The Cascade Loop To Winthrop

Tires… Again

After a reasonable night’s sleep I get up, showered and dressed, and have breakfast in the room. I do a bit more of my diary and then check out at 11 am.

Driving up Whidby Island yesterday I checked the tire pressures a few times. The fronts were 44 psi and the rears 41. Pressure does increase when tires are warm but I’m sure they are way too high. I Googled for a tire garage last night and there’s one on the way out of town.

After a few minutes I pull into Schwab Tire Center. As I walk towards the office a mechanic comes out the garage: “Can I help?” I explain the problem and Travis opens the driver’s door and reads the plate with the pressures on. They should be 33 psi when cold. Idiot rental mechanics! I ask him if he can reduce them, offering him $5. But he kindly says no problem, no need to pay him.

I tell him I’ve driven from the Majestic so the tires should still be relatively cold. We agree on him setting them at 35 psi all round. Travis does the job in a couple of minutes, I thank him for helping and he says goodbye and “safe travels.”

North Cascades National Park

I’m on the road again, safely. It’s overcast this morning but about 70 degrees. The first part of the drive is pretty boring. About an hour later the sun appears here and there, but it’s cloudy and sunny intervals for the rest of the day. Temperature doesn’t alter much either.

The road starts to climb gently and around 1.30 pm I enter the North Cascades National Park. I’m on State Route 20 E again, the North Cascades Highway. The road is tracking the Skagit River very closely. At the Gorge Overlook there’s a dam which generates hydro-electric power for Seattle. Behind it is Gorge Lake.

Higher still and the road climbs more until I reach the Diablo Lake Overloook, or Vista Point. There’s another dam here that created the Lake. I stop and take in the view. There are stunning views from the Overlook. A cloudy backdrop sky doesn’t detract too much. Back in the car and up the road is the Ross Lake Overlook, but it’s not very good. There are too many trees in the way to get a clear look of Ross Lake. Pity.

The road surface of Rte 20 E is excellent. No tight bends either, it’s all sweeping curves. The speed limit is 60 mph and it’s easy to do that safely. Even the few tighter bends are only 45 mph. There is very little traffic on the road either, it’s quite quiet.

Diablo Lake panorama

Washington Pass

I spot a sign on the left for the Washington Pass Overlook and I decide to take a look. There’s a drive of about quarter of a mile to the parking lot. A sign indicates the way to walk to the Overlook.

Washington Pass Overlook panorama

After about 100 yards or so… wow! What a sight. A vast glacier created a valley that is stunning. There’s a short walk up a path in the rocks to see the other side of the Pass. And I can see a road on the valley floor…

Back on Rte 20 E just out of the Overlook and the road starts to go downhill and into a long sweeping switchback. Then I’m on the floor of the Pass. The road then becomes the most incredible drive. For the most part straight and fast, it’s a terrific trip through the Pass. The road picks up the Methow River in places. After the Pass, the rest of the drive to Winthrop continues on very good roads through nice scenery. The Cascade Range of mountains provides a great backdrop in the distance.

Into Winthrop

Driving into Winthrop and Rte 20 E goes through the center of town. All of the buildings are made from old timber, presumably originals from the 1880s when gold brought the first permanent settlers. It’s just like the American Old West.

The Chewuch Inn & Cabins is on the other side of town. I had real difficulty finding a hotel here. Most – and there aren’t many to start with – had a minimum two night stay for Friday and Saturday. No use to me. The Chewuch was practically my only option.

It seems OK when I check in and provides breakfast in the morning. The room is small-ish but suits me fine.

“I’m going back to schooldays” *

Business card

Later on I walk back into Winthrop town in the dark to the Old Schoolhouse Brewery for dinner. It’s quiet inside but Chad the barman tells me there is an outside terrace with more people on it.

I order a Rueben sandwich to eat, which is good. I also select a beer after tasting a few on offer. Chad is quite talkative but obviously busy, on his own behind the bar. A guy turns up later and we end up chatting for a while. We talk about Yosemite somehow. I tell my tale of not seeing anything because of the rain storm. On his visit though he saw it in all its glory. He didn’t stay in the bar for long though, and left soon after.

My research indicated that many bars in the region close early, often at 9 pm. The Schoolhouse however stays open a bit longer tonight after a few more people came into the bar. It’s 9.45 pm before I say goodbye to Chad and leave. I am last out though. I shake hands with Chad and head out into the Winthrop night air. It’s still reasonably warm as I walk the 15 or so minutes back to the Inn.

After some diary time, I hit lights out. There was some great driving and scenery today plus a pleasant end to the day at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery.

* Back to Schooldays by Graham Parker