Gothic Basin — Monday, Jun. 19, 2000

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

The lower part of this trail is in a lot better shape than the review of it on this site suggests, seems like a trail crew has been busy here. I got a bit spooked crossing the first set of snow gullies, which were melting out, and thinking about the woman who died here last year exploring under one of these. Not having been here before, I followed other's tracks beyond this section, which turned out to lead to upper Del Campo Peak. I camped at about 6000', summited before breakfast and, as the weather wasn't un-crappifying itself, headed out the way I came. Gullies were even more melted out - big hole in one a few feet from where I'd crossed the day before! Summit register is gone (see previous report). Some flagging of the route into the basin would be helpful to users and to the vegetation (see previous report again).