Tag Archives: north cascades

Windy Pass The hike to Windy Pass is one of the most user-friendly hikes in the North Cascades. Suitable as a day hike or (better still) backpack, this stretch of the PCT literally glides along an open ridge with splendid views, starting right at the trailhead. In fact, the Windy Pass Trailhead is the highest automobile-accessible trailhead in Washington. Round-trip …

A year after my dad died, I embarked on a hike into the mountains. My father, James Michael “Jim” Johnston, had asked to have some of his ashes spread at his favorite place, Lake 22, a lake high on the east flank of Mount Pilchuck in the northern Cascades of Washington State. To my dad, it was a very special …

As the sun set over the mountains south of Mt. Adams, I experienced a quiet, golden moment that sparked a creative awakening. Surrounded by soft light and vivid alpenglow, I realized that a picture on a phone couldn’t capture the beauty before me. That moment marked the beginning of a more profound passion for photography, moving from spontaneous snapshots to …

Table Mountain The trail that climbs to the top of Table Mountain from the bustling parking lot at Artist Point is a dream come true for hikers who have only a few hours to commune with the Mountain Gods. The climb—zig-zagging up the cliff—is steep and somewhat exposed in places, but it’s only a half mile  (600’ of elevation gain), …

Spring is timeless in the North Cascades. Where does it begin, and when does it end? Does it rise with the wildflowers on the eastern slopes and tumble with the last trickle of melted snow? Does that mean spring never arrives on the summit glaciers and never fades in the lupine fields? Is it the heat of the sun, the …

The rain falls for two days and nights, drifting through the trees, chilled by the breath of oncoming winter. Here at the Klipchuck Campground in the Methow Valley at the tail end of September, Jesse, Al, and I are waiting for the weather to turn so we can head up into the mountains. The rain falling here is likely falling …

1.    The Elephant in the Park    North Cascades National Park contains some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the United States, but due to its rugged topography, accessing the alpine zone is physically demanding. Most trails begin at low elevations in old-growth forests, and hikers must work to get to the tree line for truly jaw-dropping vistas. …

I find nothing more invigorating than a mountain adventure in the fall. At this time of year, temperatures are comfortable, the bugs are gone, salmon swim upriver to spawn, and birds fly overhead on their southern migration. Glorious alpine meadows feature red, orange, and yellow foliage, while ripe blueberries provide trailside refreshment. And nothing tops the iconic larches glowing like …

The North Cascades offer some of North America’s most spectacular mountain scenery, with more peaks that rise 3,000 feet in the last horizontal mile to their summits than any other range on Earth. But these mountains—in addition to their dramatic topography—also offer sublime intimacies: incandescent moss gardens, snow-melt pools reflecting the sky, twisted Krumholtz trees clinging to the fractured rock, …

Like so many Cascadian epics, the Ptarmigan Traverse begins with a car shuttle. But the four hours of bouncing between potholes along the Suiattle and Cascade Rivers give me time to get to know my adventure partners. I previously climbed with Anthony throughout the Cascades for a couple of months, but Ken is relatively unknown, and our planned schedule is …