2011-29 North Cascades National Park, Washington
Hello All,
For our next adventure we decided to take in North Cascades National Park located in the northern part of the state of Washington. It is one of our favorite drives in the northwest.
The national park features rugged mountain peaks, deep valleys and cascading waterfalls. Three park units in this mountainous region of the state are managed as one, including North Cascades National Park, the largest. The other two units are Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Additionally, several national wilderness areas and Canadian parklands adjoin the national park making for a huge area of protected land for future generations.
As of 1971, there were 318 glaciers within the park, the most of any US park outside of Alaska. The glaciers have been retreating significantly the past twenty-five years due to climate change and reduced winter snow pack. Several glaciers in the park have completely melted away during the last decade. However, that being said, this past winter the snow pack in the mountains of the western states was huge.
Most automobile traffic in the National Park travels on the North Cascades Highway (Washington State Route 20) between the towns of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, on the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range to Winthrop, Washington, on the east side. While the National Park is open year-round, a 37-mile section of the highway which winds through high mountain passes closes each winter in November. It remains closed until spring after the clearing of snow from the highway, avalanche danger has diminished, and any winter highway damage has been repaired. Normally the highway is reopened for traffic sometime between mid-April and the beginning of May.
It was a beautiful blue sky day as we intercepted Highway 20 on the western side of the Cascade Mountain Range. However, we could see clouds in the distant higher elevations. The highway follows the beautiful Skagit River for many miles. The river is popular for white water rafting during the summer and steelhead fishing during winter.
For our next adventure we decided to take in North Cascades National Park located in the northern part of the state of Washington. It is one of our favorite drives in the northwest.
The national park features rugged mountain peaks, deep valleys and cascading waterfalls. Three park units in this mountainous region of the state are managed as one, including North Cascades National Park, the largest. The other two units are Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Additionally, several national wilderness areas and Canadian parklands adjoin the national park making for a huge area of protected land for future generations.
As of 1971, there were 318 glaciers within the park, the most of any US park outside of Alaska. The glaciers have been retreating significantly the past twenty-five years due to climate change and reduced winter snow pack. Several glaciers in the park have completely melted away during the last decade. However, that being said, this past winter the snow pack in the mountains of the western states was huge.
Most automobile traffic in the National Park travels on the North Cascades Highway (Washington State Route 20) between the towns of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, on the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range to Winthrop, Washington, on the east side. While the National Park is open year-round, a 37-mile section of the highway which winds through high mountain passes closes each winter in November. It remains closed until spring after the clearing of snow from the highway, avalanche danger has diminished, and any winter highway damage has been repaired. Normally the highway is reopened for traffic sometime between mid-April and the beginning of May.
It was a beautiful blue sky day as we intercepted Highway 20 on the western side of the Cascade Mountain Range. However, we could see clouds in the distant higher elevations. The highway follows the beautiful Skagit River for many miles. The river is popular for white water rafting during the summer and steelhead fishing during winter.
We stopped and stretched our
legs at the tiny Wildwood Chapel near Marblemount, Washington. The little
chapel is nestled in the woods along the Skagit River. We’ve seen quite a few
of these little chapels in our travels. They generally seat from six to eight
people and are left open for anyone passing by to stop and enjoy.
As the road continued to climb
into the mountains we passed numerous cascading waterfalls and started seeing a
glimpse of some of the rugged rock outcroppings.
This little doe was feeding
beside the road. We stopped to snap a photo of her. She wasn’t the least bit
frightened of us and posed for a few photos. Notice how well she blends with
the background. When we left she went right back to feeding.
The Cascade Highway is a
favorite of bicyclists. We passed a number of these hearty individuals
traveling through the mountains. It’s not our cup of tea but we sure do respect
them, and what wonderful exercise.
As this guy rode past us he
looked mighty glad to be on a downhill stretch of the road, even if only
temporarily.
The higher we climbed the more
cloud cover we had to contend with--not the greatest for taking photos but we
did the best we could considering the conditions.
By the time we reached the summit of Washington Pass at 5,477 feet there was considerable snow alongside the road--and this was the last week in June!
Near the pass summit there is a favorite off-road viewpoint of ours. It affords magnificent vistas of the rugged higher mountains that surround the area and a splendid view of a mountain ringed valley to the east. Unfortunately, when we arrived we couldn’t hike the trails to the various observation points due to deep snow--bummer.
By the time we reached the summit of Washington Pass at 5,477 feet there was considerable snow alongside the road--and this was the last week in June!
Near the pass summit there is a favorite off-road viewpoint of ours. It affords magnificent vistas of the rugged higher mountains that surround the area and a splendid view of a mountain ringed valley to the east. Unfortunately, when we arrived we couldn’t hike the trails to the various observation points due to deep snow--bummer.
So, we worked at getting as
many shots from the road when we could find a break in the forest. It is such
an awesome area.
This massive 7,600 foot piece
of granite is Liberty Bell Mountain. It sticks up high enough that the wind
keeps most of the snow blown off.
Hopping back in the car we
continued our trek down the east side of the Cascade Range. We stopped at a
pull-off above an area known for major avalanches in the springtime. It’s an
area that gives highway crews fits and must be cleaned out annually to get the
highway reopened. Avalanches come from the higher terrain on the right side of
the following photo. They then cross the road continuing on down the mountainside.
If you look closely you can see where the highway makes a 180-degree turn and
then continues on down the valley.
This is looking down the valley below the 180-degree
turn. That’s one heck of a rugged ridgeline.
A bit further down the
mountain the first signs of spring were starting to show. It had been a long
hard winter in this part of the state.
We ended our drive in the
little town of Winthrop, Washington. This small town features a western motif
and is a popular destination for Seattle folks seeking to get a break away from
the big city. Biking, horseback riding and fishing are summertime draws while
cross country skiing is big during winter months.
We laid over in Winthrop for a couple of days to visit with family. Barb’s daughter and husband own and operate the Rocking Horse Bakery in town. The hot coffee and a big pastry at the bakery were a wonderful way to wake up in the morning.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
We laid over in Winthrop for a couple of days to visit with family. Barb’s daughter and husband own and operate the Rocking Horse Bakery in town. The hot coffee and a big pastry at the bakery were a wonderful way to wake up in the morning.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns