I've not posted a picture since last week Thursday and this is the reason. Two friends and I went backpacking in the North Cascades Friday and Saturday. I offered and they won the trip (all equipment and food provided and all expenses paid) at a fund-raiser earlier in the year and we were finally able to go this past week, taking advantage of the spectacularly beautiful weather we've been having.

We hiked Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm, the most scenic and beautiful hike in the North Cascades, in my opinion. We hiked in four miles over the pass to Pelton Basin (our camp was in the trees on the left of the picture). The trail climbs 1800 feet through 34 switchbacks over those four miles and then drops about 400 feet to the camp.

We arrived and set up camp around noon and then hiked back up to the pass and up Sahale Arm to Sahale Peak and Glacier, gaining another 2700 feet in elevation over two and half miles. There is a camp at 7700 feet at the foot of Sahale Glacier, the highest camp in the Cascades, but this was their first time backpacking and we were not sure that any of us could make it with packs to that camp.

We did not get back to camp until late and after our evening meal and a good night's sleep and some time for relaxation the next morning, hiked out again on Saturday afternoon. We had great weather, awesome scenery, saw lots of wildlife and arrived home tired and satisfied. One of the high points of the trip was the fact that the wild blueberries and huckleberries were ripe.

Another high point was all the wildlife, black bears, deer, marmots, pikas, grouse. The bears were out in full force and we had eight sightings of bears including several cubs and had to be careful in places on the trail. We had one large bear that was on the hillside across from the camp the whole time we were there, but he was busy feeding on the berries and did not bother us at all.

We heard something come snuffling through the camp after we had gone to sleep, but could not tell if it was a bear. All our food and personal items were away from camp and out of reach of the bears, and whatever it was that came through did not bother us. The camp was as comfortable as a backcountry camp can be and in spite of the intrusion we all slept soundly.

The two peaks shown in the picture are Pelton Peak and Magic Mountain, and the basin, the trail following it, goes another thirty miles to the old town of Stehekin and Lake Chelan, a hike I would very much like to do some day. My wife was unable to come along, but after seeing the pictures will probably be the reason why we do make this hike again.

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