Cascade Pass - Horseshoe Basin
For my last set of days off I went out to Horseshoe Basin off of the Cascade Pass trail in North Cascades National Park. Since I moved to Stehekin, this trail has been recommended to me by various people, and as a ranger, it's one of the few hikes that I haven't done but still suggest to visitors! So I figured it was time for me to get out there.
Cascade Pass is accessible from the west via the Cascade River Road, and from the east via the Stehekin Valley Road. The west side trailhead is more accessible than Stehekin, and it also makes the distance to the Sahale Arm and Horseshoe Basin shorter, but because of the convenience, it sees quite a lot of hiker traffic.
I took the shuttle from Stehekin up to High Bridge and hiked out from there. I set up camp about 11 miles in at Cottonwood Camp and hiked the rest of the way into Horseshoe Basin where I spent some time exploring, talking to marmots, and writing a letter before heading back to camp.
Even though I ended up going just shy of 20 miles that day, it felt like a lot less because the trail is so level. All the way up to Cottonwood, the trail is the remnants of an old road that got washed out in a series of floods. The gain in elevation is gradual except for a few relatively small hills here and there. Past Cottonwood, the trail begins to climb a bit more, but considering this section is quite a bit shorter, it isn't too strenuous.
Views of the basin began about a mile after the junction and just got better the closer I got. The last half mile must have taken me about 45 minutes just because I kept stopping to take in what I was seeing. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a glacially carved cirque surrounded by talus fields, a large snow field, waterfalls, and a lush meadow with late-season wildflowers.
Geologic features like this are not always very accessible, and although this would not be considered an easy trip by most, it was incredibly rewarding. Because this is a bit late in the season for most visitors, I had the whole basin to myself other than a few marmots stocking up on flowers and grass.
There is an old mine in the basin that people can check out, but I got distracted by simply hopping rocks in the talus field and examining the state of the snowfield's degradation. I pretended to be the once-present glacier for a bit -- a tiny creature attempting to portray such a powerful feature, my outstretched arms resembling just a small fraction of the massive being that no longer exists.
Cascade Pass is accessible from the west via the Cascade River Road, and from the east via the Stehekin Valley Road. The west side trailhead is more accessible than Stehekin, and it also makes the distance to the Sahale Arm and Horseshoe Basin shorter, but because of the convenience, it sees quite a lot of hiker traffic.
I took the shuttle from Stehekin up to High Bridge and hiked out from there. I set up camp about 11 miles in at Cottonwood Camp and hiked the rest of the way into Horseshoe Basin where I spent some time exploring, talking to marmots, and writing a letter before heading back to camp.
Even though I ended up going just shy of 20 miles that day, it felt like a lot less because the trail is so level. All the way up to Cottonwood, the trail is the remnants of an old road that got washed out in a series of floods. The gain in elevation is gradual except for a few relatively small hills here and there. Past Cottonwood, the trail begins to climb a bit more, but considering this section is quite a bit shorter, it isn't too strenuous.Views of the basin began about a mile after the junction and just got better the closer I got. The last half mile must have taken me about 45 minutes just because I kept stopping to take in what I was seeing. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a glacially carved cirque surrounded by talus fields, a large snow field, waterfalls, and a lush meadow with late-season wildflowers.
Geologic features like this are not always very accessible, and although this would not be considered an easy trip by most, it was incredibly rewarding. Because this is a bit late in the season for most visitors, I had the whole basin to myself other than a few marmots stocking up on flowers and grass.
There is an old mine in the basin that people can check out, but I got distracted by simply hopping rocks in the talus field and examining the state of the snowfield's degradation. I pretended to be the once-present glacier for a bit -- a tiny creature attempting to portray such a powerful feature, my outstretched arms resembling just a small fraction of the massive being that no longer exists.
Cascade Pass is so beautiful. I did this one the weekend before I left Rainier and camped at Sahale...so awesome, got caught in a lightning storm though haha..
ReplyDeleteI remember you telling me about that trip! Maybe when you're back in the states you'll get to come out and explore the area more. I hope you are having some wonderful adventures though!
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