Days 117 and 118 - North Cascades Cascade Pass

I drove to the center of North Cascades Park to learn that it's most famous pass, Cascade Pass was accessed from a 23 mile dirt road behind me. I drove past the visitor center to the well-named Diablo Lake, a Emerald lake that had a certain devilish quality.

I eventually decided to back track and drive to Cascade Pass, but it was too late in the day to start this ambitious 4,000 foot elevation gain hike, so I instead settled into a lovely, remote campground near the Pass. I did laundry, ate dinner and read until midnight.

The next morning I was cursing myself: I had "wasted" a perfect weather afternoon reading and now, this next morning, it was cloudy and foggy. I decided to hike up to the pass late morning in hopes that the weather would clear. The mountains at the trailhead loomed overhead.

I hiked in total fog, not seeing any views, all the way up the forested hillside 4 miles to the pass. Then I rounded the bend and wham! Views. Clear.

I loved the symmetry of this pass view so much that I rested there in a secluded spot for an hour, reading. I then hiked on, up, 2000 more feet gain and 2.2 miles to the Sahale Arm, a ridgewalk trail heading up to the Sahale Glacier and the highest campground in the Cascades Park. The views were amazing on the way up: causing me to jump for joy.

I ran it several marmots and mountain goats on the way to the 7,600 foot campground. The wind was brisk and chilly making me wonder how someone would camp here. The rock windbreaks told me how. On top of the world.

I also loved the Doubtful Lake and mountain wall beyond view from the high camp.

The wind was turning me cold and the clouds coming over the near mountains were darkening so I headed down. I passed this mountain goat and her young doe on the way.

I went back to my secluded spot at the Cascade Pass and read for another hour as the sun was coming down over the mountains. Lovely. I hiked down before dark and drove on back to the Diablo Lake area, giddy after a memorable day.

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