Maple Pass Loop

Phew ... exhausted. I just got back Wednesday night from the Powell family reunion in Birch Bay, WA (close to Vancouver.) Mary and Sam return today. We have many stories and we'll share them in various ways I am sure.

But first, I'll start with a Flickr set of one of the most amazing hikes I have ever experienced. Mary and I flew up a little early to the reunion, and rather than head into Birch Bay right away, we decided to spend a couple of days in North Cascades National Park. We mostly did scenic drives on Friday, but Saturday we did the glorious Maple Pass Loop up Rainy Lake across the Maple Pass and down Lake Ann. This hike was approximately 7 miles with 2,000 ft. elevation change (with a max at about 6,600 ft.) The trail opens in "Mid-July" and this was July 12th, so we were some of the first to do it this season ... and given that we saw no one for the first half of the hike, we were definitely early to the scene.



This hike is simply breath-taking. Two glacial lakes on both sides, wild flowers throughout and tons of snow. I'll let the pictures do the talking...