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Trip Report

Gothic Basin — Tuesday, Jun. 26, 2007

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
Foggy Lake/Gothic Basin from Del Campo
Destination was Del Campo Peak via the Gothic Basin Trail. Monte Cristo Road blocked by slide in the usual area at 3/4 mile. Can take bypass up and around or walk through the slide area. Bridge out from 11/06 storm at 1 mile at the turnoff to the Gothic Basin Trail. No problem getting to trail. Trail was snow-free to the avalanche gulley at 3600'. The gulley and the two shortly thereafter were still snow-covered, but the roofs above the streams are getting thin and will probably collapse with 2 weeks. Caution required. Trail was snow-covered starting around 4000', and it's easy to get off-route. We turned NW off the trail at about 4400' and traversed 1/2 mile up onto the SE ridge of Del Campo at the north end of Foggy Lake. We could have taken the normal route into Gothic Basin, but the deep snow cover allowed this easy shortcut. Gothic Basin was still covered by snow, and Foggy Lake was still completely frozen, except for a little melt around the edges. Route up to the beginning of the summit block of Del Campo was also snow-covered, and provided great glissading on the way down. The last 300' of the summit block was mostly snow free. Ice axes recommeded for Gothic Basin hikers until at least 7/15. A fall on some of the steeper slopes could spell disaster w/o the ability to self-arrest.
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