Cascade Pass
Aug 08, 2006
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Cascade Pass
- Region: North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway
- Agency: North Cascades National Park Visitors Center (Newhalem)
- Avg Rating: 3.65
- Be Aware Of
- Bugs
After bailing on my Elbow lake trip Monday, I drove in to Concrete and called Tanja to report my change of plans, stock up on a few essentials (beer/ice/cookies), and I drove over to the Cascade pass TH to spend the night in the car. There I met two friends by chance and learned of the tragic loss of Ed Miller on Mt Formidable earlier in the day. It changed the nature of my trip from lighthearted fun to serious contemplation of the mysteries of existance, as well as the shock and sadness that accompanies any such news. Serious contemplation is good for a person now and then, so it changed things but didn't diminish them. I slept uneasily that night, though my bed was comfortable.
Tuesday morning was clear and bright when I crawled out of the back of the car at 9 am. I hit the trail at 11, just in time for the heat and the black flies, a true pestilence of biblical proportions. I made Cascade pass in a leisurely time of three hours to go the 3.7 miles and 1,800 VF. I can hardly believe I managed to avoid doing this hike for so long. Cascade pass is a wonderful place to be for somewhere so easy to get to. I stayed up there for five hours, just drinking in the views as well as a couple of brews chilled in a nearby snowfield. I said some prayers for Ed Miller and his family and friends, and one especially for his two climbing buddies, who suffered such a shock. At 7 pm I decided it was time to go, and as I headed down the trail after one final goodby to Ed's memory, I saw a beautiful set of sunrays lighting up the valley below and the trail right in front of me. The pic below doesn't really do justice to what I saw. It was a surreal moment, and I felt truly in tune with the world for a brief spell. I got back at 8:45 with just one stop at the avalanche path about 1/2 way down to get a few last low-light shots. Goodby, Ed, you were a person spoken highly of by everyone who ever knew you, a rare thing these days or any day.
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Sunrays celebrating Ed's life
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