Backpacking Adventure Engagement Session at Mount Townsend -

October 1, 2021

When these two reached out about a backpacking engagement session my stoke level was off the charts. We had the moodiest drizzly PNW weather at Mount Townsend with some much needed sun breaks here and there.

Good conversation, heavy packs, tons of laughs, and a jetboil mishap. This was one for the books. I hope you love these photos as much as I loved this trip!

The epic backpacking trip + engagement session

It’s probably (definitely) an understatement to say that this was the most epic engagement session I’ve had to date.

Kyrie, Austin, and I had been planning an overnight backpacking trip engagement session since March. So a lotttt of effort went into prepping for this – it wasn’t just a last-minute decision.

The day finally rolled around and of course, it was rainyyy as could be, a classic PNW move. It was drizzly, but not too much so that backpacking wasn’t an option anymore. So we decided to just send it and I’m so glad we did. Because man did the clouds make it so worth it.

If you end up with bad weather for your session/elopement, don’t worry! Check out my article on Dealing with Inclement Weather at Your Session or Elopement for all my best tips on preparing for + embracing it.

4 miles and a few thousand feet gain later, we were ready to set up camp on Mount Townsend. The next morning we woke up to the most stunning cloud inversion and sunrise – it was one of those moments where I couldn’t believe I was at “work.” I loved so much that I was just there to follow along and document the trip – we kept it super casual and fun, just like they would normally do if it were just the two of them.

The Mount Townsend hike

Mount Townsend is located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, southeast of Port Angeles. We chose it for the session location because of the specifics of the hike + the epic views, and it ended up being the perfect trail for us.

It’s an 8-mile roundtrip hike, around 4 miles each way, with 3000 feet of elevation gain. The mountain has wildflowers, old growths, and epic views, making it an amazing hike year-round. Fun fact: dogs are allowed on this trail, too! Just be sure to keep them on a leash and always clean up after them – Leaving No Trace in the outdoors is super duper important.

For more tips on how to Leave No Trace during your session or elopement, check out this article!