Sept. 29, 2024 -- North Cascades, WA
Stats: 8.8 km / 377m gain / 1935m high / 2:20 hours MT
This was the first hike in a 3-day trip. This short easy hike had a lot to offer. Who would've thought you'd get so high so fast? And just when the larches were turning color!
After a 1.15 hour wait at the border (it was a long weekend), we drove to Marblemount on Hwy. 20. Cascade Canyon Road campsite was only .5 miles from the turn-off onto Cascade River Road and close to the border of the North Cascades National Park. We left three vehicles there and piled 9 people into two, leaving the dark rainy weather at the campsite. Back on Hwy. 20, we drove another hour east to the trailhead where we were fortunate to get a parking spot. Vehicles were lined up along the road. It was mid afternoon and a slight scattering of snowflakes drifted through the air.
About halfway up the trail to the lake, we came to this junction where a less defined trail going left led to the Liberty Bell Spire. We continued right and in less then an hour arrived at Blue Lake.
Yay! The larches were changing color!
Blue Lake was formed by glacial ice carving a deep basin as it flowed downwards.
Liberty Bell (7720'), Concord (7560'), Lexington (7540'), North Early Winters Spire (7760'), South Early Winters Spire (7870') The last (right) spire was first climbed in 1937.
We did the little loop trail that curved away from the lake. When we rounded the corner, we stayed left at a junction.
The loop trail led past this picturesque tarn and back to the lake.
Washington Pass overlook is just a 1.9 km drive east of the trailhead. It's the highest pass on the North Cascades Highway.
Looking at the backside of the granite towers of Liberty Bell Mt & the Earlly Winters Spires.
When we got back to the campsite the weather had cleared. We did not have anymore rain even though it was forecast for mid afternoon on the third day. To be continued in my next blog...
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