Sahale Arm,  North Cascades National Park,  Sep 7, 2004 - Sep 8, 2004     page 1 / 35

My father and I recently enjoyed some photos of the Cascade Pass area on the internet. We discussed visiting the area soon. I was able to get a few days off just after Labor Day so we could head to the North Cascades National Park, an area neither of us had ever seen. Boy, were we in for a great trip!

Dad came up Monday and spent the night at my home. We drove north from there the following morning, arriving at the Marblemount Ranger Station to obtain the required backcountry permit. Our overnight destination was for Pelton Basin, a quick 4.5 miles and 1800 foot climb from the car. This area has limited overnight use, with only three campsites available. As I hoped, the camp area at Pelton Basin had slots available for two nights, so we snagged them. We got some great burgers at the Marblemount Diner for lunch, then drove to the end of the Cascade River Road, where our trail to Cascade Pass began.

We hit the trail around 2:00PM. The sky was mostly clear, and the temperature about 65. Great hiking weather. We climbed the gently graded trail to the pass. It consisted of 34 switchbacks. Despite this, the forest walk was a pleasant one. We caught some beautiful glimpses south of the Triplets, Cascade Peak, and Mt. Johannesberg.