Cascade Pass - Sahale Arm

When someone asks me what is my top favorite day hike in Washington I always reply it is Cascade Pass - Sahale Arm. I NEVER get tired of this hike and it's great in any time July-October. I especially like bringing on this hike  people who are new either to hiking or to Washington State or to the North Cascades; it never fails to wow the crowds!

Evening at the pass

Sunset and fog

The hike starts from the most picturesque parking lot surrounded by the majestic snow-clad peaks and climbs through a forest for about 3.5 miles. The trail's switchbacks are a very doable, gentle grade.

First views after 3 miles of the forest

Cascade Pass after fresh snowfall

The views from Cascade Pass are breathtaking. Every. Time.

 

Lunch bench at the pass at 5,392 ft

After the pass the trail climbs steeper through talus and alpine meadows to the top of the ridge.

My hiking buddy Olesya

My hiking buddies Lauren and Mark

 The truly best views of the hike start on top of that ridge and just keep getting better the farther you go. The trail goes as far as the Glacier and climber's camp, but I've never made it that far because as I mentioned above I always go with new hikers.

Cascade Pas always has plenty of abundant wildlife

Boston Peak

My hiking buddy Sarra

More of my favorite pictures from "the top":

My hiking buddy Alex

Pika!

Can't wait to go there next summer!!! The Mountains are calling!

Dreams of Summer

It's been super cold in Seattle lately. Actually it's been unusually cold for this time of year; it got down to -5 C at one point! It was kinda cool to see Cascadia all frozen like that.

Photo by Cambajamba

But all I've been doing is hiding indoors wearing everything fleece and wool and drinking hot tea mug after mug and thinking of summer. All I want is to experience that amazing feeling of warm sun on my bare skin.... 

It is hard to imagine I was on that hammock just several months ago...

The closest I can get to feeling like summer is to look through my photo library and remember the fun hikes that I've done in the past few summers. I decided to dedicate the next many posts to my favorite hikes of the Pacific Northwest and also my favorite adventures that have been had in those mountains.

Gone with the Sun

So.... I feel like every day of this October in Seattle has been stuck on repeating this whole fog action. At first I was really excited - Fall is my favorite season of the year after all.

I love everything that accompanies cold and wet weather:

Instagramming hot beverages I've been drinking to stay awake

Instant coffee with ice cream in it

Stumptown mocha

Coffee art <3

We make cone filter coffee at home

Cooking and eating tons of food

I hope I put enough cheese on those stuffed peppers

 Wearing my fall attire that mainly consists of everything wool and plaid

Taking long walks around my neighborhood

Ravenna Park

And Instagramming my walks IMMEDIATELY!

Taking pictures of ALL THE FALL COLORS!

Popular red bush

Inside the red bush

And of course FALL HIKING!

Gem Lake

However... This October's Fogmageddon (thanks Cambajamba for coining this awesome term!) has been making it extra hard to get out of bed every morning and doing anything at all! It takes a real true passion and physical need for the sun exposure to wake up before sunrise, put your hiking boots on, and drive 1-2 hrs through the dense fog to a trail head. I went not once, not twice, but 3 times in the last 3 weeks of the fog action and have found myself traveling a parallel universe of eternal summer every time I've gone.

First one was Rachel Lake with my bud Brian
 

The hike is off I-90, past lake Katchess and is only 8 miles roundtrip.

Foggy cold Seattle left behind and only 1.5 hr away from the city there is June-like weather with fall colors and a beautiful beautiful lake. Perfect day of sunny bliss!














 Few days later I went to Mt Dickerman by myself

Stunning North Cascades peaks

Glacier Peak - one of my most favorite volcanoes

Mt Baker and new snow

View from Mt Dickerman

The 10.5 mi (roundtrip) hike to Mt Dickerman is located in North Cascades off Mountain Loop Hwy and is closest to Granite Falls, a small town in the mountains. The drive to the hike is spectacular and that day was especially fun because of a new CD I got by Active Child.  

            Driving through the forests and mountains without traffic and listening to good music while                   drinking coffee is probably one of my very favorite things!

Then the third fog-inversion hike was to Mt Defiance with my fearless friend Cambajamba

The first mile of the hike was through dense fog

But then we saw the rays of hope

There was a very definite line where fog ended and beautiful landscape opened up right in front of us

Cambajamba scaling the mountainside

The Team of Two

Seattle is somewhere under a layer of fog between Tiger Mnt and Olympics

Drinking up that sunshine!

Mason Lake

Cambajamba and The Mountain

On the hike back we dived back into the cold fog about a mile before the parking lot

The parking lot of full when we left our car. When we came back we found this gem of a parking job

 That was my first time on Mt Defiance and it was one of the very best fall hikes I've ever been on. What a fantastic day! It was so awesome to leave dreary foggy cold Seattle and spend a whole day with a good friend hiking in perfectly warm sunny weather! Happy happy times!

I consider this October a total success because not only I did not succumb to laziness in this foggy moody weather but I actually got some tan lines! Mission accomplished!