After a day of head-in-the-clouds exploring the insurmountable Cascade Pass and Hidden Lakes trails of Marblemount, we backtracked to the National Park treasures of Ross and Diablo Lakes for some grand views from easier to reach places.
It’s a 30 mile stretch between Ross Lake and Marble Creek, snaking along the Skagit River, passing the National Park campgrounds of Newhalem and Colonial Creek, skipping long hike trails in favor of short one-hour outings like the Gorge Overlook. The National Parks are good like that. They give you a one mile well prepared dirt trail of only 50 feet elevation change with a grand view of emerald waters, cascading waterfalls and the biodiversity that you find on every long hike trail you attempt. The downside is that you experience the micro-tour with all of the other tourists who pulled off of SR-20 with you. The Ross Lake area experience is like that. As beautiful as it was, we had a renewed appreciation of our solitude in Marble Creek.
From the Gorge, we did a drive-by of the tiny Diablo Lake Campground. Set directly on the banks of the lake, this 10 site tenting paradise became 5 with every other site closed for social distancing. The choices seem random to us. You can drive your car up vertical, narrow, treacherous terrain to hike on cliffs you could easily fall off or kayak down a fast moving river that requires a ranger to rescue you, but you can’t set up camp next to strangers because you might catch a virus; outside; in the woods; from a campsite 20 feet away. During our visit we saw a motorcyclist lying bloodied and nearly unconscious. He was struck a black bear crossing SR-20 and required a medivac. A 10 year old kayaker was lost on the Skagit River with only a size 8 shoe and yellow boat recovered. There are risks out here that seem equal to the pandemic but are approached very differently. It is an odd experience to observe the impact of the coronavirus on the country while living in National Parks. We often do not know how to reconcile the two.
Just down the road from camp is a gated entry to the Diablo Lake dam. Since the arm was up, we proceeded with caution down the one way, no turnaround access road and drove across the top of the dam (because we could) to eat lunch on the beach next to the lake with the cool name. Although it was mid-July, a cold wind blew off the lake and made us huddle in coats to stay warm while we ate. Memories of +90 temperatures and +90% humidity in summer D.C. made us appreciative of the Cascade’s weather. We shivered, ate, and smiled.
Up river from Diablo is Ross Lake. A string of lake-dam combo’s harness power from the river rapidly flowing to the Pacific Ocean. The blue-green color of Ross Lake is the main attraction in this section of North Cascades. As glaciers in the surrounding high country slowly wear down the mountains, the grinding of rock against rock produces a fine silt that meltwater streams carry into the lake below. This “rock flour” suspended in the water reacts with the light to give the lake it’s gemstone glow.
Like the Gorge Overlook, there is a trail for everyone at Ross Lake Overlook with well marked signs to help you choose your route. We took the 2.5 mile descent past a gushing waterfall to Ross Dam plus an additional jaunt to a floating Ross Lake Resort, lodging you can only get to by hike or by picking up a yellow phone at the bottom of the trail and asking for boat passage. Odd but true. The dams are plentiful here in the west but like the mountains, not all dams are created equal. This dam was on the smaller side, and not spilling, but it’s concrete egg carton relief was a feat of artistic beauty.
In the North Cascades, what goes up must come down or in this case, reverse that. The vertical return had us panting, but not heavier than when we saw a brown bear gnawing on some tree root and booked our way outta there. Looking back you wished you had taken a better picture. In the moment, you wish you had a better defense than taking a picture. While we didn’t attempt the 10 mile + Thunder Knob, Pyramid Lake or Happy Panther Trails, we spent our last off-grid day on the Comos, biking Cascade River Road with a 20 mile off road excursion. A few miles past Marble Creek but before Mineral Springs we hung a right on a dirt and gravel road with a steep decent to a remote crossing of the Cascade River.
It was a solitary ride with the chirping of birds, abundance of wildflowers, expansive vistas, roadside waterfalls and the hum of Como assist until we invaded a mosquito party 1,700 feet above the river. We attempted our picnic lunch, but the mosquitoes dined on us with gusto first, signaling lunch could wait and it was time to turn around.
That turned out to be okay because Eric’s front brakes failed and he spent 8 miles trying not to exceed 6 mph on a steep decent by dragging his feet along the rocky roads. Surprisingly the mosquitos couldn’t keep up with him and he made it safely back to river for the full throttle climb back to the road. This time Pursue Yes had a good laugh at our expense.
Saying goodbye to Camp Host Jennifer and her best dog buddy Shelby, we pulled Roxie out of the rain forest, into town and out to Jim Creek Navy Community Recreation Area near Arlington, WA, in the foothills of the North Cascades. This active Naval Radio Station that supports our submarine fleet also offers camping, fishing, boating, hiking, biking, and, wait for it, an 18 hole disc golf course! We took five days here mostly because of 1) electricity, 2) showers, and 3) it’s proximity to Mt Baker, where all the state campgrounds are still closed because of snow or covid, we’re not quite sure which. Even tho the area is 75 miles North, we have tenting gear and plan to use it on National Forest land.
In the meantime we’ve checked out everything Jim Creek has to offer, including a nail biting off road drive into the clouds then down to Twin Lakes that rivaled roadside drop-offs of the Hidden Lakes experience. We’ve decided to pass on the boating in favor of disc golf.
As much as we love the no-connection Marble Creek experience, we also love the balance that water, electric, bathhouses and towns with services bring. Eric was able to buy a brake bleed kit so he can safely ride again, Sheri replenished her produce and Sheric found wifi at the library to post a blog. We’re ready set to go.
