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A Tough Trip Over Easy Pass Scenery, Solitude and Challenges in North Cascades National Park

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A Tough Trip Over Easy Pass Scenery, Solitude and Challenges in North Cascades National Park Northwest Explorer A Tough Trip Over Easy Pass Scenery, solitude and challenges in North Cascades National Park By John Howell been booked when we got our permit in the trip just fine. Marblemount. Our destination was At 8:40 p.m. we arrived at Cosho North Cascades National Park is a Cosho Camp, another 4.1 miles west Camp. We checked out the three pristine wilderness with spectacular on mostly brushy trail. campsites close to Fisher Creek. We craggy peaks, enormous glaciers and Along the way, my water was were alone. Before we set up our remote, lush valleys. depleted and I became thirsty. We home-fashioned shelter, a two-point Dr. Don Potter and I embarked on bushwacked to nearby Fisher Creek to buck wandered into the site we se- 43 miles of backpacking in six days at filter water. My water filter malfunc- lected. Easy Pass Trailhead, just off North tioned and we managed to pump three- After a 10-mile, 10-hour day, we ate Cascades Highway (State Route 20). fourths of a quart of water while and hung our food in the dark. Sleep Our journey took us over Easy Pass maddening flies pestered us. Although came easy for two weary bodies. and Park Creek Pass, terminating in my filter had worked fine at home, it I arose early, letting Don enjoy his Stehekin on Lake Chelan. stopped working altogether. Bummer! sleep. After retrieving the food, I WTA’s Kara Chin and companion It had been a tough day! But we would rechecked the water filter. Still no Ryan Dyson joined us on the first leg of persevere. success! I explored the Fisher Creek this hike to 6,500-foot Easy Pass. The Fortunately, Don had brought water crossing, 0.2 miles beyond camp. A trail is in good condition. Near the purification pills. The pills, plus boiling Marblemount employee had stated that beginning, the washed-out footbridge water in camp, would get us through the footbridge was out. Behold! A new over Granite Creek was replaced two years ago. Three crossings of Easy Pass Creek are just that: easy! OWELL H At the beginning of the six-day hike, I OHN J failed to drink enough water. Carrying one quart of water proved to be insufficient during the last steep mile in open, rocky terrain. Mercifully, we arrived at Easy Pass by 2 p.m., averaging a mile per hour. Kara and Ryan were ahead of us and greeted us on their way down. We appreciated their company and the help they provided by driving my car home. After reaching the pass, we rested in shade to have lunch. One bite of sandwich and I felt instant nausea. Dehydration! Resting, drinking water and eating apple soon brought me around. We enjoyed fantastic views and chatted with hikers. Pat (from Wiscon- sin) and Jack (from Redmond) were on the same route to Stehekin as we were. We shared the same camps on the second and third nights, and would see them several times during the trip. After an hour and 15 minutes at the pass, we descended steeply 2.1 miles on Glaciers seen from above Junction Camp, on the Easy Pass Trail. This difficult 15 switchbacks through heavy brush to overnight hike offers relative solitude and fantastic views. Fisher Camp. The three campsites had October 2005 WASHINGTON TRAILS Northwest Explorer up some switchbacks from the junction OWELL H is impressive machinery from the old OHN J Skagit Queen mining operation. We continued southeast 4 miles along Thunder Creek, gaining 1800 feet to Upper Thunder Basin Camp (elevation 4,900 feet). At camp, Pat and Jack again occu- pied the only other campsite. We would not see them again until Stehekin. This was the high-elevation camp of the trip, with spectacular views of Mount Logan to the north and rugged Buckner Mountain and Thunder Glacier hovering nears us. As we set up camp, a four-point buck casually visited our campsite. After dinner, he browsed within 10 feet of us as we hung our food. As I drifted to sleep, I heard a thundering rockfall that sounded as A four-point though it would come right down to buck spotted our shelter. Rockfalls continued near camp. throughout the night, in aptly named Thunder Basin. These thundering bridge was in place. Good news! Velcro strap to the frame had come sounds elicited vivid dreams from both Back at camp, we enjoyed a leisurely loose. Don’s fix with some well-placed of us. breakfast and left camp at noon. duct tape solved the problem. The temperature dropped during the The sky was overcast and tempera- We arrived at Junction Camp night to 38 degrees. In the brisk tures were in the 60s, a real relief for (elevation 3,100 feet) at 5:30 p.m. Pat morning, our friendly buck revisited us hiking in August. During the 5-mile hike and Jack were settled in their campsite, before we left camp in bright sunshine to Junction Camp, I saw four harmless the only other ones there. The sky had and warming temperatures. snakes. Don pointed out a black bear cleared and views to the west of Park Creek Pass, the highlight of our on the trail ahead of us. It was just over Tricouni Peak and a hanging glacier journey, was 1.5 miles and 1,200 feet of a rise. We saw only its head and body as were awesome. After dinner, we hung elevation gain ahead of us. Our antici- it ambled to our right, disappearing into food and did laundry. pation was growing! The first half of the forest. Good bear! In the morning, I dutifully retrieved this pitch is gradual, with the last 0.8 Of 12 drainages into Fisher Creek, the food. Only this time, when the rope miles gaining 900 feet. We downshifted two gave us a challenge. At 1.5 miles went slack, the food stayed in the tree. to turtle overdrive. Fortunately, most of beyond Cosho Camp, a lake on Mount Gravity wasn’t working! Don threw the the elevation gain is in shady woods. We Logan to the south of us, drains into rope/rock over the branch in the reached 6,060-foot Park Creek Pass in Fisher Creek. We rock hopped to an reverse direction. We pulled on the early afternoon. Sunny skies and 70 island in this creek and scrambled up to rope. Still the tree wouldn’t relinquish degree weather added to the magnifi- a hollow log to cross to the other side. our food. The rope was embedded in cent views in every direction, including The most harrowing crossing of the trip the branch and wouldn’t budge. We 9,087-foot Mount Logan, 9,112-foot was the next crossing at Logan Creek. found a 20-foot long, 6-inch diameter Buckner Mountain, 8,300-foot Booker This bridge was out and we scooted log. Together we hoisted the log up to Mountain, 8,515-foot Storm King and across on a log. With sternum and waist free the rope from the branch and the 9,220-foot Goode Mountain. We found belts unfastened, my pack kept leaning food bags lowered. In all, 30 minutes of a shady spot on a knoll off the trail to to one side giving me balance problems. struggling! relax and have lunch, including the Scooting slightly uphill, while constantly We left Junction Camp at 10:15 a.m., traditional carving of the Turkey Stick. adjusting for balance on the log over a heading south on Thunder Creek Trail Don inspected Logan Prospect, an old torrent of white water, became distress- in comfortable, shady forest. In 3.8 vertical mine shaft 600 feet from the ing! I was thankful to have made it. miles, we descended and regained 800 trail. We soaked up the sunshine and Don followed with less trouble. In feet of elevation, coming to Skagit magnificent beauty of this idyllic spot examining my pack, we saw that a Queen Camp Junction. A short distance for two hours. This was a most reward- WASHINGTON TRAILS October 2005 Northwest Explorer ing day! crew from New Mexico and eight arriving at Stehekin. We did laundry, The trail plunges 2,100 feet down the National Park Service firefighters from ate, checked into the lodge and show- south side of the pass in 2.7 miles to Stehekin comprised the 88 people ered. Upon seeing Pat and Jack again, Five Mile Camp. Hiking down the fighting this fire. A helicopter trans- we reminisced about our fantastic trip. hotter, drier side of the Cascades, I ported supplies and equipment. The temperature was 95 degrees while reminded Don about rattlesnakes Containment was estimated at 85 we were in Stehekin. basking in rock slides across the trail. percent when we passed through the The last leg of the trip was on the He thought I should be in the lead. area. A firefighter from Stehekin Lady of the Lake Express which took us In the valley, the trail was again very stopped us and hinted at turning us to Chelan in two and a half hours. brushy, slowing progress. Suddenly, back. After talking with us awhile, he let Don’s wife Lynda was waiting for us in two small grouse flew away from us continue using extreme caution. The 105-degree Chelan for the drive to trailside. Mother grouse remained next PCT was closed the following day. We Bellevue. Thank you, Lynda! to the trail as we photographed and were overheated most of the day, but Yes, there was a lot of fantastic talked to her.
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