Backpacking weekend on West Cady Ridge (July 30, 2005)

We headed out Friday afternoon for a weekend backpacking trip in the Washington Cascades. It was a beautiful, sunny July weekend, and we wanted to avoid summer crowds, so we had chosen West Cady Ridge, north of Skykomish in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. After stopping at the Index Cafe in Index to grab dinner and a beer, we made our way to the trailhead (a bit later than planned), hiked and camped Friday and Saturday nights and looped back on Pass Creek Trail in time for another stop at the Index Cafe on Sunday. It was about an 18-mile loop - a perfect length for an enjoyable, not-too-rushed weekend.