This long but easy valley romp follows boisterous Phelps Creek to a mile-long broad flower-bursting meadow and a giant cirque beneath a formidable wall of towering peaks. But don't expect solitude, for Spider Meadow crawls with backpackers-brigades of them! The valley is large enough to disperse in, though, and Phelps Basin offers a quiet retreat from the meadow's loungers and shutterbugs and their tent cities.

The number of vehicles at the trailhead should give you a good indication of the popularity of this hike. Spider Meadow is one of the busiest places within the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Head down the Phelps Creek Trail, an old road reverting nicely to trail. In 0.25 mile, after hopping across a refreshing creek, come to the junction with the Carne Mountain Trail. Continue straight, traversing pleasant forest and crossing several side creeks, entering the Glacier Peak Wilderness at 2.5 miles.

Continuing along Phelps Creek, the delightful trail marches gently up the valley. Pass through groves of big Engelmann spruce and by tailings of old mines. The area is littered with old mines, and a few doughty prospectors still work claims in the vicinity. At 3.4 miles cross Leroy Creek, which may be tricky in periods of high runoff. On the north side of the creek you may notice a trail taking off right. This is the start of the Leroy High Route, a challenging alpine route through the Entiat Mountains.

About a mile beyond Leroy, the trail actually takes a noticeable ascent, but still quite gentle, mind you. At just over 5 miles, break out from the trees to the edge of Spider Meadow (elev. 4750 ft). Now behold the beauty of an open U-shaped valley carpeted in brilliant wildflowers. Look up to 7646-foot Red Mountain, its rusty summit contrasting nicely with its necklace of snow patches. You can call it quits here, finding a nice place to lounge by Phelps Creek, or continue farther to more dramatic scenery.

The trail carries on, blazing right up the middle of the sprawling meadows. At 5.5 miles it crosses a side creek and then climbs through a cluster of firs and enters an upper meadow. Stare up at cascading creeks coming down off of Red Mountain and Phelps Ridge. Now hop across Phelps Creek, after which the trail steepens and reenters forest. At just over 6 miles reach a signed junction. The trail left climbs to Spider Gap en route to the Lyman Lakes-it's where all of the backpackers are heading.

Hang a right on the path less taken, and in less than 0.5 mile reach the head of the wide-open cirque called Phelps Basin (elev. 5400 ft). It's quite a dramatic spot, hemmed in by the vertical walls of 8421-foot Dumbell Mountain. Melting snowfields give birth to Phelps Creek here, where it tumbles through vibrant clusters of violet monkey flowers. Notice that you have the whole basin to your-self. The marmots don't count.