Thunder Knob Trail

Thunder Knob Trail leads from Washington State Route 20 up to ridges overlooking Diablo Lake and Diablo Dam.  Starting at the Colonial Creek Campground, the trail first crosses the creek over a bridge that is removed in the winter to prevent damage from the rampaging water in the creek.

Crossing Colonial Creek

Continuing along the creek

We soon start up toward the top of Thunder Knob.

Heading up

As we reach the half-way point, we are rewarded with views of Diablo Lake, after which the trail becomes much steeper to bring us to the top.

Diablo Lake

Steeper with switchbacks

Views of nearby peaks (in the clouds)

Rest stop along the way

Soon we reach the top and absorb the breathtaking views of the lake and the dam.

At the top

We head down to the trailhead to resume our journey west out of the national park.  This trail has been a great opportunity to take a break from driving through the mountains and see more incredible views.

Ross Lake and the Three Hydroelectric Dams

Heading back from our trip to the Northern Cascade Mountain Range, we follow Washington State Route 20 over Washington Pass and back down the western side of the mountains, visiting some of the dams and trails on the Pacific side of the mountains.

We pass many logging trucks along the way, carrying fresh-cut trees to the mills.

Logging truck

We stop briefly at Ross Lake and Ross Dam, one of the world's highest arch dams at 540 feet (165 meters).  The dam is one of three (Gorge, Diablo, and Ross) built between 1919 and 1961 to produce electricity for the Seattle area.

Ross Lake and Ross Dam

Diablo Dam

Along the road, we find lots of tall waterfalls, carrying water down the mountain into the rivers and lakes.

Waterfalls along the way

We make another stop at the Gorge Powerhouse in Newhalem, walking the trails alongside the dam and admiring the waterfalls.

Gorge Powerhouse

More waterfalls

This has been an interesting visit to the dams and powerhouses that provide about 40 percent of Seattle's power.

Maple Pass Trail

Maple Pass is one of the most popular trails in the North Cascades National Park in Washington.  The loop hike features ridgelines covered in wildflowers, beautiful lakes, and dramatic views.  The trail starts at 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) elevation and gains 2,150 feet (655 meters) as we climb to the pass. 

Our first visit to the trailhead in the spring provides notice that the trail is covered in snow and not accessible until the snowman at the entrance melts.

Come back when I'm melted

In the fall, the snowman is long gone; the the trail is open.  We start up through the forest, with an hour-long diversion to Lake Ann about a mile or so down a side trail.  We view the lake and return to the main trail that will offer us other views of the lake from 1,000 - 2,000 feet (305 - 610 meters) above it as we climb.

Along the trail

Views of where we're going

Fields of wildflowers

Lake Ann from the shore

The trail starts to climb steeply toward Maple Pass.

Hiking up

Views of nearby ridges

Looking down at Lake Ann

More fields of wildflowers

The wildflower and heather communities through which we pass have developed over thousands of years.  Heather is one of the first plants to colonize rocky mountain slopes, blowing in on the wind and settling and growing where it finds soil.

We are getting higher on the mountain and starting to see spectacular views of nearby peaks.

Nearby scenery

As we approach the pass, at an elevation of 6,650 feet (2,025 meters), the view expands and we spend a lot of time admiring the the sights as we proceed up the trail.

Approaching the top

Great views

Eventually, it is time to start down and we follow the trail initially along a cliff descending on the other side of Maple Pass.

Trail down

More great view on the way down

We reach the bottom and a gentle path finishes the loop, leading us to the parking lot.

Paved path to the parking lot

Maple Pass is a great hike with lots of dramatic scenery and fabulous trails up to the pass (and back down).