Cameron Creek, Lower Gray Wolf River

I was hoping to hike over Cameron pass to make a loop, but several factors turned this into an up and back. The rivers are very high, so I approached Cameron from Slab Camp trailhead (there is a great bridge there). Up Grey Wolf Creek, then Cameron Creek at 3 Forks.

I won’t write about the weather since you will have your own, but let’s just say it was wet. The trail is in good shape for the first 10 miles – to Slide Creek Camp – except this weekend some parts of the trail are mud – we have reached soil saturation in this very wet spring. A WTA crew was in there this weekend – thanks. Between Slide Creek Camp and Lower Cameron Camp there are 6-8 trees down, but nothing that will slow you down. This section also has 2 significant slides, but both can be safely managed. You cross Cameron Creek back and forth, and 2 of the 4 foot logs have handrails. At this water level, Cameron Creek looks like a perfect Class IV kayak creek, so you would hate fall from one of these logs.

Between lower Cameron Camp and Cameron basin there are 10-12 trees across the trail, again nothing to slow you down. You start to see patchy snow about 1 mile past the junction with Lillian Ridge Trail to Grand Valley. I saw a lot of evidence of bear activity in this area, including one bear. Also, listen for the eerie thump thump of grouse (I think) in the stands of Doug firs here. I was also surprised by a hummingbird.

OK, more convincing snow starts about 1 mile below Cameron Basin, and a few post-holes into icy cold runoff will have you in your snowshoes sooner than you think you need them. The snow is 6+ feet deep and there is avalanche debris in places. I had an easy time following the right side of the valley up into the basin. There is deep snow in the entire basin including giant blocks of broken cornice here and there. All southern and western exposures have cornices, but from what I could see, there were some rocky spots on the pass.