WA-20, the road 300 yards from our\ncurrent RV setup in Grandy Creek Thousand Trails, is part of a\nlarger, 400 mile loop that runs through the northern end of the\nCascade mountain range. The whole loop is called the North Cascades\nScenic Highway and it runs through North Cascades National Park,\nMount Baker \u2013 Snoqualmie National Forest, Ross Lake National\nRecreation Area, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and the\nOkanagen \u2013 Wenatchee National Forest. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tWe did not drive the whole route\ntoday. We limited our drive to the section which starts at our\ncampground near Concrete, WA, and extends up to Washington Pass which\ndivides the coastal side from the flat side of the mountains. The\nelevation in Concrete is about 50 feet above sea level and the pass\nlies at about 5,500 feet. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The drive was beautiful from the outset. The road took us through the Skagit riverside communities of Concrete, Rockport, Marblemount and Newhalem before changing into a steady uphill pull. The road still follows the Skagit, skirting the Gorge powerhouse, Diablo Dam and Lake and Ross Dam and Lake until it diverts away from the river and heads up into a volcanic wonderland of waterfalls, jagged mountain peaks, crystal-clear streams, dense fir and cedar forests. Approaching the pass, trees are much scarcer and basalt and tremendous sedimentary ash deposits become the view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tRight at Washington Pass, we pulled\ninto a parking area and took a stroll to the spectacular viewpoint.\nThe ridges of almost-vertical mountain abruptly descending into\nforest-filled valleys surround the viewpoint. The downgrade into\neastern Washington can be seen switchbacking around and down the\nvalley. It is almost straight down to the much lower highway as it\nswings by beneath the viewpoint. You could almost spit on the\nvehicles below but they were so far away one would never know if the\ngob hit the windshield. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tOur fuel economy, as shown on our\ntruck’s info panel, certainly went up as we returned. The speed limit\nalmost all the way back averaged around 40 mph and the grade was set\nup, at least for our vehicle, perfectly. I put it in Drive, turned on\nthe towing feature and the truck’s speed stayed almost right on the\nlimit for the 70 mile descent back to Concrete. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The North Cascades Scenic Highway is a superb drive. The scenery is fantastic, the road is good, abundant forest groves line the road almost all the way and the mountains near the pass are stunning. Glaciers, volcanoes, turquoise rivers and lakes, waterfalls, deep green flora \u2013 what more could one want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We took a few pictures and they can be seen by clicking the link. https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/vd4Au2xPhZg8NwhW7<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WA-20, the road 300 yards from our current RV setup in Grandy Creek Thousand Trails, is part of a larger, 400 mile loop that runs through the northern end of the Cascade mountain range. The whole loop is called the … Continue reading