Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [290]
Geologically speaking, the North Cascades are some of the most complex and least understood mountains in North America. These peaks were formed over millions of years as a tectonic plate drifting northward from the South Pacific slammed into the North American coast, causing the area's sedimentary rocks to buckle, fold, and transform. In some areas, the rock in the North Cascades is obviously the result of this collision and subsequent metamorphosis. In other areas, there is rock that predates the tectonic collision—one upthrust of mountain is believed to be 10 million years old.
Glaciation both past and present has further augmented geologic complexity in the North Cascades. In past ice ages, both alpine glaciers and the continental ice sheet covered this region. The visual legacy of this intense activity endures today in the wide U-shaped valleys carved out by the ice sheet. The single most fascinating legacy of this glaciation is Lake Chelan, which lies in the heart of the North Cascades southern section.
Avoiding the Crowds. Actually, it's not hard at all to avoid the crowds in the North Cascades. The lack of roads, the weather, and the ruggedness of the terrain all work in concert to keep this one of the best-kept secrets in the national park system.
If it's true isolation you seek, head north. The northern unit of the national park has the least tourists. But even Stehekin (the developed unit of the southern park section) has a permanent, year-round population of a mere 100. Lake Chelan, Ross Lake, and Diablo Lake are relatively tourist-heavy spots.
In high season, this park can be like many others in the system. You're more likely to run into folks on the Big Beaver Trail, or on your way to Hozomeen, in the summer than in the fall, which is about the last part of the year during which you can easily get anywhere in the park. Ross Lake is thicker with boaters on summer holiday weekends, and the heaviest load of visitors all year is in Stehekin and the Cascade Pass area during July and August. The deeper into the backcountry you go, the fewer people you are likely to encounter. Winter is not to be underestimated in this park, and Wash. State Route 20 will almost certainly be closed.
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
Only one paved road, Wash. State Route 20, goes through the park complex. There are a few unpaved alternatives, though. The Cascade River Road, which leaves Wash. 20 at Marblemount, enters the national park proper as an unpaved road. The gravel Stehekin Valley Road above High Bridge also enters the national park. This road does not connect with the outside world, however; rather, the park and a concessionaire provide shuttle service along this road from mid-May to mid-October.
From Seattle on the west side, take the Wash. State Route 20 exit off I-5 and head east, toward Rockport and Marblemount, into the park. From Spokane, the major metropolitan area on the east side, it's U.S. 2 West, linking up with U.S. 97 North, to Wash. State Route 153 and finally Wash. State Route 20. And remember, in the winter, these roads may close at any time from late October to early May. Be sure to call ahead.
The Nearest Airport. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (☎ 206/433-5388; www.portseattle.org/seatac) is 15 miles south of Seattle on I-5. The airport is served by practically all major airlines and car-rental companies, whose toll-free numbers are in the appendix (p. 660–661).
INFORMATION
Contact North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 Wash. State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (☎ 360/856-5700; www.nps.gov/noca). The park publishes an annual newspaper, the North Cascades Challenger, which contains much useful information. For current information, such as road closures, call