Beautiful alpine scenery!! And easy hiking. The trail was well maintained within the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and as far as Tricouni Camp. All water crossings as far as Thunder Basin Camp were bridges or easy rock hops.
Our first night’s camp was Tricouni Camp, a 2-site campground roughed out of the woods. Our site had a tent spot overlooking the river.
Day 2. We stopped by Junction Camp, a scenic 3-site camp exposed to the west.
Looking west from our snack break at Junction Camp we had close-up views of Tricouni Peak, Klawatti Peak and glacier, south toward Forbidden Peak, with a glimpse of Primus Peak behind Tricouni.
The Skagit Queen Mine ruins are an interesting stop. For more on the mine’s history, visit the NPS museum at Marblemount if it’s open.
Thunder Basin Hiker Camp is roughed out of krummholz and stunted spruce on the bank of the now narrow Thunder Creek, with fantastic views of Buckner Mountain and what’s left of the Thunder Glacier.
Views to the west were Buckner and Old Horseshoe. To our east were the peaks of 9087’ Mt. Logan and the ridge of V Peak and Peak 8080. Numerous waterfalls tumble hundreds of feet down that alpine bowl into Thunder Creek.
Day 3. There was lingering snow at Park Creek Pass, but a trail circumvents it to the east.
Looking north, back at the pass from the south side of the pass, 9111’ Buckner rises to the left of the pass. Its ridge continues south to the dominating face of 8120’ Booker Mountain.
We met a solo nobo headed into the far north part of the park. He was the ninth and last backpacker we met on the trail before we reached the Stehekin Valley Road.
The 4000’ descent from the pass to the road is broken up into short steep drops separated by longer gentle descending trail sections. At first, the trail goes mostly through brushy open sun-exposed terrain. Just before Five Mile Camp the trail goes back into trees.
The trail passes through the 2015 Goode Fire burn with 616 acres of standing dead spruce and fireweed. From Five Mile Camp south to the old road, the trail was once again well maintained and free of logs and heavy brush.
At around 3400’ the trail crosses Park Creek. A long, flattened log spans the rushing rapids below. Raspberry bushes were ripe on the right bank.
Park Creek Camp, at the Stehekin Valley Road, was our last night’s camp. We took the last open campsite.
Day 4. The only way to get from Bridge Creek to High Bridge now is via the PCT on the “Old Wagon Trail” route. In the interest of time we left the PCT at a cutoff trail at 2000’ and took the gravel road instead of following the PCT up to Coon Lake. The road was faster for us, but Coon Lake would be more scenic if we’d had time.
And we did have time, as it turned out. It was wonderfully cool so early and we were hiking much faster than our usual pace, without trying. We got to High Bridge, the bus stop, at 7:45 am.
In Stehekin we hung out on the deck at an umbrella table. The store, lodge and restaurant were open. The ranger station was closed but rangers had a table set up across from the ferry dock.
We caught an earlier ferry by 3 hours and texted our Chelan ride via satellite. That got my Bellevue-based hiking partner fed and back home at a more reasonable hour, modest consolation for the alpine start that morning.
Overall it was a nice trip. It was hot but the skies were mostly clear. The highlight of the trip is from Junction Camp to just south of Park Creek Pass, the middle of the hike.
Washington Trails 