Today we are in North Cascades National Park.
And this is going to kick off a North Cascade series for us because there
are so many things to do in this area. And today we are starting with an awesome hike.
So we are headed up counter-clockwise up the Maple Pass Loop Trail up towards Heather Pass today.
And the awesome thing about this hike is that you go up up up until you have these amazing views of
the mountains, of the peaks, of the lakes. It's gonna be epic. North Cascades National Park is
one of the national parks that doesn't have an entrance station. So there's no entry fees per
se. But what we did notice at this trailhead, they call it a fee area, but if you have a
National Parks Pass that gets you through it for free. At this particular trailhead they did
have a registration section so I think they do want to know how many people are in your party
and that you make it off the trail okay. So it's pretty amazing when you look up this hillside
how steep it is. I mean, it doesn't quite go straight up but almost.
So I have heard that a lot of things in the North Cascades are pretty steep, but that it's worth it.
So with that in mind let's keep going. The entire Maple Pass Loop Trail is 6.6 miles with a little
bit over 2000 feet of elevation gain. That entire thing is a little bit much for our family. So,
our plan today is to go up about halfway, up to Heather Pass, which also has really amazing views.
All right so that was a little extreme, but there are quite a few bugs.
I think it'll be worth it, but let's just keep moving.
I think going this route is more convenient for us taller people.
Yeah I'm not sure I would fit under it at this point.
You'd have to crawl. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Are you someone picking the most difficult route?
We try to teach the kids they should take the easiest route possible.
I guess they don't always take that to heart. What do you think? Would you have chosen that way?
Or just walking around huh? Sometimes the easy way is not as much fun. Well there's that too.
That was plenty fun, fun enough for me. You don't want to try crawling through?
Not this time. Looks like we are entering the meadow, which was the first kind of
way marker on the trail description. A lot more wildflowers up ahead already.
Here we go. Wildflowers everywhere. And the first real views.
So it's definitely nice as it opens up, because you get all these amazing views
in every direction. But man, it is so much hotter in the sun. Definitely. At least it opens up to a
breeze as well because down in the trees you're a little sheltered from that and it can get
surprisingly hot. Onward. Onward. Wow what a difference the shade makes.
So as the sign says this is the Lake Ann junction
and we're going to keep to the right to head towards Heather Pass.
We're getting our first views of Lake Ann down below us here. I think we're about
to start making a little bit more upward progress to head up towards Heather Pass.
Heading up that way should give us some better views of the mountains all around from up there.
Right now you can see the lake is kind of in this bowl right here which is also very beautiful.
But I'm curious to get further up there and see what views open up for us.
Found another good rest spot by the tree here overlooking the lake.
I think we're starting to be able to actually see where Heather Pass is. It's this little
v-notch over here where the trail is headed. And we can even see where the trail goes up
on top of the ridge up there, but I don't think we're going quite that far today.
So there actually is another trail that's rated even higher than this one in the entire national
park complex here. And that one is called Cascade Pass. And we really would have liked to have done
that one but... But, just a week and a half before we arrived, the road to it washed out
three miles from the trailhead. So you can still do it, but it will add another six miles to your
round-trip journey for that one. And it's already 3.7 or so each way. So add another six miles and
you're around 13. Yeah that is not something our family's up for. It is a shame though. I really
would have liked to have seen it. So if that one is open when you come, maybe consider doing it
because we've heard really good things about it. Some other hikes that we looked up and we heard
good things about from others who have been here are Blue Lake, Rainey Lake, and Thunder Knob, but
there are so many. I mean, check the National Park Service website because there is a long long list
of trails in this area. Here we go. Up this way. Begin the switchbacks. More of them anyway.
It really is very stunning. I love hiking with these kind of views. Yeah this never gets old.
We
made it to Heather Pass officially. The trail continues here
up to Maple Pass. But right behind you here is the path that goes to the Heather Pass overlook.
So we're here and it's amazing. Views all around. We even have this mountain right
here with the snow in there. I don't know if that one is officially a glacier or not.
But it's neat to see that still this time of year. And all around us epic views. Let's show you.
Another neat thing too is we've come across quite a few other hikers on the trail,
but everybody continues on the trail to go on with the loop. And this is a little
bit of an offshoot from that trail, and there's nobody here. You just go right over
the little ridge and you have this whole epic view all to yourself. It's amazing.
There's even the little lake down there that we showed you on the footage.
Bright blue, amazing. You have to come here. You don't even have to do the whole loop. You just
need to come out here and enjoy these views. Check out Heather Pass. Do more if you can. Amazing.
Success. There is so much more to do in the North Cascades, and today was just the start
of it. So we hope that you come back, because everything else that we're going to be doing
is so different. I mean there's a lot to be said for those mountain views and those amazing hikes,
but there's so much more. So we'll see you next time when we explore more of the North Cascades.
Bye. Bye. Stay tuned for our next episode where we return to North Cascades National Park to
explore beautiful turquoise water, paddle board on Diablo Lake, hike a short trail to Ross Dam,
and drive over the top of Diablo Dam just as the sun is setting.
And the bugs are crazy.
So we're getting our first views of Ann Lake down below us now. Lake Ann. Oh.
We're getting our first views of Lake Ann down below us here.
I don't know what else to say. And you do the entire Maple Loop Trail.
That's where you're'll be headed. A bug just landed right on the lens.