Newhalem and Thunder Knob
Our first adventures in the North Cascades centered around Diablo Lake. When looking at Diablo Lake (and the Elwha River) you notice that the water is a pretty blue-green color. As glaciers slowly wear down the mountains, the grinding of rock against rock produces a fine silt. This “rock flour” suspended in the water gives it its color! The lake itself was so tranquil, we spent one morning relaxing by its shores. Next to the lake is the Thunder Knob trail which we traversed one afternoon. Everyone that passed us told us to watch for bears as several had recently been sighted but we were bearless. Just passed Diablo Lake was Washington Pass. The road was closed at this pass just days after our visit due to a lightning strike a week prior that ignited a wild fire. This fire burned for months. Newhalem was right in the middle of our campsite and Diablo Lake so we stopped several times. The waterfalls were so beautiful we made an extra trip at night to see them all lit up with colorful lights. Definitely worth the trip.
Maple Pass
The Maple Pass loop would be the second of three longer hikes that we would do while on our trip. While it was more of a medium-distance hike (7.5 miles) we were on the leeward side of the Cascades so the air was drier than we were used to. At this point in our trip this was by far our favorite hike of the trip. The terrain and scenery was absolutely stunning. We found ourselves taking frequent breaks to stare off in the distance, ponder sliding down the mountain and swim in Ann Lake, or watch some marmots. We concluded the day with the world’s fastest bath in the super icy cold Cascade River. Glacial meltwater is cold!
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