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so the wife and i are planning on spending the long holiday weekend in the North Cascades, WA region around Winthrop... any suggestions for great hikes or places to shoot?
i've already read that the Patterson Mountain Loop and Maple Pass Loop are great hikes... got any other suggestions? we're only bringing gear for day hikes, so i'd say our limit would be in the 10 mile range.
this will be our first time in the area, so any tips would be much appreciated!
The area just east of Rainy Pass is beautiful - the Liberty Bell and the Early Winter Spires are on the south side of Highway 20. You can hike to the base of the Liberty Bell in about 40 minutes - that's all I'm familiar with.
hey eric, did you ever make it out to the enchanment lakes last october? i was searching for info on north cascades, and came across a thread where you mentioned you were going to go in - or trying to secure passes. the area looks amazing... we were considering heading to levenworth and trying to do the enchantments, but didn't think we were up to the rigors of that hike just yet! it remains high on my list, though.
Yes, I did make it but was not able to secure an overnight permit. Consequently, I was forced to make the round trip in a day (from the Snow Lake side) and had to descend before the golden hour, and - consequently - my best photo is little more than a giant snapshot. It's too bad because the larch were golden and there had been an early snow.
http://www.purebredmutt.net/landscapes10.html
I missed the advanced registration lottery this year so I'll be hoping to secure an overnight pass this fall by showing up early at the Forest Service facility.
Sorry that I don't have any further suggestions for hiking destinations around Winthrop - hopefully someone else will chime in.
wow, that one hell of a day hike! nice shot, BTW.
Scott-
Check with the local ranger station before planning hikes, I would suspect it will be a very late entry into anything very high with the snowfall this year, unless you're snowshoeing or skiing in/out.
thanks, paul. coming from texas, having to worry about snow over memorial day seems CRAZY... still getting used to the climate up here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Metcalf
we're not planning on skiing or snowshoeing, so i'll be sure to check the trail conditions.
It look like the pass is open - here's a fun link:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Pass...Cascades/2008/
Scott, have you looked into Trails.com? It's subscription-based, but it provides topo maps and detailed info on trails nationwide. I just discovered it in researching some of my own trips this fall. Anyway, they have a free 2 week demo if you want to try it out.
Paul makes a very good point, we have had an amazing year for cold and snow. I'm still scraping my windshield in the mornings.
Scott - even the Coast Range west of here has snow on it. That's totally unheard of - sure, in Dec to Feb some years, but in May???
Anyway, it should be great up there.