Moore purchased his first camera in 1897, probably on his way to Lake Crescent. It is possible that he brought it with him from New York, but in that case one would expect to see earlier photos prior to his arrival at the lake. Arriving at Lake Crescent in August, Moore found the fly fishing to be mediocre at best. He advised those wishing to fly fish to come in June or September.

Leaving Lake Crescent, Moore and his party mounted horses and crossed the divide to the watershed of the Sol Duc River. Lake Crescent emptied into the Lyre River which ran north only 5 miles before emptying into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, opposite Vancouver Island, Canada. But the Sol Duc River ran in a southwesterly direction, emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

Moore stayed at the home of Arthur Moore for several days while fishing the Sol Duc. They found the trout to be of only moderate size due to the presence of many large salmon. The trout they caught in the Sol Duc were the same speckled variety as they found in Lake Crescent leading them to theorize that at one point there may have been a lake with 2 outlets, emptying into both watersheds.