The Savage Traveler: Out West Adventure: Part 2--North Cascades National Park

Fri. June 21: Summer Solstice! We spent the longest day of the year exploring North Cascades National Park. After pancakes for breakfast and making wraps for lunch we drove west on Hwy. 20, the Cascades Scenic Highway which was only completed in 1972. The road is lined with wild flowers in bloom including lots of Indian Paintbrush and lupine. We saw two deer along the way. From the campground at about 3000ft. we rose steadily to go through Washington Pass at 5500ft and then Rainy Pass at 4800ft. From there it was mostly downhill to the Visitors Center on the Skagit River at around 1000ft. Along the way we passed many snowy peaks whose tops were shrouded in clouds, innumerable creeks and cascades, and three Seattle hydroelectric dams with scenic reservoirs that were put in well before the area was designated a National Park in 1968.

On the road up to Washington Pass

Diablo Lake overlook

Gorge Creek as it joins the Skagit River

Gorge Creek Falls

We stopped only a few times for pictures at falls and overlooks along the way and reached the Visitors Center by noon. After getting our passport stamp and watching their 22 minute video we chatted with a Ranger about what we should do with the rest of our time in the park. She told us that we had passed the most beautiful part of the park and didn't really need to go on to the west boundary. She encouraged us to come back sometime when the weather was nicer to go to Marblemount and take the Cascade River Road to the overlook at the end, saying it’s the most beautiful parking lot in Washington, even if you don’t take any of the trails there. But because it was partly cloudy and in the high fifties she said it wasn't going to be worth our time this trip. Instead she suggested we 1) return to Washington Pass and walk out the not-yet-open road to the overlook and 2) drive out Cutthroat Road and hike to Cutthroat Lake. While we were there, we took the 1.7 mile Skagit River Loop Trail through some old growth forest. Even our inexperienced eyes could see a difference in the forest on the west side of the Cascades from the forest where we’re camping on the east side.

Impressive and colorful Shelf Fungus on a tree

Add caption

Skagit River bank

Very furry tree!

After that hike we drove a little further west and ate our picnic at a raft launch area picnic table along the Skagit. As we drove east we made a few stops, including at Thunder Knob, an arm of Diablo Lake, where we watched a mama Barrow's Goldeneye Duck with her three adorable ducklings. The babies popped up and down in the water just like little corks, while Mama kept a careful watch over them. When Hwy. 20 crossed the Pacific Crest Trail we decided to hike a little while on it. The trail went beside a small creek and into the forest where we hiked over three small snow piles and then we turned back when we got to a very large tree across the path.

Barrow's Goldeneye family

Alpine lily along the Pacific Crest Trail

"Hiking" the Pacific Crest Trail

We proceeded back up to Washington Pass and hiked about a mile up the closed and snow lined road to the short path that took us to many spectacular views of the Early Winters River from its headwaters down to the long valley in which we were camping.

Washington Pass overlook

Highway and Early Winters Creek from Washington Pass overlook

Almost clear view of a peak

Finally we drove down the valley to Cutthroat Road, a gravel road about a mile long and steeply uphill. Our final hike of the day was the longest and most rigorous, but it was worth it. The trail goes uphill, eventually getting back up into the snow line. There were many trees across the trail that we had to climb over and farther up there were small streams we had to hop rocks to cross, and some snow banks to walk over. We passed a few groups coming back down along the way. The final pair told us that we were almost to the lake and that they had taken the trail nearly all the way up to Cutthroat Pass but had to turn back when the snow got too deep. The lake itself was very picturesque and we had it to ourselves to explore around the edges. It is a classic subalpine glacial lake tucked into its cirque. As we walked around it we heard a loud crack and rumble from the snowy peak behind it that could only have been a rock slide or an avalanche. When ready we returned to the truck and found we were the only vehicle still in the parking lot. It was after 7:00 by the time we got back to the campground. Chicken Chow Mein tasted pretty good by the time it was ready, close to 8:00. We figured we had hiked between 6 and 7 miles and had gotten a pretty good feel for the North Cascades in our two days there but were sorry that, because of the clouds, we never really got a good look at the panorama of snow-covered peaks and 300 glaciers for which it is known.