Naches is a very small orchard town in the Yakima valley, at the place where the Naches River comes down out of the Cascades, and it is the dry-side end of the Chinook Pass road. The change from west to east is dramatic. On the Seattle side the slopes are wrapped in dripping fir and cedar, and over the crest the forest thins into ponderosa pine and then sagebrush, with sun, orchards and irrigated fields. Naches is where the green gives way to gold.
The valley produces much of America's apple crop, and also pears, cherries, hops and wine grapes, thanks to water from the mountains and a dry, sunny climate. Fruit stands appear along the road in late summer, selling peaches, apricots and cider, and in autumn the air smells of apples and wood smoke. The cascades act as a barrier to rain, so the east side gets only a fraction of the precipitation that falls on the west. The change in climate is something you can feel in a single afternoon.
Chinook Pass Scenic Byway, State Route 410, climbs along the river and crosses the Cascade crest at about fifty-four hundred feet, running along the edge of Mount Rainier National Park. Rainier itself, at over fourteen thousand feet, dominates the western horizon, a huge, glacier-covered volcano. The road is good, with smooth bends, forest and big views, and the descent east follows the river past cliffs of basalt. The pass is closed in winter, usually from November to late May, because of heavy snow, so check conditions.
You can find basic services in Naches, though the larger town of Selah, about fifteen kilometres away, or Yakima, offers more fuel and food. Fill the tank before the climb, since stations are scarce on the pass. A roadside fruit stand is a great reward after a day's ride. Weather in the mountains can change quickly, with cold rain or even snow in summer, so bring a waterproof. In September and October, golden larch and red vine maple add colour to the slopes, and the light is warm.