Looking for the perfect post-hike stop in the Columbia River Gorge? Thunder Island Brewing Co in Cascade Locks offers Mountain View’s, craft beer brewed with adventure in mind, and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re coming off the trails near Bridge of the Gods or just exploring the Gorge with your kids, this spot is the ideal place to unwind, refuel, and take in those incredible river views.
Brewery is on the first floor
This is one of our favorite stops when we are hiking in the Columbia Gorge area. The restaurant/ Brewery is beautiful and who can resist a staircase that reminds you of Dog Mountain? Love it!
Always the more difficult ! Love this reference to Dog Mountain
They offer a great mix of food .. burgers to tofu ! We were pleased with the many choices and having such a large group it really was great we could all order something we liked.
Thunder Mountain Brewery Co perfectly captures what we love most about the Pacific Northwest: community, craftsmanship, and the great outdoors. Whether you’re winding down after a family hike or planning your next mountain adventure, this cozy brewery is the perfect place to raise a glass to good trails and great company.
October in Washington State is one of the most beautiful seasons and the perfect time to visit .
Look at all the beautiful fall colors that are so vibrant and welcoming🍁
Heading up to Heather Pass
The Golden Larches were on full display and we were lucky enough to catch them..they turn the bright golden color for such a short time before they lose their needles .It was interesting to touch them .. they were so soft .
Look closely you will see a beautifully hidden lake (Lewis Lake ) just past the larches .. thanks to my friend who spotted it! Viewpoint at Heather Pass
We also talked with another hiker .. Keith from Ohio who recommended a short trail off of the Maple Pass Loop …the Wing Lake Trail ..where he captured the most beautiful hike through the larches .
The weather in the North Cascades is a little of everything …sunshine,rain and even some snow and the mountains are basking in the final streams of sunshine as they prepare to welcome winter.
Heading to Maple Pass
We experienced all their weather including the snow and enjoyed all the beauty of fall. The pics look so unreal but the actual views were so much better! The camera never captures the full experience .So thankful to be able to experience all this beauty! . “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalms 113:3 NIV
Descending Maple Pass is so beautiful! You see the path as it zigzags along the mountainside and everywhere you look you see mountains. If you look closely you will see other hikers who look like little specks .
Look to the left of the picture .. do you see the path through the trees? We hiked all the way around and could see the other side from where we were.. so cool! That zigzag is our path down
Views of Rainy Lake as we were descending back to where we parked.
Here are our stats⬇️
📍Maple Pass Loop
🧭 Winthrop, Wa
🥾 6.5 miles RT ( we came in at 7.9 miles)
🏔️ 2162 ft elevation gain ( we gained 2254 )
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple
The Larches in all their beauty this past week at Maple Pass Loop in the North Cascade Mountains was such a blessing to experience. So thankful we were able to catch them during this magical transformation.
Maple Pass Loop also connects to Rainy Pass with the PCT Trail and we had the privilege of catching up with one of the PCT hikers,Daniel and his dad who was there to provide refueling snacks for those on the trail. Daniel started hiking in April from Mexico and had it had been 179 days since starting and he had just a few more to finish the PCT ! So impressive! He looked great and by the time we finished the hike he was already on the trail again but his dad was still there to cheer on the PCT hikers and us! What a nice guy! You can follow all his adventures on his YouTube channel I linked below ⬇️
Hotel Leavenworth is the perfect place to soak in some relaxation vibes . We planned to stay here after hiking in the Cascade Mountain Range and it was such a blessing! It is on the Main Street in Leavenworth , has parking that is included, and is convenient to so many restaurants! One of our favs .. Gustav’s , is located directly across the street.
The hotel could be described modern ski lodge . We loved the common area in the hallway between rooms. There were places to read or grab a drink and just hang out.
The room was so spacious! We had a jet tub in the room ,but in a seperate area, a huge walk in space to unload our gear , and a beautiful sitting area with a fireplace. It was the perfect room after a long day of hiking.Check out our full video tour of our room below ⬇️
Colchuck Lake has easily become a yearly favorite . The first time I ever had the privilege of doing this hike it turned into a crazy day . We had an injury in our group, we experienced bouldering for the first time , many of us ran out of water , it took us way longer then we planned , and we met our first skinny dippers at the lake 😂 Since then, we have had so many laughs looking back at that first time.
Here is some of the first boulders we experienced.. but stay to the right and you will find a path that makes it easy to get through.
This hike is so captivating that when you first get the glimpses of the water you are in awe that you have just stumbled on this hidden gem . It is surrounded by two of Washington’s tallest peaks ,Dragontail and Colchuck Peak. Literally, I could stay there all day ! So beautiful and the water is so clear .
Colchuck Lake is one of the two gateways to the Enchantments. It’s an iconic hike in itself but if you want to challenge yourself more ,you can continue on to Aasgard Pass, the door to the Enchantment Core. Makes me think of a portal to another world , which now after doing Aasgards ,it actually does seem like a whole different world you step into . Look for that post later!
Looking for the perfect post-hike stop in the Columbia River Gorge? Thunder Island Brewing Co in Cascade Locks offers Mountain View’s, craft beer brewed with adventure in mind, and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re coming off the trails near Bridge of the Gods or just exploring the Gorge with your kids, this spot is the ideal place to unwind, refuel, and take in those incredible river views.
The winter trail for Franklin Falls is so beautiful! From the drive to the beautiful snow covered path . We had planned to snowshoe the trail but we didn’t end up needing the snowshoes and were able to use our micro spikes . The trail is typically 2 miles but with the road closure in the winter it takes on another 5 mi so we did just over 7 miles with the winter route .
Road closure Sun peeking over the mountains Trail Head Famous Red Cabin
The cabins along the trail with the creek was probably one of my favorite areas of the hike and so peaceful. I wanted to grab my hot cocoa from my pack and read a book right there .. it was such a beautiful spot!
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Perfect spot
Before you come to the falls, you descend stairs and then the whole beautiful area just captivates you as you climb down and see the awe of the rushing falls! It was so cool!!
Anyone else amazed that you can drive right over this beautiful area and never know it was there until you hike it ? I am learning to look beyond the trees and roads as we travel . There are so many beautiful adventures when we take the time to explore 🌲
Have you ever hiked this trail? What were your favs?
I also did a fun reel of our day .. check it out here ⬇️
Coffee break! It has been a season of adventure for me personally as well as my family which means my social media had to take a back seat .. and honestly I’m ok with that! I want to live life full of adventure and experiences to live them and share them but not to do it for the sharing.
Ok so for some updates on what’s happening in our lives and what content you can expect to see.
First of all, we still love traveling and have several trips to still be posted once I get them fully edited with cost breakdowns. I love yo see the actual cost of family trips and the value of what you get so that’s important to us to share. In our years of traveling we have not seen enough of those!
We still love Disney .. but God has shown us there are so many beautiful places to see and learn about so we have started broadening our itineraries 🌎
We are still homeschooling and I am teaching at a Coop so lots of content of what I have done or will be doing is in the drafts . Just to note, as we head into this new school year we will have a Senior.. be still my heart!
A new adventure brewing.. this last year I was inspired to climb a mountain.. not just any mountain .. Mt. Everest . Let me just say that this is an adventure in Gods hands that I am learning to trust and show up for. I am completely ok if God only takes me to the base camp or if he takes this from me but for now I am feeling lead to train for it and trust him. Side note, I am not a mountaineer and or have never had any training .. I grew up in Texas so enough said😜oh and this is a 10 year plan 🏔️
In January, a dear friend , accepted my request to train and work toward learning how to climb elevation. She has the skill and knowledge to hike any mountain 🏔️ and I’m so thankful for her knowledge and skill and that God blessed me with her. She encourages and challenges me.
In January , we made a plan and have been going strong ! Guess what! Other ladies have joined us ❤️So you can expect to start to see these adventures soon.
I’m excited to get back to sharing our adventures with you all ❤️
