Fall Crossing Over North Cascades

Washington State Highway 20 over the North Cascades is closed every winter once the snow begins to get deep. The avalanche hazard is too high and persistent to afford keeping the road open. And to put it simply the road is not a critical link across the state.

Snow arrived by mid October, but has been plowed allowing for continued crossing. It will take a fair bit more snow to load up the avalanche areas. As I live in northern Washington and had some north central ventures, I was able to take advantage of the cleared road and save some miles and time.   

Just west of Washington Pass. The snow cover was causing fog to form

Descending Rainy Pass down Granite Creek provides a view of Crater Mountain. I took this picture as I crossed into my home county, Whatcom County.

Crater Mountain

West ridge of Crater Jack Mountain?

Turning west of northwest having entering the Ruby Creek Valley I had a view of Mount Prophet Challenger.

Mount Prophet Challenger

I had a glimpsed of Ross Lake with cottonwoods like bright beacons in the evergreen landscape.

Then a favorite view north up the upper Skagit Valley with Hozameen rising sharply above the valley's east side.

 

Then Colonial Peak rising above the confluence of Thunder Creek and the Skagit River.

The picture of Colonial does not do the peak justice. I had to point the camera up to capture its sharp rise above the deep valley. From Thunder Creek to the summit is of 6,300 feet.

The cold water coming out of Diablo Lake below Seattle City Light's Diablo Dam was chilling the air and forming a fog bank on the downstream side of the dam.