r/northcascades

Hi there! I am planning on doing the 3 Fingers Lookout summit towards the end of this month, anywhere from July 20th to the 30th depending on weather and what not. Generally speaking, what are conditions like in the higher altitudes? I am planning on bringing micro-spikes + an Ice Axe, but wanted to get a feel for what people think is necessary for a summit this time of year.

Any and all feedback would be appreciated, super excited regardless!

Hey guys, my gf and I are planning a trip to the PNW and will be doing a road trip and car camping. With that being said, all of our stuff will be in our car, and I was wondering whether I should worry about parking at trailheads and whether break-ins are common. I appreciate any help.

Me and my boyfriend will be visiting on July 4th! We are coming up from Seattle - and willing to wake up and get moving very early. We would like to drive back to the city for evening.

We are both decently active and wat to go on a scenic, beautiful hike! Would like it to be probably between 3-8 miles? But open. Do not want any climbing or mountaineering. Do you have any trail recommendations? Or day itineraries? Also open to doing one or several stops within the park! I know with the weather there are still road closures / slow - we definitely want to stay on trails.

Hey all. Doming the Devil this weekend.

The most recent trail reports I can find are from two weeks ago (on WTA), and both reports indicate enough snow on the NW face of South Jackita to merit spikes. But obviously I would prefer to not bring them just for 100 yards of trail... has anybody been up there in the last two weeks that can comment on that section?

I'll have a single hiking staff, no axe. Never hiked this particular stretch so I don't know how significant the fall / slide exposure is.

You'll be shocked to learn that neither Marblemount nor Winthrop are picking up the phone...

I'm camping with some friends at Colonial Creek this weekend (we have a reserved campsite). The plan was to take 2 cars up, but I need to come back a day early now and plan to drive separately. Since my car would exceed the 2-car-per-campsite rule, I'm trying to figure out the closest place nearby I could park overnight from Thurs to Sat, and I would have someone in my group pick me up and drop me off. I checked all the nearby campgrounds and they're all full, and I think (? correct me if I'm wrong) you can't park in Newhalem overnight. Hoping to stay within a 30-40 min drive of Colonial Creek if possible to avoid putting anyone out.

Any recs?

I would be coming in from Seattle either july 8/9th weather depending. I’m open to coming into the park early in the morning but was wanting to get opinions on what would be a good area of the park to visit/hike just for one day? Will enough of the snow be off the trails at this point?

So excited! Later Sept have a 3 night 4 day itinerary starting at Hannegan Pass Trailhead then Copper Creek, Indian Creek, and Copper Lake for campsites. I have seen clockwise recommend and not sure why I reserved it this way but going with it.

So now starting to think through more of the details. I usually use trail runners but that time of year wondering if I might want something warmer or waterproof? Also bear canister necessary or do people use ur sacks? Rental car considerations for driving to Hannegan Pass? Do I need a 4 wheel drive? Staging the day before at the Blue T since the Silver Fir campground is shut down by the time I get there. Any other thoughts? My first time in Washington state ever. Been backpacking since 2014 but do not want to underestimate the remoteness, conditions, and respect the area.

Effective Monday, June 29, campfires or the ignition of wood, briquettes, or any fuel in fire pits, fire pans, and barbeque grills, are banned in all portions of North Cascades National Park Service Complex, which includes North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. This ban includes all National Park Service lands and campgrounds along State Route 20 as well as Hozomeen and the entire Stehekin Valley. This applies to anything that produces ash, including charcoal grills. Propane fire pits are not allowed during the ban.

Gas or propane stoves, grills, or lanterns are permitted in campgrounds and wilderness areas for the use of cooking if there is no flammable material within three feet of the device. These stoves must be equipped with an on-off switch or valve capable of immediately extinguishing the flame. Extreme caution is urged with any open flame.

Apologies if this isn’t the right sub to post.

Glacier peak wilderness multi day hike, around buck creek pass this August. I never hiked in a place with a bears. I only have a adotec bear bag, and would tie it low waist high to a tree trunk.

From what I’ve gathered:
Bear bags are practically grizzly proof, meaning they won’t be able to eat the food, just the food will get pulverized. Bear bags are rodent proof, if double bagged on inside. Even proper bear hangs are unreliable. Bear trying to get into your food in the first place is rare.

It seems like a slim issue, and definitely not a safety issue.

Hi all, I’m looking to visit the North Cascades/Mt. Baker Wilderness areas in mid September. Does anyone know of how available the backcountry campsites are around the Chain Lakes Loop, in the Mt. Baker Area?

I’d like to camp around there and do some day hikes into the North Cascades NP area around Mt. Shuksan.

Thanks!

I've seen some limited mentions here and there of theft or vehicle break ins, especially at trailhead parking lots. How much of a problem is this? Obviously people shouldn't do something dumb like leave valuables or money in plain sight in their vehicles but I'm just wondering how prevalent of a problem this is or how frequently it happens. Do people go to the extreme of leaving their doors unlocked with literally nothing in their vehicles to steal? Are windows getting broken left and right? Or is this just something that happens occasionally?