North Cascades National Park

For the Fourth of July long weekend, Ari and I pointed ourselves toward North Cascades National Park in Washington, located about two and a half hours north of Seattle.

As with most of our “see every National Park” adventures outside of California these days, we rented a car. This time, fate handed us a very earnest Volvo XC60. Practically brand new, bristling with safety features, and so efficient it practically apologized for burning fuel. Perfectly fine to drive, though it did leave me with the unsettling feeling of grown-up sensibilities. Anyway, enough about the Volvo.

We rolled into Marble Creek Campground late afternoon and were greeted by lush rainforest and the low, constant burble of a nearby stream.

With hours of daylight still in hand, we laced up our boots and set out on a short hike up Thunder Knob Trail. The lots were full, but arriving late meant most of the crowds were already on their way out; mercifully, no parking trauma.

The trail climbed steadily, and at the top we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Diablo Lake and Highway 20 slicing through the park. It was the first moment the name North Cascades felt perfectly earned.

This was the part where I understood where the park got its name from.

The next morning, we got ambitious: Maple Pass Trail. Six and a half miles, 2,162 feet of elevation, and one of those hikes that seems designed by someone who knew precisely how much your legs can take before they start filing formal complaints.

I have a habit of photographing every bridge we cross, which at this point is less an artistic choice and more a personal superstition.

And, of course, plenty of tree shots—one could say, a cascade of them.

We tackled the loop counter-clockwise, which I’d highly recommend: the climb spreads out more gently, and the payoff at the summit is vastly more rewarding.

Beyond the treeline the world grew starker, less green, but never less beautiful.

Wish we had more time at the park. Highly recommend.