Gothic Basin, Del Campo Peak — Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017

Wednesday 8/2/17 - day hiked up to Gothic Basin and Del Campo Peak. Absolutely gorgeous basin/summit views. I was also very pleased to see no trash/litter/doggy waste bags on the trail! Keep it up!

This report covers:

• British Columbia Wildfire Smoke
• Trail Conditions/Snow/Ice
• Bugs
• Heat/Sun Exposure
• The scramble up to Del Campo Peak
• Trail Length
• Parking area/Trail Entrance

British Columbia Wildfire Smoke:

Unfortunately, the smoke from the British Columbia wildfires have swept through the valley in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The smoke wasn't too bad, though. Visibility from Del Campo Peak was masked a little and made for poor long distance photography, but you could easily see the entire Gothic Basin and surrounding peaks. From within Gothic Basin, visibility of the surrounding peaks was mostly unhindered. The smoke smell was mild when I started the hike and by the time I reached Gothic Basin, I couldn't smell it because my nose had gotten used to it. I'm glad I used my inhaler prior to heading out for this hike, though. Not sure if it'll only get worse in the next few days, or if winds will pick up and push the smoke away.

Trail Conditions/Snow/Ice:

The trail was completely snow free all the way to Gothic Basin. Once at Gothic Basin, there are very small areas of snow still about here and there, but if you choose to they are easily avoidable. Gothic Lake no longer has any ice/snow on the surface. Foggy Lake is still covered by 20% ice and looks amazing. Judging by the recent trail reports, the ice on Foggy Lake is melting quick! I wouldn't be surprised if it's all gone by mid-August. If scrambling up to Del Campo Peak, crampons/ice axe/microspikes are NOT needed at this time of year (however, a helmet is highly recommended for rock falls). There are still a couple small snow fields adjacent to the trail from Foggy Lake to Del Campo Peak, but the trail itself is snow-free. 

Bugs:

I started the trail at 10:30am and the forested area for the first 2-3mi had minimal bugs. After some elevation gain at around 3mi, the sun rises to face/hit the trail and the bugs were annoying at this point until reaching Gothic Basin. They're not awful, but definitely a nuisance. Gothic Basin and Foggy Lake actually seemed pretty bug free, but it could have been due to the high noon sun casting on the area's rock (little to no shrubs/trees). Strangely, the bugs at the actual summit of Del Campo Peak were very annoying. The moment you settle down to eat a snack at the peak, flying bugs are hovering all around/on you, including lady bugs. When I left Gothic Basin, it was about 6pm and there were far less bugs.

Heat/Sun Exposure:

I hiked the hottest day of the week (upper 70's, maybe even low 80's). The trail to Gothic Basin is east-facing (i.e., sunrise hits the trail). While much of it is forested and shaded, portions of it around 3mi in are more open and can get hot. Luckily at these locations where the trail briefly opens up, there are also a few gentle waterfalls. Definitely worth taking a break at these areas. I wet my shirt/hat at each of these falls and it made the uphill hike a lot more pleasant. Gothic Basin/Foggy Lake have little to no trees/shade cover, but the lakes are ice cold and refreshing. The day I went, there was also very little wind at the basin. Also, the silver lining to the wildfire smoke was that it refracted some of the sunlight so it probably reduced the overall temperatures in the area. If you're camping in the basin, it might be worth the added effort of bringing a spray/mister to spritz yourself every now and then.

The scramble up to Del Campo Peak:

If you take the correct path up to Del Campo Peak, the scrambles are mostly class 2, with a very short section (150 feet) of class 3 scrambling. For those who are very comfortable with exposure and climbing, it is certainly possible to summit going a different route that's mostly class 4. I went up using a class 4 route and came down using the standard path and it was a lot of fun. Like I mentioned earlier, crampons/ice axe/microspikes are NOT needed at this time of year (however, a helmet is highly recommended for rock falls). Because the standard scrambling path has very little cairns going up, it may be hard to identify. I posted a photo showing the standard route and also the class 3/4 route I took up. There also seemed to be an even more adventurous class 4/5 route up the face of the mountain.

Trail Length:

From the parking lot to the entrance of Gothic Basin is about 4.5 miles. From the entrance of Gothic Basin to Foggy Lake is about another ~0.5 mile. And from Foggy Lake to Del Campo Peak is about another ~0.5 mile. I.e., 9 miles round trip to Gothic Basin or ~11 miles round trip for Del Campo Peak. It took me 2 hours to get to Gothic Basin and from there just under an hour to summit Del Campo Peak (using a class 4 route). I consider myself an experienced hiker/backpacker and I was only carrying a day pack. It may take much longer to reach Gothic Basin with heavy backpacking gear. Elevation gain to Gothic Basin is 2,840 feet, and an additional 1,410 feet to Del Campo Peak. 

Parking area/Trail Entrance:

On a Wednesday ~10am (and similarly when I got back to my car at ~7:30pm), there were ~10 cars parked next to the road in the lower lot and about another 5-10 cars above the road at the Barlow Pass trail head lot. The lots were not that large, but it is also possible to park parallel to the road in some areas. I imagine during the weekend these lots fill up quickly. There is a sign posted at the parking lots warning hikers that the area is a high crime area and to be careful about valuables being left in the car. The entrance to the trail is gated and ~50 feet down the road from the street-side parking lot and on the right side of the road. 

More Information on this Trip Report

• http://www.summitpost.org/del-campo-peak/150640