Heather - Maple Pass Loop — Saturday, Jul. 27, 2013

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

The word that comes to mind for this hike is Epic. This was by far my most favorite hike I've ever done. The only downside is how long a drive it is from Seattle. It took us almost three hours from Lynnwood to the trailhead but it was definitely worth it. The trail is well-maintained and very nice to hike. There was a small section that was getting overgrown but not to the point of being impassable. There are so many wildflowers on this hike. It's a great place to sit down with an identification book. The trail to Lake Ann was so tempting and as it only adds .6 miles to your total trip I'd say worth it. I'm definitely adding it to my trip next time. The only problem on this hike was the bugs. They were incredibly persistent up on top of the ridge. Not only mosquitoes but big flies that enjoy dive-bombing your head and aiming for your mouth. There were also a couple of places where you had to traverse snow but they were small and not difficult at all. The view up top is so incredible, it took my breath away and try out the echo while you're up there as well. We hiked the gentle slope up so we had to do the steep part descending. After that experience I'd say it's almost worth skipping the views of Rainy Lake and going back down the gentle side instead of dealing with the steep dusty side.