Sahale Arm

When I get into a hiking conversation with people this is what I always rave to everyone about. I decided that I wanted to share it with everyone. It is the most beautiful, awe-inspiring place I've ever seen. Don't just skim over the pictures saying, "that's pretty." LOOK at them, and realize it doesn't even compare to being there in person. So please, take 5 minutes, sit back, and let me(or the pictures) convince you that you must go here, if at all possible, before you die.

The Sahale Arm(suh-hall-ee) hike is located in the Cascade mountains in WA. Google it to get directions because I don't remember how to get there.

This first part of the hike(2 miles) starts out with switch backs through the forest (this is a fine place to rest toward the end of the switch backs, next to a little water fall)
You get peaks out at this gorgeous view on the switch backs.

Once out of the switch backs through the forest you are free and clear and ready for the most spectacular scenery of your life. This stretch(1 1/2 miles) takes you straight across the mountain (don't forget with the mountains in above picture shooting up on your right)

leading you past wild huckleberries

and not too far ahead of this picture takes you to Cascade Pass. I do not have any pictures of that unfortunately. It is a very nice spot to sit and rest for a while. There are camping spots, but don't stop there. What you've seen is beautiful, but it just gets better.

Right after Cascade Pass I'd say is the hardest part, though it's not that long, and you come up over that edge behind Scott and I, onto the Arm. This is also a great place to rest. And we did!

This is doubtful Lake below us, which you can hike down to if you want, but there's no camping, so I say skip it! The hike is straight down and straight back up. For a while you hike through these gorgeous rolling hills that make up the Arm, with spectacular views of the surrounding Cascades.This is along the Arm, showing where we are heading. We camped right at the base of the glacier, on top of the left most of the 3 humps. Click on this picture to enlarge. It is so cool!
We saw a few animals... Besides these two pictures, Scott and David saw a mountain goat at Cascade pass, which ran away before the rest of us arrived a minute later, and Scott saw a nocturnal mouse with huge black eyes around our camp site. so cool! This is at the top of the Arm where we stopped for a long rest. You can see parts of the trail.

By this time we just wanted to take a while and enjoy the beauty surrounding us. Can you see why?

The last mile or so to the glacier you hike up this rocky area. There's no distinct trail, you just pick your way through it. It's pretty steep, but all of us got through it just fine. Even Rosalee who was 9 at the time.

And this is our totally awesome camp site! It was the coolest place I'd ever seen!

On the other side of this rock wall the mountain just drops down.

Our view straight out at sunset.

Our view looking to the right.

Dad got up and got this picture of Scott and I sleeping early that morning. Actually if I remember right I was awake but pretended to be asleep for the picture. You can see another couple's tent on top of that hump behind us. We were the only ones up there that night. Love it!

It got kinda windy during the night so we were all grateful for the rock walls.

And before we hiked down we went a very short distance to play on the glacier. We had brought plastic garbage bags and had fun sledding.

All of us ready to hike down, except for Scott who took this picture.

There. If I didn't convince you I hope the pictures did.

It's 7 miles one way. Go in July or August when you know it will be sunny. You have to purchase a permit and reserve a camping spot. You can choose whatever one you want when you get there. There's a little cascading waterfall up there so you can bring a water filter. I think we were required to bring one of their food cylinder cases so animals wouldn't get into our food, but it wasn't really big enough and seriously there's nothing up there. Our bags weren't touched over night.