Easy Pass, Fisher Creek — Friday, Oct. 2, 2020

Easy Pass trailhead -> 2 nights at Cosho camp

Day 1: Easy Pass trailhead -> Cosho camp ~9.7mi

Hazy smoke obscured the views on the other side of Hwy 20, but still appreciated the fall colors along the trail, plus golden larches clustered at the pass.

For those looking to refill water while ascending the exposed talus slopes, the last robust water source before the pass lies ~2.1mi from trailhead. The next meager water source lies ~0.5mi beyond Easy Pass. The person who named Easy Pass must have only been descending into Fisher basin.

FYI the turnoff for Fisher camp is easy to miss. At the trail marker proclaiming Fisher camp, take a hard right uphill. The trail going straight ahead continues to Cosho camp through pleasantly shaded forest. We counted at least a dozen, if not two dozen blowdowns between Fisher and Cosho camp. Sections of this trail transform into overgrown brush, which is not a big deal until the water droplets migrate from the brush to your clothing. Yes, Cosho camp abuts Fisher creek, allowing you to pitch your tent on pine needles under the shade of towering trees. Is this worth the extra 4mi from Fisher camp? Debatable. Might be worth it if you're looking for more privacy, more seclusion, and extra miles through a forest. The best views still cluster around Easy Pass.

Day 2: day trip from Cosho camp to Junction camp ~10.2mi

As noted in prior trip reports, the bridge ~0.3mi west of Cosho camp is out, requiring either fording or crossing via some downed logs. With a day pack, the downed log crossing was manageable, but I imagine would be much more cumbersome, awkward, and difficult with a fully loaded pack. The trail washout ~1.3mi east of Junction camp has a flagged detour, look out for the pink ribbons.

Day 3: Cosho camp -> Easy pass trailhead ~9.7mi

Thankfully the smoky haze cleared, now with pristine views of Mt Logan and Mt Fisher during the ascent, and spotted Golden Horn on the descent. Cars parked out to alongside Hwy 20 by the time we reached the trailhead on a weekend midday.