Norse Peak, Basin Lake, Union Creek & Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Section I - White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass — Thursday, Jun. 30, 2016

Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410

Wandering through basins and gaps in the Norse Peak Wilderness offers breathtaking views, changing scenery, and opportunities to spot elk and goats. We did a 3-day, 2-night backpacking trip, based on the Big Crow Basin Loop route description from Craig Romano's Backpacking Washington: overnight and multiday routes (2015). However, instead of following the clockwise route suggested by Romano, we did the following: Day 1: Norse Peak trail (#1191) up to Norse Peak, descending on the south side to Scout Pass (6 miles) Day 2: Scout Pass to Crown Point along the PCT, returning to Scout Pass via Cement Basin (#956), with a detour to Basin Lake (8 miles) Day 3: Scout Pass to Big Crow Basin via the PCT, then along the high trail overlooking Goat Lake, back down to the TH via Norse Peak trail (8 miles) We camped at Scout Pass where there is a horse camp with amazing views and good tree cover, but no water. We melted snow the first night. The closest water source is about .5 miles away, towards Basin Lake. There is also no water source along Norse Peak trail, nor anywhere on the PCT between Scout Pass and Crown Point, so carry extra. There are several small streams and tarns in Cement Basin, which might dry up later on in the season. Basin Lake and Big Crow Basin provide reliable water sources and good camping spots.