Temps were perfect, no bugs and just a slight wind at the top. No issues crossing any of the streams. Colors are just starting to change at the top so give it another two weeks for peak colors.

Oh, this was a magical day out on the trail! We saw very few hikers, maybe only 1-2 other groups of day hikers plus some PCTers. As we approached the turnoff there were a ton of cars parked along the highway but it must've all been for Heather Maple Pass on the other side, because this was quiet! 

Got to the trailhead around 12pm and the parking area was only about half-full. We took a long break at the top and got back to the car around 7. A long day but well worth it! The trail is super well graded - you're consistently climbing but it's gentle, never steep except for maaaybe a short stretch or two on the switchbacks near the end. There are several dispersed campsites once you reach the meadows around 2.5-3 miles up - great for a lunch stop if you can't wait until the top. The top of the pass has stunning views behind and in front of you - hard to know where to look! And the sheer number of green larches had me dreaming about coming back in October... This is absolutely a trail I hope to return to again and again.

Thursday, August 22: SR 20 Open!!

Thursday, August 15: SR 20 still closed (not because of the fire, but because of the debris flow that occurred -- it is taking longer to clear it and to stabilize the area above this flow).  WSDoT will make an announcement Monday, August 19.

This is your go-to url for SR 20 Closure/Open updates: https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/

The recent weather has been a great fire suppressor.  IR satellite images show only some heat for the Ruby Mtn fire, none for Easy, Pincer 2, Miners Complex, Calcite Creek (southern BC), or the Pioneer (that does not mean these fires are out, heat and wind will bring them back to life). 

All closures remain in effect.

Monday, August 12: SR 20 still closed.  The marine push with its fog moved in last night enabling fire fighters to work on containment (at both the highway and ridge) and to deal with hazard trees along side SR 20.  The weather forecast is promising.  There was still visible heat last night from the Easy Fire, but not the Pincer 2 fire between the Cascade River Road and Johannesberg Mountain.

The Calcite Creek fire is at 17,350 acres, got to within less than 400 m (think of all those great recent Olympic races at that distance) of the border, but never crossed AND show NO visible heat (IR seen by a space satellite).

Currently, all closures remain in effect.

Wednesday, August 7: SR 20 Still Closed (note size of fire). No good news.

Calcite Creek fire in Canada has entered the US and has resulted in a large number of closures listed below (see Figure 4).

Closures are in effect for trails in the Pasayten Wilderness due to the Calcite Creek Fire burning in Canada just north of the Pasayten Wilderness Area per the USFS (https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices/?aid=89529).

Trails Closed

• Trail No. 533 Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (Boundary Trail) from the junction with Quartz Lake just west of Pevee Pass in T40N R19E Section 24 to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail No. 2000 in T40N R17E Section 20
• Trail 451 E Fork Pasayten (unmaintained) from Dollar Watch Pass in T39N R20E Section 7 north to junction with Trail No. 477 Hidden Lakes
• Trail No. 454 Monument 83
• Trail No. 455 Ptarmigan Ridge
• Trail No. 456
• Trail No. 461 Border
• Trail No. 472 West Fork Pasayten from its junction with Trail No. 478 Robinson Creek to its junction with Trail No. 472.1 Holman
• Trail No. 473 Rock Creek from its junction with Trail No. 478 Robinson Creek to 0.6 miles east of Pacific Crest Trail #2000 in T39N R17E Section 9 (Coney Basin is not closed)
• Trail No. 477 Hidden Lakes from junction with Trail No 485 Tatoosh Butte to junction with Trail No. 533 Boundary Trail
• Trail No. 478 Robinson Creek from its junction with Trail No. 474 Eureka Creek (Fred and Doris Lakes) in T39N R18E Section 33 to its northern terminus at the junction with Trail No. 533 Boundary Trail
• Trail No. 482 Chuchuwanteen
• Trail No. 485 Tatoosh Buttes
• Trail No. 490 Heather Lake
• Trail No. 495 The Parks
• Trail No. 498 Buckskin Ridge from Buckskin Lake in T39N R18E Section 29 north to junction with Trail No. 478 Robinson
• Trail No. 533.1

Tuesday, August 6

Fire on SW side of Mt. Adams has led to the closure of FS RD 23 and the PCT in that area.  A larger area on the west and NW sides of Adams are also closed.

Sunday, August 4: SR 20 CLOSED

Saturday, August 3: SR 20 remains open (pilot car assisted); however, with increased fire intensity and extent, be prepared for closure or long delays (https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/).

Please remember to honor (and obey) closures and rules regarding behavior within areas where you are led by a pilot vehicle.

Thursday, August 1: SR 20 remains open (pilot car assisted)

Cool, moist, cloudy weather enabled fire fighters to fire proof (as much as one can) both the road and the ridge (note the current extent of the fire lines, Figure 1).  The next eight plus days with hot, dry weather will be critical.  Obviously avoiding (by care and by luck) any new fire starts will be critical.  Current fire status in other surrounding fires is shown in Figure 4.  Campground and trail closures all remain in effect.

Recommendation: Get the free app, Watch Duty (however, donations are appreciated as it is a non-profit).  It and its associated ‘reporters’ stay on top of almost all of the fires occurring across the west from Washington to California and from Montana to Oklahoma and Texas.  You can turn on and off notifications to specific areas (planning a trip to the Crazy Mountains of Montana, for example) or specific ongoing fires.

Friday, July 26: SR 20 is OPEN (as of 1:00 pm)!

Thursday, July 25: However, the cooler weather was countered by strong, shifting winds.  Figure 1 is the most recent map with closures provided by the USFS.  Trails to the Maple Pass Loop, Lake Ann, Rainy Lake are all open, however, you must drive to Winthrop/Mazama first to get to both Washington and Rainy Passes (both open).  It is not clear to me why the map shows SR 20 closed over a much greater distance.  WSDoT sources are pretty clear regarding the existence of a closure both ways between MP 148 (Granite Creek crossing) and MP 157 (Easy Pass Trail Head - note, the trail to Easy Pass is CLOSED).

Wednesday, July 24: Good news: Cooler weather and fire fighting success have been somewhat effective (see Figure 4).

Bad news: SR 20 remains CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS (see Figure 1).

There are additional trail closures associated with the Pincer Two Fire (see Figure 3).

Trail Closures associated with the Easy (see Figure 3), Miners (see Figure 2) and Pioneer Fires remain in effect (virtually everything north of Lake Chelan to the Sawtooth Crest).

Tuesday: SR 20 Closed between MP 148 (Granite Creek) and MP 157 (Easy Pass Trailhead)

Trail Closures (see Figure 3) listed below:

CLOSED TRAILS:
• PCT #2000 Between Grasshopper Pass and Rainy Pass
• West Fork Methow Trail #480 From Trout Creek to PCT Tr. #2000
• Cutthroat Tr. #483 is Closed beyond Cutthroat Lake
• Easy Pass Tr. #741
• East Creek Tr. #756
• Boulder Creek Tr. #729
• Mill Creek Tr. # 755

PCT HIKERS:
EVACUATIONS could affect access, mail, and resupply in Stehekin
PCT hikers are advised to carry extra food to be able to pass through with-out resupplying in Stehekin. The PCT travels for 127.1 miles between Stevens Pass (mile 2467.4) and Rainy Pass (mile 2594.5). Evacuations in the Stehekin Valley may interrupt access to the community from the PCT, mail delivery, and post office access. If you find yourself at High Bridge (mile 2575) on the PCT and access to Stehekin is closed, the nearest road is 18 miles north on the PCT to Highway 20.

Saturday, July 20: As a result of the dry lightning storms that occurred on July 17, there were some 1000 ground strikes resulting in a number of fires in Oregon and Washington (see Figure 4 for the North Cascades). 

New Closures: Nine new fires in Glacier Peak Wilderness area; Pacific Crest Trail closed.  Trails: Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000.2 from Mica Lake to Suiattle Pass, Suiattle River Trail #784, Miners Ridge Trail #785, Buck Creek Pass Trail #789, Miners Cabin Trail #795, Grassy Point Trail #788, and Sulphur Mountain Trail #794. Campgrounds and Roads: Cascade River Road at and including Marble Creek Campground, Mineral Park Campground, and all tributary roads, trailheads, and trails. Full closure orders available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs

Get and go to Watch Duty app for instant info and highway, fire, and county sourced information.

North Cascades Highway Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/238860838432631/

Pioneer and Easy Fires Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080

Highway 20 closed again as of 4PM 7/21.

I was lucky enough to do this hike with my 2 little Yorkies on Monday, July 15th before they closed Highway 20 Wednesday, July 17th.  We had a beautiful clear day so was able to get some good photos.  Actually I wasn't planning on doing the whole hike, maybe just go to the switchbacks. I'm an older hiker (I'm 80) so I know my limitations (usually). Then when I got to the switchbacks, I said well, I'll just go do a couple of them.  At that point I met a couple of ladies coming down and one of them said, well, there's only 6 or 7 (I can't remember which) and I had already done a couple so I kept going.  I'm so glad I did!  As some others have pointed out, the elevation gain is gradual so you just keep walking and before you know it, you're there.  Also a note to dog owners, there's plenty of water, lots of streams to cross and get drinks from.  I don't think I even got their water bowl out until we stopped at the top. My dogs have been drinking from running streams for all of their 8 years, so I don't worry about that.