Oval Pass — Friday, Jul. 3, 2020

We decided to spend 4th of July on the dry side of the Cascades and found a new favorite loop full of larches and lakes along the Sawtooth Ridge between Twisp and Chelan. We chose to hike the loop clockwise to climb the steep ascent to Oval Pass and enjoy a more gradual descent from Eagle Pass.  The first 5 miles in are through an old burn which is kept pretty clear of downed trees.  From the size of the new seedlings we guess it was 4 or 5 years ago?  We camped at lovely West Oval lake encountering our first snow in small patches on its shores.  The water is snow free with good fishing.  A few snow fields approaching Oval Pass are steep and slippery, but the trail is not difficult to follow. A small side trip to Middle Oval lake was intoxicating with grassy meadows of meandering creeks surrounded by larch trees of all sizes.  Because the snow is still melting out, the wild flowers are just now beginning their show.  An easy ramble up to Grey Peak on the Sawtooth Ridge is a must!  We enjoyed 360 degree views heavy with the sweet scent of new phlox.  Tuckaway lake and Horseshoe Basin offer several campsites among the meadow flowers.  More camping can be found in meadows on either side of Eagle Pass.  At the moment the pass itself has plentiful snowmelt water, which likely won't last much longer.  We looked for Silver Lake on the way out and found a horse camp among mosquitos in a clearing, but Eagle Creek was too full for us to easily cross so we didn't get to that lake.  Not much camping in the forest along Eagle creek otherwise.