Basin LakeRecent Trip Reports
Hiked here recently?
Submit a trip report!
There are
10
trip reports for this hike.
See all trip reports for this hike.
Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Blowdowns
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
I do this loop once or twice a year. It is kind of brutal. I started off going up the...
I do this loop once or twice a year. It is kind of brutal. I started off going up the Crow Creek trail. This trail is in excellent condition. The horse "hikers" must drag chain saws up there as the first 10 miles of my hike were truely a "walk in the woods". You go past the turn off to Crow Creek Lake (to your right) and head Crow Creek. Maybe 3 miles up you cross a creek and enter into a different world. One without horse packers and chain saws. There is a large blow-down and the trail disappears. I poked around by the creek but the trail is way up on the hill - to your right. At this point the trail is not in very good shape but it is easy enough to follow - mostly uphill.
You follow the trail up to Big Crow basin where the horse shelter is. This year I decided to follow the unnamed trail that heads off to the left (rather than going up to 2000). THere is a trail there (one of my previous reports was wrong). It is hard to follow as there are several deer/? trails that are about as well used as the hiking trail. Anyway I made it up to the place were 2000/Basin Lakes comes in and then followed the Basin Lakes trail. It was sunny with a good breeze - perfect weather for me. Java (who is black) was getting a little tired and hot in the sun. We followed 987 (Basin Lakes) trail down to where Union Creek trail cuts off to the left. I did not see a sign for Union Creek and I was wondering if I had missed it. I was getting close to the pass on the Basin Lake trail when I saw a trail to the left and a marker saying Basin Lakes (I think) up on the Basin Lakes trail. Union creek is not in really good shape at that point but it is easy to follow. As you go down Union Creek its condition steadily improves. From the trail head you simply follow the Snow Trail (999) that has blue markers. The highway is running right along side you. All in all a Perfect Day for a hike. Cool and breezy - only had to use Deet once. This is not an easy hike. It took me a little over 8 hours and that is without stopping. John Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Washouts
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
We drove the Crystal Mt Road 4.2 miles and turned left on the Gold Hill Road. We drove this road...
We drove the Crystal Mt Road 4.2 miles and turned left on the Gold Hill Road. We drove this road until it veers left, parking in a pullout before the turn. There is a sign for the Bullion Basin Trail on the left and a narrow road with no sign straight ahead. After walking perhaps 1/4 mile there is a sign for The Silver Creek Trail. Bear Gap at 5800 ft and the PCT is 2.2 miles from here, I believe. We began our hike at 4600. We took the right fork at an unmarked junction as we wanted to see Hen Skin Lake which is a shallow lake with a few small colorful trout and tadpoles. It's a very pretty setting. We went north on the PCT to Pickhandle Gap and Crown Point where we had lunch. We took the Union Creek Trail which goes above Cement Basin. There were 2 washed out scree areas shortly after beginning this section of the loop. These are not for "the faint of heart" which I am; however, with Bob's help I managed them without falling! :)! Cement Basin is very beautiful and we did see 1 bull elk grazing in a meadow. From the Union Creek Trail we took the Lake Basin Trail. The highlight of our loop was the herd of 50 goat we saw as we reached the crest of the trail before descending to Basin Lake. They were on both sides of the trail and were very cooperative by continuing to graze as we approached them. They gradually worked their way up the ridge eating as they went! We contoured Lake Basin above Basin Lake to the PCT where we went north to the Bullion Basin Trail which took us back to our truck. I'm sorry if this description is difficult to follow, but the Green Trails map #271 Bumping Lake should make it more clear. Our map is 2002 so is probably out of date. Our gain was probably 3500 feet and total distance 12-13 miles. It's an enjoyable hike which we have done often and we have always seen elk and/or goats. No elk this time, however. Flowers are past their prime, but there are enough left to add color along the way--hellebore,monardella, larkspur, mouse on a stick, lupine, paintbrush to name a few.
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
This is a beautiful hike. Yes it can be brutal if you dont know what to expect. But as long...
This is a beautiful hike. Yes it can be brutal if you dont know what to expect. But as long as you just take your time and not try to truck along you will be just fine. For a place that is right in your back door you would not believe some of the breath taking sights you can see. The lake itself is 50/50. Sometimes the lake is hot for fishing and sometimes its not. Just have to roll the dice. :)
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns | Washouts | Bugs
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
with photos
This is kind of a brutal hike. The trail starts at the Crow Lake Trailhead. To find the trailhead, locate...
This is kind of a brutal hike. The trail starts at the Crow Lake Trailhead. To find the trailhead, locate the outdoor potties and imagine that you are stepping out of one of the toilets. Walk straight ahead and you will find the trailhead. The trail is in good shape and there are plenty of switchbacks going up to the turnoff to Crow Creek Lake. I started at 6:30 so it was still pretty cool. Starting at the turnoff to Crow Creek Lake, the trip transformed into one of the worst hikes I have had. I have hiked this before so I know there are a lot of water crossing and the trail is steep, but this time the mosquitoes were overwhelming. Even with DEET they were in my mouth, eyes and ears. Java (my 4 legged companion) was covered by them. The good news is that the trail is easy to follow and it won't be crowded. There are 3 places where you cross a field and the trail is not very clear. My advise is to walk straight across. Pretend that there is an arrow that extends in the same direction as the trail that you entered on and you will find the trail on the other side (helps to look for tell tale signs like cut logs as there are not too many of them in the mountains). The trail out of Little Crow Basin is hard to follow. There is a 3 walled shelter for horses at the basin and a sign that tells you where Trail 2000 comes in.Continue straight at the sign (don't go right) and you will be on a trail that will take you toward Basin Lake. As you go up the hill the trail cuts off to the left and a game trail goes straight. If you are like me you will follow the game trail for a ways before you come to the conclusion that it does not look "right". Once you get over "the next ridge" you should see Basin Lake off to your left. Unfortunatley there are a lot of unmarked trails at this point and you might find yourself by the lake even though you want to stay above it. It is a nice clean lake. We met 3 people there, one guy packed in with horses and the other 2 hiked from Crystal. I took the Basin Trail (987) to Union Creek. When you hike into the lake from north you can see where the Basin Trail goes over yet another ridge south of the lake.
From the lake, both the Basin trail and 2000 can be located by heading due west. The Basin Lake trail is pretty steep but for me the clouds had moved in, the mosquitoes were gone and the hike turned out to be pretty nice. Union Creek is a couple of miles down on the left. Union Creek is pretty steep where it hits the Basin Lake trail but after that it morphs into a really nice hike. Once you get the the Union Creek trailhead there is a trail (snowshoeing) that runs on the north side of 410. There is a nice wodden bridge that leads from Union Creek trail to this one. Follow that for about 3 miles and you will be back where you started. LOTS of flowers and butterflies - and those mosquitoes.
Basin Lake #987.1,Basin #987,Bullion Basin #1156,Pacific Crest (South Cascades) #2000
— Jul 22, 2008
— Boondoggler
Day hike
Issues:
Washouts
Expand report text
Hide report text
Read full report
I was pleasantly surprised by the vast meadow country east of Norse Peak. Mostly subalpine meadows, flowers (never intense, but...
I was pleasantly surprised by the vast meadow country east of Norse Peak. Mostly subalpine meadows, flowers (never intense, but often diverse), nice lake, elk, no snow, no bugs, sun on the east side, and solitude. This is bonafide horse country, but no horse parties encountered (albeit week day). |
|
Document Actions
- Email this page
- Print this
- Share
Forgot your
New user?
