Downey Creek, Bachelor Meadows — Sunday, May. 24, 2015

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

I had not been here since the 2003 floods. Plan was to check out recently repaired trail and day hike up to Cub and Ipsot lakes. Downey Creek trail was in good shape thanks to WTA response only a couple blow downs left! When I got to camp there one one person there camped in the only flat spot. Since I was solo I found a small but comfortable spot next to the creek. The next morning started up the creek. The trail started,steep but eventually flattened a bit and actually had some switchbacks. There were many blowdowns most could be circumvented. The brush was wet and I was soon soaked in a full rain suit. In many places you could not see your feet. The rrail stuck mostly to timber cones separated by swaths of slide alder and small muddy creeks. There were a few ribbons marking what was left of the trail. Eventually the ribbons ended and brush consumed all. I wandered around for an hour or so in the area where the trail once crossed the creek thing I could find a trace, no luck. The creek was running high and I could see solid brush up the ridge. In a normal year snow would cover the brush here on Memorial Day now I could only see one patch at about 6000'. I saw one woman from Darrington who was also checking out the trail who said her beta was the same. Finally admitting defeat I walked back to camp seeing the flat spot had opened up. Ate lunch and decided to bag it. After lunch headed back to the car as there is no place to go other than up the creek. This is a great place if you want solitude I only saw two people on Memorial Day Weekend. The parking lot has been cleared out and is now open.