North Cascades National Park

Cathy and Kathy go camping.  Our first stop was in northern Washington at North Cascades National Park.  This place was georgeous with shimmering green water in the rivers and lakes, deeply forested mountains and a quieting wilderness feel.  Our first night we arrived close to sundown after a day of camping preparation, food shopping and boring errands.  The drive out of Seattle began our departure from civilization and big cities.  It felt great.  We stopped at the first campground to check it out and it was probably the best place we could have selected.  Our site was on the river, isolated from other sites, quite large and near the latrine.  The campfire was lit and we had a delicious meal of Kosher hot dogs on the grill.  The next day was our first hiking expedition.  Stopping at the ranger station I humorously inquired about bears.  Yes, he said, you might encounter some on the trail but just keep a good lookout for them and make lots of noise.  His lacksadaisical attitude did not impress me.  I made up songs along the trail and Kathy and I kept up the noise level.  No bears.  I think they hated my voice.  The only “wildlife” spotted were animals I could put in my pocket.  Anyway, the hike.  This was my first major hike in a while.  It was hard.  The trail was deep in the forest and winded upwards about 1000 feet.  It took two hours to get to the top but what  a reward.  Blue Lake was a stunning oasis.  It’s quite small but the crystal clear blue-green waters, trees, rocks and lingering snow made it a worthwhile trip.    Our return to the campsite was around dinnertime and we prepared gourmet chicken shish kabob with veggies and red potatoes.  Another beautiful night in the woods.