Road Trip Daily

The Maple Pass Loop, a high alpine ridgewalk loop hike would be my last stop in the North Cascades. On my way there I passed another scenic lake, Ross Lake and toured its massive honeycomb patterned dam.  The Maple Pass Loop started at Rainy Pass and went up to two other named passes. Here was the view out to a glacial lake at the first pass.  This portrait captures the loop, starting from the left beyond Lake Ann, then circling the ridge, to a high crest to the right of my location, then heading down the far right slope to Rainy Lake, then home.  Here I am starting my descent down: hill conquered! Once down, I drove east to Washington Pass, a gorgeous pass with the Liberty Bell mountain shining proudly.  Continuing on past full campgrounds:( I drove through lovely colored valleys filled with farms and life. Then I saw a sign for a Blues Featival, the Winthrop Rhythem and Blues Festival to be exact. I had wanted to go to a festival!  $10 for the first night incl...

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 ...