Cascade Pass July 2021 Trip Report
Cascade Classic
July 31st, 2021
From my watch...
9.51 miles
2,812 feet of gain
Just over 4 hours moving time and just under 5 hours elapsed.
Jenn came to visit Greg and I in Seattle! We ate vegan food, made some touristy stops, biked, and best of all– experienced a new-to-us national park together. We hiked the premier North Cascades National Park trail, Cascade Pass.
Parking
This trailhead is at the end of Cascade River Road. The road is pretty rough (and washes out a lot). It had just finally opened the week before our visit (it was closed for a while) and was only open for another week or two after before it washed out again!
We left Seattle around 5:30AM, arriving to the trailhead around 7:30AM. The lot was already full, but we got one of the first few spots along the road. Not too atypical for a nice-weather summer Saturday. If you park on the road, be sure to leave lots of room for traffic and park as far to the side as you can.
Trail Conditions
The trail was in great condition! The route was easy to follow and had great viewpoints that encouraged staying on trail to protect the meadows. I don't remember any blowdown or trail washouts.
There's a decent amount of gain, but plenty of switchbacks to ease out the grade.
In late July, the bugs were bad in the forest, but much better near the Pass with the wind. The weather was great, but the air could sometimes smell a bit smoky with gray skies towards the north from the nearby wildfires.
Crowds
Despite the full lot, the crowds weren't too bad at all. People were well dispersed on the trail.
Since we started pretty early in the morning, we didn't see many people on the hike in. We saw even less groups once we passed Cascade Pass and continued climbing up Sahale Arm.
On the way back down, we saw a lot more people hiking in. Definitely start this one early, consider a weekday, or try to go earlier/later in the season if you're seeking solitude!
Wildlife
We saw a pika gathering plants for its food cache and a mother/baby mountain goat duo! I've heard this trail can be a reliable place to see a black bear, but we didn't see any today.
I loved this trail! I'd definitely return, maybe later in the fall to see the meadows turn. It'd be a nice trail run... or maybe a warmup for the glacier climb to Sahale Mountain summit.
This beautiful place definitely earns its reputation!
Land Rights
North Cascade National Park is on the ancestrial lands of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Samish Indian Nation, Nooksack Tribe, Lummi Nation, Stó:lō Nation, Nlaka’pamux Nation, Colville Confederated Tribes, and Syilx/Okanagan Nation.
