Crow Lake Way, Basin Lake, Union Creek & Pleasant Valley Loop — Monday, Aug. 29, 2011

Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410

I do this loop once or twice a year. It is kind of brutal. I started off going up the Crow Creek trail. This trail is in excellent condition. The horse "hikers" must drag chain saws up there as the first 10 miles of my hike were truely a "walk in the woods". You go past the turn off to Crow Creek Lake (to your right) and head Crow Creek. Maybe 3 miles up you cross a creek and enter into a different world. One without horse packers and chain saws. There is a large blow-down and the trail disappears. I poked around by the creek but the trail is way up on the hill - to your right. At this point the trail is not in very good shape but it is easy enough to follow - mostly uphill. You follow the trail up to Big Crow basin where the horse shelter is. This year I decided to follow the unnamed trail that heads off to the left (rather than going up to 2000). THere is a trail there (one of my previous reports was wrong). It is hard to follow as there are several deer/? trails that are about as well used as the hiking trail. Anyway I made it up to the place were 2000/Basin Lakes comes in and then followed the Basin Lakes trail. It was sunny with a good breeze - perfect weather for me. Java (who is black) was getting a little tired and hot in the sun. We followed 987 (Basin Lakes) trail down to where Union Creek trail cuts off to the left. I did not see a sign for Union Creek and I was wondering if I had missed it. I was getting close to the pass on the Basin Lake trail when I saw a trail to the left and a marker saying Basin Lakes (I think) up on the Basin Lakes trail. Union creek is not in really good shape at that point but it is easy to follow. As you go down Union Creek its condition steadily improves. From the trail head you simply follow the Snow Trail (999) that has blue markers. The highway is running right along side you. All in all a Perfect Day for a hike. Cool and breezy - only had to use Deet once. This is not an easy hike. It took me a little over 8 hours and that is without stopping. John