Stunning Hikes Near the North Cascades Basecamp

Even though summer is over there is still plenty of autumn sunshine and beautiful scenery to be explored in the mountains surrounding the Methow Valley.  The changing of seasons means bright fall colors are bursting all around, making for some awesome hikes.  We have had an absolutely amazing summer of hiking and trail running around the Basecamp and wanted to share some of the nearby routes that we have found and loved. 

Jacks Trail/River Run-
This is a trail that we frequently run because it has stunning views of the mountains around Mazama.  This time of year, it is accessible right from the Basecamp's front door since the Methow River has slowed down and lowered so it can be crossed without getting your feet wet.  There are about 10 miles of trail that remains relatively flat along the valley floor that opens up to a grassy meadow at one end giving great views of Goat Wall, Driveway Butte, Sandy Butte

 Monument Creek-
 A nice hike that's a five mile drive from the Basecamp.  The trail gradually follows Lost River upstream to the Eureka Creek crossing (3 miles), and continues for up to 20 miles.  It is a great out and back hike for any distance.  Beautiful riparian habitat and mountain views.

Pipestone Canyon-
A short distance outside Winthrop with beautiful rock formations and a conifer forest in the base of the canyon.  It opens up to a grassy valley and there is also a loop that takes you along one rim of the canyon.  This area burned in the summer wildfires; conditions have certainly changed!

Big Valley-
Halfway between Mazama and Winthrop this trail is on flat terrain and offers amazing views of the mountains surrounding the valley floor.  Walking/running the entire figure eight course results in about a 5 mile outing.

Rubber Boa near the trail on Big Valley, easily identifiable because of its blunted tail.

Robinson Creek-
Another beautiful creek trail that extends from Mazama all the way up to Harts Pass.  This makes a great out and back hike of any distance.  You will be traveling near the creek through interesting riparian areas of deciduous and cedar trees while revealing the stunning mountains of the Pasayten Wilderness.

Dagger Lake/Twisp Pass-
The hike begins at the end of Twisp River Road and is a gradual incline for about 4 miles up to the top of Twisp Pass.  Dagger Lake is just over Twisp Pass another mile along the PCT.

Blue Lake-
This is a classic hike along the Highway 20 corridor.  It is a gradual climb up to a beautiful mountain lake that is surrounded by dramatic rocky mountain peaks.  A four mile round trip distance makes this hike accessible for many visitors.  Keep an eye out for mountain goats as they are often seen around the lake!

Cutthroat Pass/Snowy Lakes-
Cutthroat pass is a ten mile out and back round trip hike that boasts beautiful views of the peaks along the North Cascades Scenic Highway.  Cutthroat Pass can be reached from the Rainy Pass trail head as well as the Cutthroat Lake trail head.  If you continue along the PCT from the top of Cutthroat Pass you will reach Snowy Lakes in about five miles.  Snowy Lakes is a popular backpacking destination that has two pristine lakes surrounded by mountain peaks.

 Cutthroat Lake-
 This is a short four mile round trip hike that is relatively flat.  It reaches a beautiful alpine lake and surrounded by ridge lines and peaks.  The trail splits off and goes up to Cutthroat pass as well.

Cedar Creek-
This is the closest hike to Mazama on Highway 20 and is a beautiful short four mile round trip up to a series of waterfalls.  You are surrounded by wonderful cedar forests and cool leafy vegetation.

Maple Pass/Lake Ann-
Maple Pass loop is often said to be one of the best hikes in the area.  The trail brings you along a ridge line surrounding Lake Ann.  All along the ridge there are amazing vantage points for all the surrounding mountains.  The deciduous trees in the area will make this a stunning and colorful autumn hike.

Goat Peak-
Goat Peak is a trail in Mazama that takes you to the top of a peak over 7000' tall.  Luckily you are able to drive to about 5000' up so the hike is only about a four mile round trip.  At the top you will find the fire lookout tower that has been manned by a cheerful character named "Lightning" Bill for 20 years, if you get the chance to meet him will we gladly share his poetry and artwork with you.  This hike gives you a great view of the valley and the area around Mazama.

Windy Pass/Holmans Pass-
 These trails are accessible from the top of Harts Pass and follow the PCT towards Canada.  We encountered some late summer snow on the hike which made for some wet hiking but made the scenery even more beautiful.  This trail takes you into the Pasayten Wilderness which is pristine and some of the most gorgeous terrain we encountered this summer.

Kids Art and Nature Camp- Garden Camp

Campers holding up their garden inspired banners

Chickens, snap peas and bunnies, oh my! We finished the last art and nature camp this past week at the North Cascades Basecamp, entitled Garden Camp. We had 13 kids join instructors Deirdre Cassidy, Kim Romain-Bondi and Raechel Youngberg. Our week kicked off with in-depth exploration of vegetable plants in the beautiful Basecamp garden. 

Amelia works on her carrot banner

Each kid completed a series of sketches in the garden focused on the garden plants and pollinators. The kids then drew a picture inspired by the garden, which they transformed into brightly colored garden banners. 

The wonderful intersection of art and nature did not end there. The kids used big luscious cabbage leaves gathered from the garden as a template for creating concrete birdbaths. The cabbage leaves left beautiful and intricate impressions onto the concrete. These birdbaths will be a wonderful addition to all the kids' home gardens or yards.

An unpainted birdbath

Later campers furthered their knowledge of garden plants while we practiced saving seeds. We smelled the calendula flowers while learning that it can be made into a salve to help treat rashes, as well as cuts and scrapes. We tasted spicy mizuna, a Japanese mustard green, that is a great addition to any salad. We crushed coriander pods in-between our fingers while inhaling its pungent aroma. The last seed we collected was swiss chard, a bright dark leafy green that can be transformed into a variety of dishes. 

Campers saving seeds

We also had the chance to hold baby chicks that have hatched in the garden within the last couple of weeks. It was a great opportunity for both human and feathered friends to become socialized with each other. We all enjoyed assisting the chicks with their perching practice by placing them on our shoulders and sometimes heads!

Emmet with his favorite chick, Pineapple.

Nichola with a perching chick

Lily familiarizing with chicks and their little sharp nails

We finished the week creating colorful designs with rocks, twigs, weeds, and other natural materials down near the river. Our designs were inspired by Andy Goldberg, an artist famous for transforming natural materials into awe-inspiring works of art. 

Evan showing off his mullenweed design 

Lilliana working on her concentric rock design

All in all we had a wonderful week here at the Basecamp exploring the garden, river, artistic endeavors, and friendships.   

Kids Art and Nature Camp- Habitat Habitat!

We just finished our first Art and Nature Camp at the North Cascades Basecamp, titled Habitat, Habitat, Habitat.  We had 12 kids join Deirdre Cassidy, Kim Romain-Bondi, and Raechel Youngberg for a great week.  We started our week with nature walks and discussions of habitat, and native wildlife's adaptations to to live in Methow Valley.  Our sketch books came in handy as recorded our observations and created imaginary creatures with a random variety of adaptations, such as long claws, a shadow tail, big ears, round body, and a nut-cracking bill. The kids created incredible paper mache animals based on what we had learned, some with realistic features in the end, and others with folk art colors of their imagination.  Games in the grass and a fair amount of waterplay kept the days fun and cool.   The photo below shows our floating habitat we found in the swimming pond, where we identified 7 species of insects or animals that were using it.  We can't wait for next weeks camp- Native Plants, Trees, Flowers, and Leaves.

Raechel's lesson about how snakes are adapted to different habitats

Busy children were amazingly focused as they started their paper mache animals

Folk art color creations on Nella's snake

Kelley fox is ready for paint

Payten adds detail to her kingfisher masterpiece

 

Floating habitat in the swimming pond

 

Methow Valley Elementary School Field Trips

Methow Valley Elementary School kids spent the last month studying science here at the North Cascades Basecamp.  2nd graders spent 2 field days studying ecosystems and the 'Life of a Log', while the 3rd graders spent another 2 field days studying plant growth and development in nature.  We all had a blast, school teachers, chaparones, science leaders, and 50 kids per day walking in the woods, studying nature in depth, and performing and teaching to their fellow peers all about what they learned.

Here are a few photo highlights from 2nd grade studying Ecosystems:  

team building a log ecosystem

learning the life of the down log

learning out of doors

magnifying an insect

studying the root ball

presenting with staff in hand

team building exercises

what does it taste like?

riparian ecosystem studies

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Photo highlights from 3rd grade field trip studying Plant Growth and Development:

studying the parts of a flower

magnifying the stamen

graphing tree age and diameter

counting tree rings

growth of a tree

making cordage from cedar

graphing creations

a walk across the bridge in the forest

drinking fir needle tea