2014 Exploring The Northwest – DAY 20/21 – North Cascade National Park
Our tow vehicles worked hard today climbing as we climbed through a couple of high [>5,500 feet] passes with several hairpin turns. We were tempted to stop at every turnout to absorb the vistas.
North Cascades
North Cascades
On the road over one of the Cascade passes
Newhalem National Campsite is our home base for the next couple of days. It is definitely the most beautiful campsite we’ve ever stayed in. We must have lucked out with the beautiful sunshine and comfortable temperatures. This area of the park is part of a temperate rain forest. The rangers claim that this area’s annual rainfall is the same as that of New York City, but is spread out over a nine month period – small amounts of rain almost every day. The ferns and trees are layered and dense. The moss is like a blanket or carpet. Moss draping from the trees made the whole scene look surreal. The photos we took just can’t capture the overall effect. The visitors center had a movie about the spirituality of the Cascades, focusing on wildness and wilderness. Both are needed to replenish our spirits.
“What We Do With The Public Lands Of The United States Tells A Great Deal About What We Are, What We Care For, And What Is To Become Of Us As A Nation” Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson
The area has seen several levels of abuse prior to becoming a national park – logging and hydroelectric dams/generators. The ruggedness and difficulty of access saved more than 80% of the park from additional incursions.
One of the rangers suggested that we take a night hike up to a waterfall that is lit up by the power company and is ‘beautiful’. We did it! OMG! It looked like a waterfall at a cheap Las Vegas motel with the color of the lighting changing all the time – blue, red, green, etc. Not quite in the spirit of ‘Wildness and Wilderness’. Ignoring this tasteless display, the park is breathtaking.
On the lookout for the waterfall
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