Tom's National Park Adventure

On my way to the North Cascades National Park. This is another of the National Parks I had never heard of before this trip. The park consists of some of the most rugged mountains outside of Alaska. The peaks of the mountains don’t usually rise higher 9000 feet. However the valley floors in between the peaks are usually below 2000 feet. This makes the peaks look way higher that they really are. Because of the way the mountains look, they have been referred to as “The American Alps”. Getting to this area isn’t all that easy. There is one highway that goes across the park in an east to west direction. The farther east you go, the more southernly it goes too. This highway wasn’t built until 1972 and is a vital artery for this part of the state.

Unfortunately several areas in the park have been hit by forest fires. The main highway through the park has been closed and opened several times over the last month. Luckily for me, the entire length of the highway was opened just last week! That is a very good thing!

One way to make a living in this part of the world is through logging. I have never had much of an opinion on the subject, even though I know it can be a very emotional topic for some. While I was driving toward the park I saw this and had to take a picture.

I finally made it to the park around 1;30pm.

I went to my campsite and set up for just an overnight stay. Tomorrow morning I start a two day journey that ends up in Glacier National Park.

I did my usual routine of going straight to the Visitors Center to get my stamp in the passport. I was able to catch two movies today. The first movie was all about Grizzly Bears. The park is one of only a few places in the US that still has Grizzly Bears that make their home here. It was very interesting. I’m not too worried about meeting one of them. The park is home to only 20 of them…..they think….Last year they only had credible sightings three times. But I will keep my bear spray handy….just in case.

The second movie was about”Fishers”. Interestingly enough it had nothing to do with Fish! Fishers are a small predator that is somewhat related to the Badger species. The animal had been considered to be extinct in this part of the world for some time now. They have started a program of reintroducing them in this park and in Mount Ranier National park.

The Skagit River runs through the Newhalem area of the park. This is where my campground is located. They have built three dams in the river that have resulted in the creation of three different Lakes. The Gorge Lake, the Diablo Lake and the Ross Lake. All three dams create electricity for the Seattle area.

The information Ranger I spoke to wasted no time in suggesting how I should spend my afternoon here. Really it was pretty easy for him because more than 2/3rds of the park is closed to visitors right now due to the wildfires.

He suggested that I drive to an area called Diablo and hike the ‘Thunder Knob Trail”. So that is what I set out to do.

Optimistic Tom: From now on will be referred to as OT

Have you ever wondered what the self talk of an overweight 67 year old man is like when he is about to attempt yet another hike into the forest? Here you go:

The Ranger says its only about 10 miles to the trailhead.

Pessimistic Tom: From now on will be referred to as PT

Right…..It will be twenty miles and they all will be switchbacks!

OT: Pull Over!!!!

PT: Why? We just got started. We have hardly gone a couple of miles!

OT: Pull over NOW!

PT: OK, just let me find a place to do so safely

PT: Did you get your picture?

OT: Yup ….. I took two!

PT: Hrumph……..

PT: I’ll drive to the trailhead…..but if we can’t find a place to park……I’m turning right back around.

OT: See look right there……a parking sport right up front!

PT: Hrumph…….

PT: Look at this trail! Can you even see a trail? It looks like we are walking in a dry creek bed!

OT: That’s because the path goes through an area where the water runs when the area floods in the spring with the snow runoff.

PT: I liked the trail we walked yesterday better. Soft moss and dried pine needles underfoot. Not all these rocks!

PT: And what about that bridge!

It looks like they threw an old extension ladder across that water! They didn’t even bother to put two handrails on it!

OT: Will you stop whining! We aren’t hardly out of the parking lot yet!

PT: Hrumph…….

So I walk in silence and said hi to the other hikers coming down after completing the hike.

PT: So how long is this hike anyway?

OT: It’s only a little over three miles up and three miles back.

PT: Groan…..That’s twice as far as the hike we did yesterday!

OT: You can do it……Look at that last couple coming down. He has to outweigh you by over 50 pounds. And he looks much older than you do. If he can do it….you can do it to

PT: Yea…maybe so , but look at all that thick white hair he’s got!

OT: Hair envy is never pretty……

I trudge along the pathway hoping it gets less rocky.

PT: you know this trail is pretty steep. You never told me I was going to have to walk all the up a mountain. I might have a heart attack or something like that!

OT: No you won’t. You aren’t even breathing that hard. Your knee isn’t bothering you. Check your watch…..it says your heart rate is at 42 beats resting and only spiked at 115 beats while doing the climb.

PT: All that may be true, but if I don’t see something cool soon…..

OT: Check this out….

PT: OK…. What’s next?

PT: What the heck is this? I have never seen a physical barrier across any trail in a National Park before!

OT: Give them a break. They are out there battling wildfires and who knows when this tree fell. It could have happened this morning.

PT: I’m getting a little tired. Are we there yet?

OT: Oh Yes! Check out these views!

PT: OK nice views…….can we go back to camp now?

OT: Yes ……. we can go back to camp now……..