[HermitThrush]

If you only had to do ONE North Cascades hike, which one would it be? I'm all ears. I may be moving to Minnesota next year sometime, and while I'm excited about this, I want to take advantage of my close proximity to this stuff. Feel free to privately message me if you don't feel like sharing it here for some reason. And I love pictures. They motivate me!

[olderthanIusedtobe]

North Cascades gets used quite differently by various posters. Can you specify what area you are talking about? National Park complex? Anything north of I-90? North of Hwy 2? Hwy 20 vicinity and northward? And even then I'll have a really, really hard time narrowing it down to the ONE hike I would recommend, but it helps to whittle down the possibilities at least. Also, day hike or backpack trip? If day hiking, what kind of mileage is within your comfort range?

[Steve]

Copper Ridge Loop WTA link

[HermitThrush]

Highway 20 and northward Either day hike or overnight would be fine.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Hard to top that suggestion of Copper Ridge loop. If you do it, have to veer off the main loop to take in Whatcom Pass and the Tapto and Middle Lakes. I did this as a 5 day trip, could be done in less time (especially if you skipped Whatcom, but why would you want to do that?) if you were really scooting along. I told you I wouldn't be able to narrow it down to one. Just can't. Here's a few: Ptarmigan Ridge Yellow Aster Butte Park Butte Lookout/Railroad Grade/Scott Paul loop Hidden Lake Lookout/Peak Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm (and if you are comfortable w/ a little bit of off trail, highly recommend making it into a loop by going up to Boston Basin first, then x-country and scrambling up to Sahale Arm a little below the Sahale Glacier camp, continue on up to the camp, and then back down the Arm and to Cascade Pass--the two trailheads are only about 1/2 mile apart--definitely recommend parking at Cascade Pass and walking the short distance downhill to start, the Boston Basin parking area is tiny and gets messy) 2 of those are south of Hwy 20, but close enough, and very much in the heart of the North Cascades country. This doesn't even include anything on the east slope of the Cascades, plenty of good stuff continuing further east on Hwy 20, but I've gone way past picking one hike already. Better spend as much time as you can in the North Cascades this summer, in case you do end up moving out of the area. Nothing else like it anywhere in the Lower 48.

[pcg]

[AlpineRose]

Spend the weekend (or two days) camping on the Cascade River Rd, then do Cascade Pass/Sahale Arm and Hidden Lake Peak.

[Eric Hansen]

Some of the best of Copper Ridge can be enjoyed with less time than 5 days. One primo shorter trip would be Silesia for night 1 and 2 with a day hike east on the ridge for day 2. Day 3 hike to Hannegan Peak for the night. Memorable views, notably into the Nooksack Cirque. Returning from Silesia to Hannegan Peak you could take the Hannegan High Route (ridge e. of Hannegan) if comfortable with that. Or a 2 night trip with Silesia being night 1, Hannegan Peak night 2.

[asdf]

Ditto Copper Ridge, it's just insane how good that is. Bonus if you cross the Chilliwack River while salmon are crowding it. Just surreal.

[Malachai Constant]

Picket Traverse camp on Challenger Arm

[Mtn Dog]

Crater Peak. There's a 3rd class scramble on the upper trail but it's marked and easy to follow. Views from the top are amazing.