4runnerguy wrote:
Thanks all for your input. Sounds like WA 20 may be our choice.
profdant139 wrote:
Try to spend as much time as you can along 20 -- many, many world-class day hikes in North Cascades NP. Great backpacking, too, although I have never done it.
Nice blog post. It's interesting that you did some of the same hikes I have put in our list of things to do.
Part of our trip planning is to mix days of mountain biking and days of hiking. I found this amazing website on hikes in Washington:
Washington Hike Map
The trouble is we only have maybe 10 days in WA so trying to narrow the right hikes down is pretty tough with all the choices.
I do wish I could find a similarly high quality resource like the Washington Hiking Map for other states too. Well done site.
For the real deal on Washington hiking, check out wta.org
I've done a lot of hiking in the North Cascades, and can help you out. What kind of hiking do you like and what kind of rig will you have?
Camping is nice at Newhalem. Colonial Creek is more central but I find it's loud because of how the sound echoes on the highway and off the reservoir.
Cascade Pass is not on 20 but trailhead two hours from Newhalem. Probably the most popular hike in the North Cascades, well worth it - a top ten hike in the lower 48 (I've hiked all over the Northwest, Glacier, Yellowstone, the Sierras, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, etc). Other top hikes on this route are Hidden Lake, Maple Pass/Lake Ann, Thunder Creek, Cutthroat Pass, Grasshopper Pass. You'll be on various sections of the PCT throughout. You could also rent a canoe from the Ross Lake Reservoir to do a paddle and hike excursion.
Agree you need to check out Sheri's Sweet Shoppe in Winthrop, as well as Blue Star coffee in Twisp.
