Hiking Holiday - Cascade Pass

June 30th we left home, took WA-167 north, to I-405 north, to WA-530 east, to WA-20 east, to Cascade River Road, which becomes a forest service road.  We found ourselves a camping spot there and then headed all the way to the end where it terminates at the ONLY parking lot in the North Cascades National Park.  Except the gate was closed, so we and all the other hikers, skiers, and backpackers had to walk an extra two miles to the trail head.  It was two miles uphill, which meant a total round trip hike of 11+ miles with kids on our backs, none of it level, started later in the day than planned.  And we didn't make it all the way to the pass, because there was too much snow on steep rock faces, and we were carrying kids, while wearing our old tennis shoes which had lost all traction about three years back.  It's incredible up there.  Even if you can't hike one step, it is worth driving to the parking lot and looking around.  And the actual trail is REALLY well graded, so although it gains a LOT of elevation, it is a very gentle climb with more than enough switch backs.  Not as tough as what we ended up hiking on the 4th.  The Alps have nothing on this place.

Beauty and the beast along Hwy 530

Rest stop by an unpaved airstrip

Playing at the campsite

Playing by the bank of the creek at the campsite

Anne really wanted to take her pony on the hike, but it turned out her pony really wanted to stay in the car and play "guard pony".

Heading up toward Cascade Pass

Wild tiger lilies!

So many beautiful, stem-y flowers

Columbines

Looking down-valley

...and up-valley

Moon shot

We had to turn around because there was too much snow, and it was too steep.

We met a marmot who was surprisingly not very shy.