Adventure time!!! For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE adventure sessions, so when Kelly and Michael expressed interest in going on an adventure as part of their engagement experience I was super excited! I’d been drooling over some photos my fellow photographer Abby Rae (Abby Rae Photos) had taken this past summer at this gorgeous little place called Gold Creek Pond which is up closer to Seattle, so I mentioned that it might be a winner of a location for Kelly and Michael and they agreed!

Kelly and Michael had recently been hiking in and around Snoqualmie this past summer so were super excited to see what Gold Creek Pond might look like when all covered in snow, so we set our date for late November and were blessed with a GORGEOUS sunny winter day for their shoot.

It’s a good thing we had such great weather too as Kelly and Michael wanted to bring along their adorable cat Sushi who would be with us, tucked in her little cat carrier with her heated pillow throughout the whole hike!

Kelly and Michael met in law school and now live together in Seattle. They are planning on having their wedding down in Oregon however, as Kelly fell in love with Abernethy Center in Oregon City and since a lot of their family will be traveling to their wedding anyway, it was the perfect venue fit for them!

When Dom and I arrived at Kelly and Michael’s apartment, Kelly was waiting with some homemade chocolate and almond meringues which were sooooo delicious! Dom and I have been binge watching a lot of The Great British Baking Show recently and so were excited to finally get to taste these delicious sweets which make an appearance nearly every season! As we munched on the meringues, we headed up to Gold Creek Pond and watched as the foggy grey day gave way to blue skies and fluffy white clouds as we crested the top of the pass.

Making one last pit stop to purchase a few hand warmers at the last gas station, we then pulled off the highway toward Gold Creek Pond. We decided that despite Kelly’s all-wheel drive capabilities, we should probably park along the plowed road and walk the half-mile into the trailhead. This ended up being a smart choice as at least one unlucky car full of tourists ended up getting stuck, wheels spinning in the melting unplowed snow near the trailhead parking lot.

Packing up our camera bags and making sure Sushi was situated in her little cat carrier we started the trek. Sushi was definitely a point of interest to the various other groups getting out and enjoying this sunny Sunday morning and as we set our stuff down on a blanket to snap a few photos, people would stop to peer into her little carrier, marveling at the sight of a gorgeous house cat along for the trek!

Michael and Kelly entertained Dom and I with tales of their travels and local adventures as they have gotten into backpacking more recently and had many gorgeous places they’d travelled to which were as of yet unknown to Dom and I!

Michael had proposed to Kelly while on a hike earlier this summer and I loved having him re-live the tale while he and Kelly were snuggling lake-side with the morning fog lifting off of Gold Creek Pond! Dom and I loved hanging out with these two who were quick to laugh and let us in on their lives together. It was a morning filled with lots of joy, love and even a few giggles as I had Michael whisper a few ridiculous things into Kelly’s ear. We ended up hiking all around the pond and at the end were rewarded with the most stunning of views of the shining white mountains reflected in the calm pond waters. It was a magical day and left Dom and I so very excited for their wedding next year!

Check out the photos below and if you have a hankering for a gorgeous winter hike, check out Gold Creek Pond, it’s stunning!