July 6 To North Cascades National Park, WA

Monday, July 6

After a quick stop at Grand Coulee's Safeway, we continue northwest.  First stop is Chief Joseph Rest Stop and the ConLee Scenic Byway. (Remember when I mentioned that nearly every road on this trip was a Scenic Byway?  Yep.)  In this area as well as in Montana and Wyoming there are many reminders of the awful treatment of the Nez Perce Native Americans who were relentlessly pursued and persecuted.

The restroom signs are different.  I wonder how you pronounce a ?

We finally reach 20W - Cascades Highway - into the park. Begun in 1893, it took nearly 80 years to complete, from east to west.  It became a National Scenic Highway in 1984.  We are in what I'd call the foothills when we come across some pretty orchards.  Cherry trees and apple trees are what I recognize.  Many of the trees are covered by nets, or have nets adjacent, ready to be unfurled.  Have never seen this before but it makes sense.

We stop for gas in the town of Winthrop, which is built to look like an old west town.  We will have to come back this way, and vow to get a better look then.  When's the last time you saw this kind of gas pumps - that worked!?

This region was formed by many phenomena, including glaciers, volcanos and erosion; leaving peaks, valleys, canyons, gorges and high meadows.  Fire has also been a factor.

 This is Early Winters Creek area.
















Next stop is Washington Pass (mile marker 162). 5,476', but seems much higher.  A short trail gives beautiful views, even with the cloud cover.

Beautiful! Into the Mountains.

Cloud-hugging peaks as blue sky begins to win out.

We stop at Rainy Pass next, and hike the Lake Trail.  There are spots of snow along the way and the fresh, cool air is wonderful!

Rainy Lake.

More delightful greenery and flowers!

And various cascades.

This trail is part of the Pacific Crest trail and we could follow it the whole way to Mexico!

North Cascades is home to over 300 Glaciers - the most in the lower 48, but they are disappearing quickly.  There are 100s of cascading streams from the rain, melting snow and melting glacial ice. Most of the lakes and streams are a beautiful aqua color due to the sediment from glaciers.

Diablo Lake Overlook (MP 132) is gorgeous!

What a beautiful place! There is something about views like this that just feeds my soul!  This infusion will last, even through the grueling months of Texas Summer.

We decide to check out Colonial Creek Campground, a National Forest site.  There are two sides to the campground, one with reservable sites and one with first-come, first-served sites.  Unknowingly, we enter the reservable side first and talk with the ranger there.  He tells us we are free to take any site that has an "OPEN" sign, meaning it hasn't been reserved, and they aren't handling money due to the virus, so they are free!

The sites are nicely spread out and we find site #106 open and waiting. The previous occupant has even left us a small supply of wood!

We are on the west side of the park now, which is the wet side, with rain and moisture coming from the Pacific.  Moss, ferns and fungi abound in a rain forest atmosphere.  We remember this from Olympic National Park where we felt that if we stayed in one place too long we would be covered with moss!  Very green!

Greg gets a fire going and we have silver turtle fajitas for dinner, with beans.  Tasty!  No, we didn't eat turtles - it is an old boy scout cooking method where ingredients are wrapped in foil packets and cooked over a fire.

There are bear boxes for food storage at each site.