Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm, Horseshoe Basin (Stehekin) — Sunday, Jul. 28, 2019

We did a four-day trip that involved camping two nights at Pelton Basin Camp and one night at Sahale Glacier Camp. On the second day we day-hiked from Pelton Basin Camp to Horseshoe Basin.

The road to the trailhead is long and includes a lot of potholes, but it was passable even for our Mini Cooper. Just be vigilant and prepared to make evasive maneuvers.

Cascade Pass (Day 1): This was definitely the most populated portion of our entire trip. Be prepared for a lot of switchbacks; I counted 31 of them. Once you settle into a rhythm, it goes by steadily and along the way there are views to stop and admire. Near the pass, the trail emerges from the forest and crosses a couple of large talus slopes (but the trail remains level and no scrambling is necessary). Keep an eye out for marmots and pikas, and mountain goats on the rocky cliffs above. Cascade Pass itself offers amazing view of Pelton Basin and its surrounding peaks and glaciers. There is a restroom at the pass. Have fun admiring the views, but be careful not to wander off the official trail and destroy the delicate meadow plants. North Cascades National Park is trying very hard to repair the poor beleaguered meadows up there, which have taken such a beating from hikers going off-trail. Stay on the official trail to be part of the solution, not the problem.  Mosquitoes were present all along the way, plus small biting flies that didn’t seem deterred by DEET. They were easy to swat, but annoying.

After reaching the pass, most people call it a day and head back down to the trailhead, but a fair number hike onward to Sahale Arm, and a few continue down into Pelton Basin (which is what we did). The trail into Pelton Basin extends all the way to Stehekin.

It’s 4.9 miles and 1,800’ of elevation gain from the trailhead to Pelton Basin Camp (including the 0.2-mile spur down to the camp). The camp is in a pleasant, wooded spot near Pelton Creek, which is a good water source. There are two bear boxes. The latch on the left box is a bit tricky to close, so be sure the door actually latches when you shut it. The right box is fine, and most of us campers ended up using that one. Mosquitoes were present both morning and evening. Sometimes in the late evening they were pretty numerous and annoying, but not quite bad enough to make me wish I’d brought my head net.

Horseshoe Basin (including the Black Warrior Mine) (Day 2): This made a great day hike from our base camp at Pelton Basin. According to our GPS, the trip was 10 miles and 2,320’ of elevation gain. If you make the same trip, be aware that approximately half of the elevation gain is spent getting to the mine, and the other half is spent getting back to Pelton Basin Camp at the end of the day. We experienced more solitude on this hike than any other part of our four-day trip. We encountered a family of four on the trail to Stehekin, and only two on the Horseshoe Basin trail itself.

In Horseshoe Basin the trail leads through high brush for a while, and then you emerge into spectacular wildflower meadows. Numerous waterfalls cascade down the sides of the basin. What a beautiful place! The trail leads to the base of a talus field, and then becomes difficult to follow. Although there are a couple cairns amid the boulders, more cairns need to be added to mark the best route. Mostly we had to find our own way, which took longer than expected, since this was our first trip to the basin and we didn’t know the exact location of the mine entrance. The mine entrance isn’t visible from the valley floor; you need to climb most of the way up the talus field before you can see it. As you climb up the talus field, follow the few cairns and the “trail” of old rusty mining equipment – cables, corrugated metal, pipes, etc. Look for a big pile of broken-up red rocks (spoils from the mine). The pile is just outside the mine entrance. A plaque at the entrance describes the interesting history of the mine. It was fun to poke around the two “rooms” in the mine’s entrance, and peer down the tunnel leading deeper into the mountain, but I’d avoid venturing beyond the entrance. As if to reinforce that notion, we heard a noise come from deeper inside the mine that prompted us to eat our snack OUTside the entrance...!

Note: Camping is NOT allowed in Horseshoe Basin. Also, don’t drink the water in Horseshoe Basin because it could contain heavy metals from the mining operations. Instead, fill up on water beforehand at Pelton Basin Camp or Doubtful Creek.

Sahale Arm (Day 3): Yes, it’s very steep, but well worth the effort! Plus, there are countless mountain vistas, wildflower meadows, and critters along the way to keep you distracted and provide excuses to stop and take breaks. Along the way, we saw several marmots and a black bear rummaging through the meadow plants on Sahale Arm.

The last 0.5 mile is up an extremely steep slope that’s sometimes talus, sometimes scree. The trail splits into two or three smaller trails, which re-converge only to split again. They can be somewhat difficult to follow, and some routes are safer and less steep than others. The best, safest route through this area really needs to be better marked with cairns. As a general rule, try to stay on the middle (top) of the arm as much as possible, as opposed to skirting the sides of the arm, which are extremely steep scree slopes. Take your time and be safe.

We camped at Sahale Glacier Camp, a truly spectacular experience that I highly recommend. There are approximately 10-12 tent sites dispersed below the foot of the glacier, each encircled by a low wall of rocks to block the wind. We had to cross a couple snow fields to find a good campsite, but they were level (not steep), so no problem. There is accessible flowing water at the camp, so you can easily refill there. Although the water is flowing from the glacier above, it runs clear (not cloudy with glacial flour) and won’t clog your water filter. No mosquitoes up here! It was very windy in the late afternoon and evening, and at first it was hard to fall asleep due to the wind beating against the tent, but soon after nightfall the wind died down and morning was remarkably still and quiet. It’s a whole other world up there! We lingered for the rest of the morning to enjoy the incredible views and watch the mountain goats make their rounds, before heading down, down, down to the parking lot.