USA: EXPLORING THE NORTHWEST.

We began in the Hidden Lake Lookout area, just outside the national park. A lookout here is a former fire observation tower, like the many found in the American mountains. They are often small cabins perched high up, with 360-degree views, which allowed rangers to spot the start of forest fires. Some are still in use and others are not, but they remain beautiful hiking destinations, especially when it is possible to spend the night there.

The next morning, we hiked back down and collected a wilderness permit for a two-day loop around Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm. This time, we were properly entering the national park, where backcountry camping rules are stricter. We had originally hoped to sleep at Sahale Glacier Camp, a campsite fairly well known for its location, but it had already been fully booked for several months. We eventually obtained a permit for another campsite lower down in the forest. This still allowed us to climb towards Sahale Arm and enjoy the views over the surrounding peaks and glaciers. It was also in this area that we saw our first mountain goats of the trip, large white goats that are not very wary of people and quickly became one of the symbols of the mountain wildlife of the northwestern United States.

For our first days in Glacier National Park, we based ourselves around Lake McDonald. As we often do in American parks, we first stopped at the ranger station to see which wilderness permits were still available. The most popular areas were already heavily booked, but we eventually managed to obtain a permit for one night at Gunsight Lake. This allowed us to plan a two-day point-to-point hike between the Lake McDonald area and the road near Jackson Glacier Overlook. The full route is around 32 kilometres with a good amount of elevation gain, already making it a substantial two-day hike.

Glacier is also one of the parks where the presence of bears feels most tangible. When issuing our permit, the rangers carefully explained the precautions to take. Both black bears and larger, potentially more dangerous grizzlies live here, so hikers are expected to carry bear spray. Along the trail, the frequent bear droppings were a clear reminder that animals could be nearby. Around Sperry Chalet, several hikers told us that they had seen a mother bear with two cubs in the area.

As we had neither a permit to sleep in the backcountry nor a place in one of the park's campgrounds, we had to find somewhere outside the park to sleep near the car. Campgrounds are developed campsites inside national parks, often fairly basic and paradoxically rather expensive when they are located within a park. They too are in very high demand during the busy season. We drove our Jeep along steep mountain tracks until we finally found a quiet place in the middle of nowhere to pitch the tent. That is the advantage of having a 4x4 that can go almost anywhere!

Later that day, we reached Grand Prismatic Spring, one of the park's best-known places. To appreciate its colours more fully, we climbed to Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook, a short out-and-back trail that gives a slightly higher view over the hot spring. From the viewpoint, the rings of colour around the pool are much easier to distinguish than from the boardwalks, and it is easy to understand why this place has become one of Yellowstone's most famous images.

At the end of the afternoon, we finished at Old Faithful, the park's most iconic geyser. Its eruptions are predictable, and the estimated times are displayed so that visitors can plan accordingly. We waited for the announced time to watch it erupt before heading to Madison Campground for the night. Sleeping inside the park is very practical in Yellowstone: it avoids having to drive back out in the evening and helps reduce the amount of travelling, which can quickly take a great deal of time.

Arriving from Yellowstone, we quickly realised that finding somewhere to sleep around Grand Teton was not so simple. Every campground in the park was already full, and even the dispersed camping areas around it were fairly saturated. Camping is prohibited in many places, particularly near roads and the closest access points to the park. We still managed to find a place for the night thanks to someone who agreed to share their spot with us. It was also then that we understood that, although Grand Teton is less well known in Europe, the park is very popular with Americans.

The next day, we set out on a very long day hike. I had originally hoped to sleep in this area, but the campsites were already booked. As is often the case in the most popular parks, if you have not managed to obtain a permit, you either have to give up or complete the route in a single day. We chose the second option, with a large loop from Jenny Lake to Lake Solitude.

We started at Jenny Lake, one of the park's best-known lakes, with the Teton Range in the background. It is also one of the places often seen in photographs, with the mountains reflected in the water when conditions are good. From there, we climbed towards Lake Solitude, another well-known lake in the park, before returning on the other side near Holly Lake. Our route covered around 40 kilometres, so we had to keep up a good pace. We did not really have time for long breaks, but it allowed us to see a beautiful part of the park in a single day.

We pitched the tent on this ridge, with a very open view all around us. Below, we could see Snowdrift Lake, a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by more mineral terrain. It was exactly the kind of place we had hoped to find: close to the park but outside its boundaries, and isolated enough to feel as though we were truly sleeping in the mountains.

The next day, we continued the loop, gradually returning towards Grand Teton. The route took us back towards Death Canyon and then Phelps Lake, which we saw again before reaching the car. In total, the loop was around 50 kilometres, with a very demanding first day involving roughly 1,900 metres of elevation gain, followed by another 700 metres on the second day. It was clearly a major undertaking, but it was worth it to be able to bivouac near the park without depending on permits that were already fully booked.

We had anticipated the poor weather at Mount Rainier and booked a night in Packwood at a fairly typical hotel with something of a saloon atmosphere. As rain was forecast, we thought it might be better to sleep somewhere dry rather than under the tent. On the evening we arrived, we therefore took our time in Packwood and went out for dinner.

The rain was indeed there the next morning. We took shelter at Mountain Goat Coffee, a local café where we spent much of the morning waiting for a break. The forecast suggested a calmer window in the afternoon, followed by more rain that evening. The next day was supposed to be better, so we decided to try our luck anyway. On paper, the plan was simple. In practice, of course, it was a little less so.

Late that morning, we went to the ranger station to collect a wilderness permit. Mount Rainier's best-known route is the Wonderland Trail, which goes around the volcano and whose campsites are in very high demand. But as we had little time, we were not trying to complete a long section over several days. Our idea was simply to find somewhere to bivouac with a beautiful view, then take a short hike the next day before returning to the road.

Rather than leave straight away, we still decided to climb to Mount Fremont Lookout, one of the park's best-known fire lookouts. As is often the case in the United States, it is a former observation post used to spot forest fires, perched high up to provide a very open view. In theory, at least. That morning, the clouds did not really move and the view remained completely blocked. We therefore saw the lookout, which was something, but not the panorama for which it is known.

The hike was not entirely wasted. Along the way, we saw a fox, a few chipmunks and marmots, and we also ate blueberries beside the trail. Without a view, we took what consolation we could. We then descended towards Sunrise to collect the car, with a simple conclusion: we would have to come back to Mount Rainier.

This stop also marked the end of our road trip. That same day, we drove back to Seattle because our flight was leaving that evening. After this final morning in the mist, we left the parks of the northwestern United States, returned to the city and completed the loop, one year after our first road trip in the West.