Two images side by side, the first two hikers look over a map, the second is a view of someone's sandwich with a bite out of it.
FROM THE TOP
CJ, the local, seemingly knew about more trails than any map suggested. He explained the route options we had. Forest and Hannah knew was what about to unfold, as I half listened in and out while charging camera batteries and decided how many pairs of socks to bring. (I settled on two.)

Our early morning start got delayed by a leisurely few cups of coffee followed by rigorous pack organizing that we didn't make it to the trail until 2 or 3 pm. We were hungry by the time we made it to the trailhead. Forest ate his first sandwich the size of three.
Moments later, we made our first of many river crossings. It wasn’t worth taking the time to slip our shoes off—our feet would be wet soon with dew from ferns and willows.
Hannah crosses a stream while on the backpacking trip.
Hannah takes a sip of water from the river, hunched over with her pack.
Backpacking through a bushy meadow.
Split image showing two scenes: on the left, a hiker in yellow clothing with a white backpack navigates through dense, green brush using trekking poles; on the right, a close-up of scratched legs and trail shoes resting on granite beside a dirty white pack, highlighting the rugged toll of backcountry travel.
CJ warned of bushwhacking: ankle high, knee high, waist high, head high. We had It all and the scrapes and scratches to prove it.
Another backpacking photo of the crew.
Backpacking at night.
After our later-than-expected afternoon start, we walked into the night, and just after the sun went down, we saw fresh bear scat and imprinted brush that made us reconsider how much further we wanted to walk before setting up camp for the night.
Backpacking at night shot.
Camping at night scene, making dinner at the jet boil, everyone has headlamps on.
Dinner at camp in the dark.
Our diet consisted mostly of tinned fish, crackers, salami and cheese. Nightly charcuterie boards was a relief to the daily candy bars and gummies I kept in my pockets.
Two hikers with backpacks scramble up steep, sunlit granite slabs beside a rushing waterfall, surrounded by dense green forest at the top of the slope.
Left: A person rests in a sleeping bag on a grassy alpine slope with rugged, snow-dotted peaks in the background, surrounded by camping gear. Right: A hiker wearing patterned shorts kicks up a cloud of dust while trekking uphill with poles on a dirt trail through a lush mountain landscape.
It was equally challenging keeping up with CJ’s
geographical knowledge and his exuberant pace.
So, I took naps when I could.
CJ and Hannah with backpacks and trekking poles descend a steep, flower-lined trail overlooking a vast, winding river that snakes through a lush, green valley surrounded by forested mountains.
The crew making their way on their journey.
Every so often, we made it out of the willow tunnels
and would see vistas of meandering rivers in valleys
we would soon traverse before climbing up to the
alpine, where we would touch the clouds.
Looking out from the tent on foggy rainy mountain terrain.
Inside the tent on a rainy day.
Then, we touched the clouds a little too closely and spent nearly a full day in our tents, waiting for the rain to stop.

Forest and I drank all the instant coffee we could spare and slurped ramen 'til the sun came back out.
CJ smiling with a cup of coffee in his rainjacket.
Hannah peeks out of a tent to see if it's still raining or not.
The group celebrates no more rain and a beautiful view of an alpine lake.
Eventually, we emerged from our
dry cocoons to keep walking as the
clouds burned off into the sun.
Hannah and CJ hike in the clouds.
Brendan blowing out birthday candles in his tent.
On the last day I woke up to candles in a fig newton to celebrate my birthday. I made a wish that is yet to come true, but I'm still holding on hope for.

While eating the last bits of food before walking down the trail and back to our car. Forest, Hannah, and CJ shared stories about when they were my age and asked what I was looking forward to in my next year.

I said, "If I get to keep spending time in tents and moving through quiet wild places with great friends, I'll be pretty happy."

By that measure, 29 has been pretty amazing.
Camping in a pretty wildflower filled meadow in the mountains.