Backpacker Magazine – June 2003

Cascade Pass, North Cascades National Park

The Cascade scenery on this hike can only be compared to those of the Alps.

by: Mike Lanza

Tags:
• Washington
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• Adventures
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• Nature
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• North cascades
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• Glacier
|

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Alps-quality scenery rewards hikers on the trail to Cascade Pass (7 miles round-trip) and wildflower-strewn Sahale Arm (additional 4 miles). You'll see and hear avalanches cleave from the glacier on Johannesburg Mountain, and get eye-popping views in all directions of jagged peaks and icefields. Start this popular hike early or, in good weather, time it for late-afternoon light on Sahale Arm. The trailhead lies at the end of Cascade River Road, 23 miles east of WA 20 at Marblemount.

drive time: Seattle: 2 1/2 hours

guides:100 Hikes in Washington's North Cascades National Park Region, by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning ($17). Trails Illustrated map North Cascades National Park #223 (800-962-1643; www.backpacker.com/mapstore; $10).

contact: North Cascades National Park, (360) 599-2714; www.nps.gov/no

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