North Cascades national park is one of the great treasures of the Pacific Northwest. The expansive landscape and never-ending sea of mountain tops has to be experienced to be believed. Luckily, places like the Hike up to easy pass make experiencing it all accessible. To take the trail stop in at the easy to locate trailhead along the side of Highway 20.

The start of the trail up too easy pass begins gently by passing over Granite Creek on a firm log bridge. The trail will immediately start to climb, but, this first section is easy. You will wind through the woods for a bit and then come to the first spot that could pose difficulty. Even at the time of this writing in September, Easy pass creek required fording. Luckily there is currently a smattering of rocks making the crossing straight forward. If coming here in the early season keep in mind that the creek crossing may be difficult to impossible.

After coming out of the woods the north cascades will treat you to some expansive views. On this particular occasion, I was lucky to have a few friendly marmots watching me from a rock while sunbathing. We stared curiously at each other for a few moments before I continued on. From the first rock field, the trail will get far more difficult as it winds up the hill. The trail is steep but easy to follow. Be sure to stop when you need a break and look in all directions. The views only get better. Once you reach Easy Pass you will get a taste of why all the climbers in this state love the park and surrounding areas. Soak it in, and if you are here for the day, head back early. The trail gets dark fast in the afternoon. If you are planning to climb and have permits then check out my page for Mesachie and Katsuk Peaks