A Classic!
Overview:
Made the drive up north from Seattle for a little overnighter in the North Cascades. Happy to return to this classic PNW hike after a few years away. For those who have never experienced this hike, I would highly recommend checking it out. Great trail conditions with some epic views awaiting you at the top.
Road/Parking:
After turning off the highway in Marblemount, you head out about 20 or so miles up Cascade River Road. The drive is paved the first half or so of the way before turning to well-maintained gravel as it passes through pleasant old growth forest. Easy to get through this in any car. Only 1-2 spots near the end had any significant potholes. Soon you’ll start heading sharply uphill to what is one of the more stunning trailheads/parking lots in the state. We arrived at 8:00am and the lot was mostly full. On our way out late in the evening we noticed lots of people driving up to the parking lot in the dark which gives me the impression that people sleep in their car in the lot the night before. The trailhead has two toilets that were clean (by trail bathroom standards) and stocked with TP.
Trail Conditions:
Overall, the trail is in great conditions. This trail is well known for a mind-numbing amount of switch backs. It makes the accent relatively not steep and easy going. There were 2-3 muddy areas where runoff crossed the trail. Otherwise, it is dry and in good shape. In the last mile to the pass, you will cross a section of loose rocky trail. It is short and easy to cross but some less sure-footed folks might appreciate poles. The views of the towering peaks around you will get better and better. Soon you will be in the flower fields at the pass with views of the whole cascade river valley in one direction and the Stehekin Valley to Mt McGregor in the other direction. There is a pit toilet at the pass that is in relatively good shape. You will also find plenty of flat rocks to take a seat, eat a snack, and enjoy the view before pushing on. We saw lots of goats and marmots around and above the pass. From here most people either head up the Sahale arm or head back to the car. We continued eastward towards basin creek. The trail quickly descends the east side of the pass-through alpine meadows and across small streams. Eventually the path will turn to a loose rocky trail, hugging the mountain side as it continues down into Pelton Basic. The views of the basin from below are lovely and you get the bonus of getting away from crowds. We continued further to basin creek camp. The decent from Pelton Basin down to Basin Creek was more type two fun. The trail is overgrown in places with lots of loose rock. We had the edge of the trail give out on us multiple times. Here we encountered a lot of biting flies which were annoying. And it is sun exposed with very little shade. We appreciated the solitude and different perspective of the surrounding peaks. But the last piece of trail was not as enjoyable. You will cross the river at the bottom of the switchbacks where you can pump water or take a dip (lovely pool to cool off in) before pushing the last stint to the basin creek camp. We stopped here and headed back rather than turning off and up horseshoe basin (felt content with the hike). Note that there was a lot of bear scat on the trail from pelton basin to basin creek – if you are overnighting store food appropriately!
Conclusion:
This is a great hike to add to your list. Great views all around. Goats and marmots. Huckleberries (still too early). Going down from cascade pass rather than up the Sahale arm was a fun change of pace for us to get away from the crowds a bit. The pass is a busy destination so start early or try a later ascent to find parking and avoid crowds.
There used to be a great place to grab pie in Marblemount but it seems it is now closed. Very bummed to learn that.
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