Hidden Lake Lookout and Sahale Arm are two shorter, well-known trails in North Cascades National Park that have been on my to-do list for years. I had an evening/morning to myself earlier this week, so after working for most of the day I made a break for Cascade River Rd where I went to Hidden Lake Lookout for sunset, spent the night in the van at Marble Creek campground, and then headed up to Sahale Arm bright and early the next morning. Home in plenty of time for dinner.
These are both well-traveled trails in excellent shape. I went on a sunny Thurs/Friday and there were definitely other people around, although I wouldn’t call it crowded. On Thursday night the Hidden Lake Lookout was occupied by a couple that arrived by noon in order to stake their claim (in case you’re thinking of staying up there yourself and want to know what time to arrive).
The views from Hidden Lake Lookout were beautiful, but it was Sahale Arm that really wowed me. One of those perfect mornings in the mountains that I won’t soon forget. The WTA descriptions (linked above) tell you most of what you need to know about these two trails. See below for pics.
Hidden Lake Lookout photos:
Sahale Arm photos:
Evergreen Endurance Coaching 
Beautiful Jessica. How do you know which peak is which? I always have trouble figuring this out. My peaks apps don’t really work well. Do you have one that does/
I look at a topo map, take my best guess, and then verify by searching for images of the peaks online when I get home. And sometimes even after all that I get it wrong. 🙂
Good stuff, Jessica. A couple of Cascade River Classics. Love HLP with all my heart! First time on Sahale Arm we saw 50+ marmots. Such a rich area.
Good grief, I subscribed to this blog to get suggestions for places to go. Now my list is too long! 🙂 !st world problem for sure. Keep it up.