North Cascades National Park: Sahale Arm Trail

Chris Veldhuis
Jan 2, 2015
2 min read

It is hard to believe that such a wonderful wilderness as the North Cascades is able to exist next to a large urban centre like Seattle. Washington State has such an abundance of natural beauty in a two hour radius of any city that it was hard to choose a destination for our first hike. We finally landed on North Cascades National Park as it was featured on the cover of the Fleet Foxes album "Helplessness Blues". We decided to go with their recommendation.

The trailhead for the Sahale Arm Trail is reached over a bumpy dirt road, which was hard on our car. Yet, after half an hour we reached what is rightfully dubbed America's most beautiful parking lot, with views like the picture above.

The trail first led us switchbacking through old pine forests and talus. All the time we were looking out for bears, as we were told they would be out now looking for blueberries. Unfortunately, we did not see one bear. Yet, we saw deer, chipmunks and pika's. One deer did not seem impressed at all when we encountered her, so that I could stick my camera in her face. It was very clear that she did not know how her fellow deer are hunted and killed just outside the park's borders.

It was September and autumn had clearly already set in. This resulted in a wonderful mix of autumny colors and smells. We could smell the pineneedles, flowers and ripe berries.

The first six kilometers of the trail were relatively easy, and we very soon reached Cascade Pass. Here we met the Park Ranger, whom we had spoken the day before at the Ranger Staion in Marblemount. We talked a bit about the hike and she assured us that the last stretch of the hike would be harder on us than we would expect after these first kilometers. Meanwhile, an overconfident Chipmunk was preying upon her apple.

The ranger was very right. The last three kilometers of the hike were very strenuous. The trail was going up ever steeper upon Sahale Mountain and it did not help that we were able to see our goal up the mountain all the time. The campsites on the top never seemed to get any closer as we switchbacked up the talus.

When we finally arrived on the top, we realized that these amazing views were worth all of our efforts. All around us we could look out over miles and miles of unspoiled wilderness. Tired we eventually settled at the foot the glacier, setting up our provisional home and enjoying a warm meal, looking out over thousands of mountains as the sun slowly set.

If you're ever in Seattle, definitely take a day or two to make a trip to this National Park. For information and maps, go to the Ranger Station in Marblemount. You also need to go here and secure a campsite near the Sahale Glacier. It is free! This is easier here than in most National Parks as North Cascades is not as well-known as others. It is not even possible to make reservations. For more information, check the website of the National Park Service