North Cascades National Park

[hkpierce]

This year's trip with my troop was to the North Cascades.

The crew was only 8 this time, so the van was not as loaded as usual:
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Waiting for the boat for the 45-mile Chelan to Stehekan trip:
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Amazing size of the tree falls across the trails and streams
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Second day out we get to the first snow at about 4000 feet
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Climbing the snow field on Park Creek Pass:
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[hkpierce]

Looking south from Park Creek Pass:
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We made it to the top - 6000 feet elevation
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Only to find the trail lost on the north side and we had to come down the glacier using the tree line to the middle - that is an 800 foot elevation drop from the top of the pass to the base:
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Crossing an avalanche that came from about 1500 feet higher elevation to the left, swept across the valley below us, and came up the other side of the valley to stop right on top of the trail. This avalanche was about 1500 feet on the trail, and about 20 feet off the floor.
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Deep into the rain forest
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[hkpierce]

The water source for the Skagit Primitive Campground
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New NP bridge
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Lake Diablo
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Stranded tug from Lake Ross
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View of Lake Diablo
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[hkpierce]

Pyramid Lake
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Paddling across Pyramid Lake
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Everyone inside a hollowed cedar
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Skipping stones at Larrabee State Park
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My wife ran the shuttle for this trip
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[hkpierce]

Snow at 3600 feet elevation on July 31, 2011
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[icarus]

Nice!

Icarus

[ECU]

And you'd want to live somewhere else?

[sikwan]

Awesome!

That "Paddling across Pyramid Lake"...is that a log that was used?

[hkpierce]

Yes