This trip report is for the WTA BCRT trip to Welcome Pass August 6-9, 2011. We were five strong with Arlen as our crew leader, myself (Marty) and David as ACLs, Dave and Ruth to round out the crew. Originally this BCRT was planned as a continuation of Volunteer Vacation work parties along the High Divide Trail starting at Excelsior Pass and terminating at Welcome Pass. We were planning on inheriting their tools. Unfortunately, the lingering deep snow prevented those trips from going. This change in plans necessitated our carrying the tools with us up the Welcome Pass Trail. Oh well, what is another ten pounds on your four day backpack when going up one of the steepest trails in the North Cascades!

First day we stopped at 4375 feet, 2 miles up trail to shed the load from our backs and do a little trail work. We brushed out a long section of trail between switchbacks and rebenched the trail bed to eliminate the ackle rolling out slope. Really turned out good and we were finished by 2:00 P.M. On up to our camp site, one mile away and 1100 feet above us.

We found the Welcome Pass Trail melted out to the saddle the pass is in. However, the High Divide Trail is still covered in snow heading west through the gap and up the ridge.

We camped at that first ridge surrounded my meadows rapidly melting out with a backdrop of well known mountains. Our mountain view included Church, Bearpaw, Excelsior, Amercian Border, Tomyhoi, tip top of Yellow Aster Butte, tip top of Winchester, Goat Mtn, Granite Mtn, Mt Sefrit, south side of Ruth, Icy Peak, Mt Shuksan, Mt Herman, and the ever present Mount Baker plus Skyline Divide to the west. Our camp site was at about 5500 feet approximately 1/2 mile west of Welcome Pass and 3 miles from the trailhead.

The second day we returned to the next work area where we had stashed our tools on the way up. Again, this work area consisted of more pushing the brush line back uphill above the trail and reestablishing the trail bed and bench. I tackled a badly eroded switchback and short open section where the first views are on the trail. This 50 foot section had eroded to about a foot wide, full of rocks, with over hanging brush. If you slipped here, the next stop would be a tree trunk quite a way down slope. I cut back the brush, grabbed my favorite tool the pulaski and started in on the trail bed. By lunch, I had made good progress working from uphill to down, but told Arlen that I would need reenforcements to finish by the end of the day. Ruth had finished the area she had been working on and Arlen figured I could use a hand plus the pick-mattock he had in popping out the large rocks that were protruding up through the reestablished trail bed. By the end of day, three sections of trail had been rebenched and the two Davids had cut out a large deadfall using just Corona saws!

Day three we decided to return to the Welcome Pass trail and finish it rather spend a day working the High Divide Trail around camp. Nobody was really interested in hauling the tools all the way up to camp and everyone wanted to finish the Welcome Pass Trail. So off to the last severly eroded switchback we headed with each day's work area getting just a little closer to camp. This switchback had eroded to bedrock and was in another exposed area with a view. The approach had been pushed downhill by the over hanging brush and was graded like a ski jump. Due to the small size of the initial work area, the two David's attacked the last deadfall on the trail with the Corona saws a little below us. Ruth and I started on the brush and Arlen started on the bed rock with the pick-mattock. This one took all day, but when we were done we had a great approach to the switchback and a landing for the corner. The Davids joined in during the afternoon and all in all over 100 feet trail was regraded. It still is steep coming out of the switchback, but much better and safer than it was.

Camp life was a comfortable, laid back lifestyle of afternoon coffee or tea; Lazing around in the warm afternoon sun; Picture taking of the unbelievable scenery and newly emerging flowers; Water filtering, cooking dinner, sharing stories. Evenings ended with fog rolling up from the river valley below over the ridge we were camped on. This cooled it down quickly when the sunset and put us in our tents about 9:00 P.M. However, if you awoke in the middle of the night you were rewarded with a sky full of countless stars! I was the early riser at 5:30 to 6:00 A.M. and everyone else woke to the sound of my Dragonfly stove. I enjoy a quiet cup of coffee first thing in the morning and watching the sunrise. A simple breakfast, fill the water bottles, load up the trail mix, snacks, and your lunch; Then it is off for another day of digging in the dirt. By the way, the bugs were very minimal, not bad at all.

The last day we did work the High Divide Trail just west of our camp for half the day. The trail traverses a avalanche slope here and it is a continuing battle to keep the trail bench intact. Working two separate sections, we rebenched over 100 feet of trail that morning. Most of the avalanche slope was covered in newly blooming glacier lilies. Back to camp for lunch, breaking down the tents, and loading up our packs. Hey, they feel just as heavy as when we hiked in! We all thought they would feel noticeably lighter. One last look at the mountains and meadows around us and off to the trailhead. Wow, going down a trail this steep sure isn't any picnic. Thank heaven for anti-inflamitories. By 3:00 P.M., this BCRT was all over!

The result: Welcome Pass Trail is in great shape top to bottom! No deadfall. Two narrow, dangerous, exposed switchbacks made safer, one narrow ledge of exposed trail widened and flattened. All of the really annoying, hit you in the face, brush gone. My thanks to all four of my fellow crew members and to Arlen for convincing me that I could make it up there with a four day backpack on.