WA 20 or US 2 across the Cascades summer 2020?

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.

Washington blackberries taste wonderful, and they are prolific and grow just about anywhere in Western Washington. In our yards they are weeds and we cut them down or pull them out by the roots. I have spent many a day trying to control the huge patch on my neighbor’s side of the fence that climb and take over the side of my garage and onto the roof. My neighbor doesn’t care; I do. Left to its own devices such blackberry patches try to rule the neighborhood. Goats love them and are great blackberry patch “mowers”.

Blackberry season is short: usually late August until around Labor Day.

So there we were, many years ago, driving down a two lane highway in Washington, with berry bushes six feet high on either side of the road. Loaded with berries. Looked great. But no one was picking them -- uh oh. Poisonous?

We stopped at a ranger station and asked the ranger why nobody was eating the berries.

She said, "Yes, everyone eats the berries. But the reason you didn't see anyone picking that particular bunch on that particular day is that there are so many berries everywhere that the pickers are thin on the ground -- the chance of actually seeing someone picking is very small."

Being foolish young people, we promptly started picking and eating and were sick for days. Nothing wrong with the berries -- they were amazing. But only in moderation.

Don't eat more than a pint a day!!

July is, I think, a little early for blackberries. Some of the native ones might be that early, but the invasive Himalayan Blackberry that dominates the lowlands is more of an August/September berry (these are the ones with major thorns). Salmon berry is earlier, as is salal.

In the mountains I'd expect to find more huckleberry - higher bushes in the lowlands, scrubby ones near the treeline.

From the WTA site:

https://www.wta.org/go-outside/seasonal-hikes/summer-destinations/berry-picking-hikes

https://wholeu.uw.edu/2017/06/28/a-quick-and-juicy-guide-to-berries-of-the-northwest/

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs/passes-permits/forestproducts/?cid=fseprd500110

profdant139 wrote:
If you are in Washington later in July, the wild blackberries may be ripe, especially at the lower elevations. Bring leather gloves, ziplock bags, and long sleeves. Major thorns. But incredibly delicious -- the fresh picked stuff tastes nothing like store-bought berries.

Thanks for the heads up. We'll keep an eye out as we're hiking. I imagine they grow at lower elevations rather than further up the mountain trail? We have a variety of different berries around us here in Colorado but I've never heard of anyone finding blackberries.

Funny story. I was visiting my dad out in WA back in 1990. In the store I saw marionberry pies for sale. Now I had not heard of marionberries before so I just assumed it was some sort of joke about Marion Berry, the mayor of D.C. who had been arrested for cocaine possession. My dad then let me know that marionberries were indeed a type of blackberry.

Speaking of ice cream, we had some great stuff at Cascadian Farms in Rockport, on Hwy 20. They were wide waffle cones, and we bought some raspberries to put on top of the ice cream. Excellent stuff.

If you are in Washington later in July, the wild blackberries may be ripe, especially at the lower elevations. Bring leather gloves, ziplock bags, and long sleeves. Major thorns. But incredibly delicious -- the fresh picked stuff tastes nothing like store-bought berries.

In late August, the wild huckleberries and mountain blueberries are ripe, but I think that is beyond your time frame.

paulj wrote:
The Winthrop area is a mtn biking mecca - not bad for road bikes and fat/snow riding as well.

On the phone, the MTB Project app is handy. There's also a hiking version.

More and more places are getting to be mountain bike meccas. Towns now realize that mountain bikers aren't just a bunch of 20 y.o. stoners but a good number of older riders who spend money in town. In some ways figuring out which hikes to do is easier than which mountain bike trail systems to visit.

Besides MTB Project, we also use the Trailforks app. Obviously lots of overlap but each has trails that aren't on the other. I like how you can see where you are on the map so when you get to a junction, you can figure out which way to go.

Thanks all for suggestions. A common theme does seem to be to stop for ice cream in Winthrop!

The Winthrop area is a mtn biking mecca - not bad for road bikes and fat/snow riding as well.

On the phone, the MTB Project app is handy. There's also a hiking version.

For hiking The Mountaineers (and others) have been putting out guide books for years. And the WTA site is also great.

I think most of campgrounds around Winthrop are Forest Service, not BLM. Methow district

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recarea/?recid=59073

WA 20 is the best route. Too much traffic down on 2 and you avoid all the fruits and nuts out of Seattle by going 20... Too far for them to drive.

Winthrop on East end cute little old west type town with Great Ice Cream!

Lots of BLM campgrounds North Of Winthrop on HWY 1213.. where you don't need a reservation months in advance... Unlike 2.. where you can drive for hours looking for campsite last minute.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=59073&actid=29

Check out Harts Pass as well...

https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/1853-harts-pass.html

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.