Cascade Pass — Friday, Jun. 5, 2015

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

Beautiful day for a hike. After a long drive up Cascade River RD (which is in good condition despite previous trail reports), we got to the trailhead around noon. The bathrooms are FULL of flies so if you plan on using them, bring armor or some sort of smoke grenade. The weather was in the mid 70's and the snow on the northern facing slopes was starting to melt. Lots of water sources available for those who need it. We met a guy who was coming back down who said he saw a mother black bear and her two cubs somewhat near the gravel field. The only wildlife we saw was a big black-tail (or maybe a cross) deer in the parking lot. The trail is in generally good condition. There are some areas of water flowing over the path but nothing to fear aside from a little mud. The most dangerous section of trail is the snowfield crossing about 75 yards from the pass. The snow was fairly packed so not too bad to cross, but a slip would probably end your day as you'd be 100 yards down below. Poles and maybe spikes would be really helpful but we crossed without them along with a dozen others and lived to tell about it. Bugs were a slight nuisance at the top so bring some spray or maybe apply extra at the bottom.