Cascade Pass/Sahale Arm (Sahale Glacier Camp) - N. Cascades, WA

July 14, 2016

Welcome to a JURASSIC WORLD! Seriously, that was my reaction when I drove into the parking lot and the breathtaking landscape and scenery appeared before me....totally "jaw-dropping"! I had read and heard Cascade Pass hike is one of the top rated and must do hikes of N. Cascades, and now I believe it....I was totally blown away! With the trail moderately graded to reach the pass (3.7 miles/1,800' gain), this hike offers the whole nine yards....spectacular views of peaks and glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, wildflowers, wildlife and options for backcountry hikes and camping along with frontier history. I saw many different kinds of wildlife in this hike....marmots, pikas, chipmunks, deer, mountain goat and wild birds. If you pick one hike to do in N. Cascades, this is it! Beyond description. Period.

Road condition
From SR 20 at Marblemount, drive Cascade River Road for 23 miles to trailhead. The road is in good condition. You can see some major restoration works were done after a series of washout. The first half of the road is paved and the second half is dirt/gravel/washboard. The road gets narrow and has potholes for the last 6 miles, so pay attention as you go. Trailhead has a large parking lot with restroom.

Trail condition
Trail is in great shape in spite of heavy use. It has some wet and muddy spots here and there, but no major issue. However, if you hike in sneakers, chances are your feet may get wet. There are a couple of snow fields to cross near Cascade Pass. One of them is about 100' long on the steep gully. You can follow the boot tracks, but the snow could get slushy and slippery. I found my hiking poles helpful to balance. On the way to Doubtful Lake/Sahale Glacier Camp, there are a few snow fields (10' - 20' long) to traverse and some of them are forming a snow bridge with water running underneath. So, use caution when you cross. Trail/snow condition included in the short video below.

Cascade Pass
Trailhead's large parking lot fills up fast as this is a very popular destination for hiking, camping and backpacking. Even it was Thursday, the lot was pretty full when I arrived after 12/noon....and I saw more cars arriving. The trail ascends gently for the first 1/2 mile and then moderately steep grade begins to climb steadily with switchbacks through the forest. I liked the sound of waterfalls and streams keeping a good company all along. After 2 miles in, the views open up as the treeline thins out. Now you are looking at the same breathtaking vista from a higher vantage point. Stunning! At 3 miles, the trail levels out through meadows. Wildflowers are blooming! And the views of the jagged mountains get even better as you go. After the meadows, the trail comes along the hillside (scree) partially covered with snow. The snow field to cross is about 100' long and you can follow boot tracks. It may get slushy/slippery, so just use caution.

Take in the grand vistas from Cascade Pass. The pass is a gateway to connect different paths traveling in all directions. Frontier traders used to use the pass in the past, and today hikers and backpackers (....and wildlife, too!). Views to north and west are the ragged Cascade range as you see along the hike. Facing southeast is looking towards Stehekin over 30 miles away from the pass which is a remote community only accessible on foot, by ferry or seaplane. In fact, I was in Stehekin 2 weeks ago and had a great hike there. Looking east, you can see a trail going up towards Sahale Arm.

Sahale Arm (Sahale Glacier Camp)
You have a few options for hiking from the pass. You can turn around and head back to the parking lot, or you can venture towards Stehekin, or continue another 2 miles/2,100' gain to reach Sahale Glacier Camp. My goal was to hike up to Sahale Glacier, so I took that route from the pass.

From the pass, follow the trail sign which says Stehekin. Soon you come to another sign/intersecion which says Sahale Arm/Stehekin. Go left/Sahale Arm at the post. The trail to Sahale Arm gets steep and rocky once you leave Cascade Pass. Some snow fields are en route, but not hard to cross. Just use caution to traverse the snow field forming a snow bridge. There are wet and muddy spots along the trail, but no biggie.....keep "minimum impact" in mind, however, if you have to veer around. As the trail climbs steadily with switchbacks, the views get better and better....WOW! You can see Cascade Pass down below with the great wall of all the jagged mountain peaks facing you.

Trekking up the hillside for one mile from the pass, you come to the trail sign of Doubtful Lake. I took a quick look at the lake from above, and continued on the journey towards Sahale Arm. The trail leads you on to the saddle stretching up to Sahale. It's beautiful green meadows with wildflowers.....and also it's a haven for marmots! There are so many marmots on the meadows. I lost counts how many marmots I saw! They surprised me as I surprised them!? After passing the meadows, the trail gets steeper and the scree rockier for the last 1/2 or so. At one point, the trail disappears and gets a little sketchy due to scree/loose rocks covering over trail, but there are cairns to guide you to stay on track.

Enjoy the views from Sahale Glacier Camp! Splendid! Another WOW moment (how many wows so far?) At 7,600 elevation, you have sweeping vistas of N. Cascades range and beyond as far as you can see....and Sahale Arm looms over you across the glacier. Johannesburg Mountain, Cascade Peak, Magic Mountain, Trapper Mountain, Glory Mountain, Eldorado Peak, Forbidden Peak, Mount Formidable, Spider Mountain, LeConte Mountain.....these are the names of the peaks I just learned with this hike. McGregor Mountain near Stehekin was also seen in the southern skyline. And, guess who came to greet me out of the blue? Wow, mountain goat! Five of them....they looked like a family(?) because I noticed a baby goat with them.

There are many beautiful hikes in N. Cascades. If I were asked to pick one best hike among of all, Cascade Pass/Sahale Arm would be the one no doubt. Put this hike on your hiking list if you haven't hiked it yet. You'll be blown away! I highly recommend this hike with lots of WOWs. Happy hiking! :)