Beautiful Cascade Pass

Jul 22, 1986 Tue0

After visiting the Cascades area of Washington in 1984 I knew I had to return. I used my frequent flyer miles and booked a first class ticket to Washington in 1986 and hiked about 65 miles in the North Cascades Wilderness area over a week. I kept a travel diary and have reproduced it here as I wrote it in 1986.

11:15AM

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
This is my 5th day in the wilderness.
Bobby

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
Hiking up to Cascade Pass

Started on my 5th roll of film coming up to Cascade Pass. This place is breath taking. It's the most beautiful place I've see this trip. I'm glad now that I did not come in this way. I saved the best for last. The wind is blowing clouds through the pass over my head. The alpine flowers are in bloom. I can see snow, glaciers and mountain peaks. I saw some climbers crossing a snow slope on my right. I saw two pikas on the way up. They look like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel.

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
Hiking up to Cascade Pass

I started up here at 7:00AM. I got here at 10:30AM. I walked 5.5 miles and gained 2900 feet elevation. Before I started I didn't think I would make it up here and certainly not before lunch. The climb wasn't even hard. My legs are getting stronger. I can hear the marmots and birds whistling.

Met three women on the way up. I talked to them for some time and when they found out I had rented a car, one of them gave me her number and address. Said the next time I came out that she and her husband would get me to the mountains. She said they expected to hear from me.

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
Hiking up to Cascade Pass. These three ladies were hiking into Cascade Corrals for a few days.

I talked with that couple last night for several hours around a fire. They were Pete and Barb from St. Louis, MO. They travel quite a lot. They have 3 daughters at home, 23, 18 and 16. I really enjoyed talking with them. They were just very nice, friendly people. They enjoyed the outdoors and it was easy to tell that they enjoyed being here together. They've been married for 25 years. We talked about a little of everything. I got their address also and gave them mine. Told them to give me a call if they're ever in the area and I would do the same. Pete said this place was just like an alpine mountain. Everything seems so fragile here. The summer is very short at this elevation (5400 feet). Last night I lost my peanut M&Ms and a granola bar to the squirrels.

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
Hiking up to Cascade Pass
Bobby

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
Cascade Pass. A couple from St. Louis I met, Pete and Barb.

Jul 22, 1986 Tue
Hiking up to Cascade Pass

5:47PM I hiked back down the mountain, 5.5 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes with a couple of breaks. Today was the most beautiful scenery I have seen. I hiked 11 miles total, lightly packed and my legs feel great. I must start back tomorrow. I'll ride the shuttle down to Bridge Creek.

I'm dumping all the weight here that I can. I'm keeping just enough food to get me out of the woods. Talked to Pete and Barb a few more minutes before they left on the 4:45 shuttle. I also talked with the three women. They were also waiting for the shuttle. They're staying at Cascade Corrals until Friday. They were amazed to find out how I make muffins on my stove. I met a lot of people on the trail today but I figured I would.

I can't keep the deer away from my campsite. I've tried yelling, hitting them with rocks, chasing them. Nothing works. This afternoon, two military jets came over Cascade Pass and went zooming down the valley below the peaks. I shampooed my hair again this afternoon. My collapsible water jug is working great. This morning I left it on the table in the sun and this afternoon I had 2.5 gallons of warm water. Star Burst candies work good on the trail.

Started the 6th roll of film a few moments ago. I had Pasta with Beef for supper and popcorn. I'll have muffins later. I'm saving 2 cans of baked beans for tomorrow night, my last night in the woods. I've heard no news from the outside world since Thursday morning. I wonder how things are going. I wonder if at this point I really care about world affairs.

Jul 22, 1986 Tue

8:20PM I made the blueberry muffins. They were good. I'm in my tent and getting settled for the night. I've had it with these deer. I have everything in the tent with me to keep them from carrying it off. It may rain tonight and if it does I'm going to get wet and cold. I'll admit that I'm a little lonely tonight. There is no one here tonight. Last night there was the nice couple from St. Louis and the night before the surgeon. One thing he said and I have thought about also was that if they had been 3 seconds quicker or slower at anything they had done that day, it would have only been a near miss.