Hiking the North Cascades by Erik Molvar

Author:Erik Molvar
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493037087
Publisher: Falcon Guides
Published: 2019-03-18T16:00:00+00:00

Backcountry permits are not required, although there is a new fee for each night of parking on national forest lands that surround the wilderness. The fees are part of an experimental pilot program; be sure to voice your opinions about the fees to your congressional representatives.

The main access route to the Pasayten is Harts Pass Road (FR 5400), which runs 18.5 miles from Mazama to Harts Pass, near timberline. The road is wide and well maintained through the Methow River valley but becomes narrow and steep as it climbs the valley walls and winds up past Deadhorse Point to reach the high country to the west. Potholes and fallen rocks can make for challenging driving, particularly for vehicles with low clearance. From Harts Pass, a good road winds up toward Slate Peak, and a narrow and rutted track descends along Slate Creek to end at the Cady Pass Trailhead, where the road has been washed out and abandoned (Chancellor Campground can no longer be reached by car). The Pasayten can also be accessed from WA 20 via the Jackita Ridge and Chancellor Trails (hikes 54 and 70). The wilderness can be approached from the west via trails that follow Ross Lake; travelers who begin their journey in Ross Lake Recreation Area must have a free permit to camp on national park lands. Trails also penetrate the wilderness from Canada; hikers who approach from the north should obtain the appropriate clearance from US and Canadian Customs.

There is little in the way of services near the Pasayten Wilderness. Gas and limited supplies can be obtained at the small mercantile store in Mazama. Eleven miles east of Mazama is the resort town of Winthrop, where visitors will find backpacking supplies, excellent restaurants, bed-and-breakfast lodgings, and a laid-back atmosphere that hearkens back to the days of the Old West. Travelers who seek a more rustic experience will find several USDA forest service campgrounds along the West Fork of the Methow River as well as two alpine campgrounds in the vicinity of Harts Pass. There is a forest service visitor center in Winthrop, and a ranger cabin at Harts Pass is staffed sporadically during the summer.

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