Gothic Basin — Saturday, Jul. 15, 2023

A destination that is well-worth the pain!
We parked Saturday morning around 8:15am and found a spot just outside of the main parking lot- not many cars lining the road yet.
I think the trail description of a mile road walk may be outdated- the turn off towards Gothic Basin is well-marked to the right but by my tracking was far short of a mile.
Otherwise, trail description is slim but to the point! Trail begins to climb after the creek crossing, and do not underestimate the climb! Definitely a substantial forested section before it becomes exposed, which was a relief on a hot day. Lots of scrambling once you get higher. Other reports also mention the downed tree that is tricky to cross- we + our dog companion were able to pass.
We bypassed the first late to camp at Foggy Lake. At the first lake we saw some folks camped on the grassy lakeshore- don’t do this!! That is not a durable surface.
Between lake basins there are some melting snowfields to cross- nothing too difficult but watch your step.
At Foggy Lake there were some tucked away tent sites, but all the obvious sites were pretty full by midafternoon. Went for a quick dip in the lake- still too cold for true swimming but refreshing for a quick plunge!
Bugs were not a problem whatsoever during the afternoon but came out in droves in the evening and persisted into mid-morning; definitely bring your favorite bug protection if you want to cook dinner outside or enjoy the sunset.