Tatie Peak and Grasshopper Pass
3 weeks ago
Fall color is arriving on exposed ridges
1 this month · 19 reports
Windy Pass
North Cascades
updated 3 weeks ago
The trail to Windy Pass is currently in good condition, with no significant obstacles reported. Snow is generally absent, with intermittent snow noted only as hikers descended towards Lake Caroline on September 28. Larches are beginning to show fall color, with peak color anticipated within the next one to two weeks, as of September 20. The road leading to the trailhead is described as rough but passable, with some sections being tedious due to traffic, though sedans were seen at the trailhead on September 28. The parking lot at the 8-mile trailhead was busy on a Saturday, September 28.
Generated from 14 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about Windy Pass
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 3 weeks ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 3 weeks, so everything below is at least that old.
The road is described as rough but passable, with some tedious sections due to traffic. Sedans were observed at the trailhead on September 28. One report from October 14 noted that the road is not too bad except for a few sections, with a specific challenging spot called Deadhorse Point.
As of September 28, there was intermittent snow encountered when descending towards Lake Caroline, but it was not difficult to cross. Other reports from October 14 and September 20 indicate the trail is snow-free.
Larches were beginning to turn as of September 20, and peak color was estimated to be one to two weeks out from that date. Hikers on September 28 also noted larches beginning to turn golden.
The parking lot was busy on a Saturday, September 28, for the 8-mile trailhead. However, those with permits reported getting good parking. No specific information is available for weekdays or the current date.
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Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > Pasayten
This is a seriously good hike! We did not do the whole 4 miles to the pass, probably did about 2. The trail is one you can keep walking on forever, as many PCT hikers have done. The grade is an easy r...
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
Overnight trip to Lake Caroline followed by day hike up to Windy Pass and the base of Cashmere Mountain (more on that later).Eightmile road is pretty awful as others have said. I've driven worse but t...
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
I got a permit for this trip back in April for the 8 mile/Lake Caroline area. Our itinerary that we decided upon was to hike up to Lake Caroline on sept 26th and spend two nights with a day trip up to...
Older1 month ago
North Cascades > Pasayten
Larches are starting to turn but aren’t quite there yet. I would guess the peak will be in a week or two. Beautiful hike, and we got a surprisingly smoke free day. Lots of PCTers finishing their trek ...
Older14 months ago
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
trail in great shape, except overgrown from windy pass west down to jack trout th.
Older14 months ago
Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area
We decided to climb Cashmere Mountain as a 2-day trip, camping overnight at Lake Caroline. I snagged overnight permits early via the Enchantments lottery. However, we saw almost nobody the entire week...
Older25 months ago
North Cascades
Gorgeous day for a hike to Windy Pass! I think we parked in the wrong lot technically, because we could see another one above, which we passed maybe 2/3 mile into our hike. Oops. The road was less sca...
Older25 months ago
North Cascades
Harts Pass road is in the same condition it always is... washboarded, narrow, rocky and stressful. But once you manage to get to the trailhead the hiking is easy all the way out to Windy Pass. Don't s...
Older25 months ago
North Cascades
We arrived at the Windy Pass Trailhead around 2pm, and there were a handful of parking spots available. There is one small lot near the big sign, and another one just around the hairpin turn.The driv...
Older25 months ago
North Cascades
What a lovely day on the trail with sweeping views of Golden Horn, Azurite, Jack Mountain, and Mount Ballard (with Baker peeking in from behind). Larches were starting to pop and I had a smile on my f...