We left from Seattle Saturday morning for an overnight trip with our young dog. We arrived at the trailhead around 11am and there were a few parking spots open from people leaving as we arrived. The hike to the basin was very pleasant - lots of butterflies and flowers! There are a few small stream crossings which make hiking with a dog very manageable from a water standpoint. The grade to the basin was easy as well for a short morning hike to lunch.
We had lunch and set up camp in the basin. We were the third and final party to set up camp but there were a few more spots available if other groups had come later. The meadow in the basin is absolutely gorgeous. We had a great time just hanging out in the afternoon in the shade.
Around 3 or 4 we went up to Bean Peak. It is a steep elevation gain but the views are worth it. There is one camp site up on the ridge to the peak, but it is exposed and has no access to water without a steep climb down. There was a group there who had an excellent view from their tents. We took turns scrambling up the last section of the peak without the dog for a quick look at the 360 view.
Camping overnight by the stream in the basin was great. The only thing is that the flies and mosquitoes were biting and super annoying. I have around 20 bites, and we used bug spray. We left around 9 the next morning and only saw a few parties coming up the trail. Great entry level backpacking and group spot!
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