9/14-9/18
Had an incredible trip to visit the North Cascades which I’ve been hoping to do for a few years. There is always the risk of fires/smoke this time of year and while there was a bit of smoke on certain days and in certain areas, I lucked out in general. Flew into Seattle then made my way to SR-20 which becomes the North Cascades Hwy at some point and which is just an incredibly beautiful drive with quite a bit to see with many hikes and views conveniently right off of the highway. I stayed in Winthrop for 4 nights which was a very small “western” town on the eastern side and not exactly nice, but it was quiet and peaceful and gave the opportunity to drive the highway several times to see it in all kinds of light and conditions. I was a bit worried about rain/cloudiness/fog since it is all about the big Mountain Views out here, but I found the clouds provided some beautiful atmosphere and the bit of rain made everything lush and I saved the hikes with big views for the sunny days I was lucky to get.
Here are the photo locations and these were just a fraction of the good ones. Pretty much everything is right off the North Cascades Highway.
Ann Lake from Heather-Maple Pass
Blue Lake
Diablo Lake
Skagit River
Cutthroat Lake
Washington Pass overlook
North Cascades Hwy
Maple Pass view
Maple Pass view
Rainy Lake
View from Washington Pass overlook in the fog
Ross Dam
North Cascades Hwy