Heather - Maple Pass Loop — Friday, Sep. 14, 2012

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

It's easy to see why this is a popular hike, this hike has it all, it's easy to get to, driving through some beautiful countryside, it's a loop, and it is downright spectacular. This trail can be snowy mid-September, but this year brought blue skies & warm temperatures. There were a number of hikers on the trail, but not so thick that a person couldn't have a lot of solitude. The autumn colors are putting in an appearance, and I can only guess that a couple weeks from now the colors will be even better. The views were a little hazy due to smoke in the air from Eastern Washington wildfires, but really did not detract from the views. I've hiked this trail both directions now, and I find I prefer hiking counter-clockwise, partly because of views, but also because I prefer the steepest rockiest portion of this trail to be on the descent rather than the ascent.