Went to the Miner Lakes Basin on Crystal Mountain and also went up to Bear Gap via Henskin Lake.  The trail from the lake up to the gap is awesome. Overgrown and small at times and there are 2 blowdowns to cross, steep towards top, but the views and wildflowers are truly amazing, love this area! Saw 4 people all day.

The Henskin Lakes are very buggy, but overloaded with small brookies willing to take about any bug you toss. Lots of side trails all over the mountain, helped a lady really turned around - just a reminder to focus on the trails, not just the flowers. Bugs were swarming when you stop, but 100% Deet wins the day again, zero bites... Maybe I just need to have a sweeter disposition and the bugs might like me?

Be safe out there people 

From the Mineral Creek Trailhead, we headed up to Pickhandle Gap via the Fog City Trail Saturday at 4 PM. Followed the Pacific Crest Trail north for a bit, and set up camp on a ridge leading out to Gold Hill. Next day we hiked out via Bear Gap.

Access. The road was rough right from the turnoff from Hwy 410, and we left the car in a pullout ¼ mile from the start of the trail where there was a small washout, ½ mile past the large parking lot (and the very accurate) "no trailer turnaround sign"). Several unsigned junctions on the road.

Conditions. Both the Bear Gap and Fog City trails were dusty, steep, and covered in loose rocks in places, but clear of obstacles, other than some light brush. Good mix of open and tree-shaded sections. No issues on the Pacific Crest Trail. Fog City Trail crossed a small, muddy trickle of a stream ¼ mile below the Pacific Crest Trail, and we heard (but didn't see) a slightly more significant stream along the upper part of the Bear Gap Trail. The ridge towards Gold Hill had a well established trail, but no established, flat campsites (at least not along the first ½ mile).

Flora & Fauna. Plenty of wildflowers were in bloom, but conditions were probably to dry for a big show. Some ripe blueberries, mostly along the road, and lots of unripe thimbleberries on the slopes. Saw some chipmunks, ground squirrels, an elk, and a marmot (in the north-facing meadow below Pickhandle Point). Bugs were not an issue.

Crowds. Didn't see anyone other than 3 parties on the way out on the Pacific Crest Trail between Pickhandle Gap and Bear Gap, plus an actual Forest Service Ranger driving up and down the road (looking for campfires to put out?).

Started at the Morse Creek T.H., had not been here before and it can be a little confusing.  I parked at a small turnout where the sign says "Bear Gap T.H." 1/2 mile, just below the cabin.  After walking the 1/2 mile to the T.H. I realized I could have driven the whole way, there was a truck parked there and enough room for 2 vehicles.  I would not attempt this last 1/2 mile in anything other than a high clearance vehicle.  There are a couple of different ways to gain the PCT from here and I had planned on doing a loop.  At the first junction I took a right and headed up the Fog CIty trail to Pickhandle Gap, the trail is fine but rough and steep.  After gaining the PCT I headed north and did the quick side trip up to Bullion Peak.  The views from the top aren't the best as the true summit is treed, I would skip this part if going again as the views are much better from Norse Peak.  Continued north to Norse Peak which is a wonderful spot but always seems to be a mecca for biting flies.  I had a decision to make here on which way to return, I had planned on making a loop via the Basin Lake trail but was advised against that by two different groups I had run into.  I don't think either group had done it but through their research they heard it was a bad choice.  I decided to give it a go as I always prefer a loop trip.  The trail wasn't that bad for the most part, steep and rugged parts for sure and quite a bit of dust.  The trail was faint at times but not hard for me to follow with GPS app, or probably even without it.  After climbing most of the way up Blue Bell pass I was momentarily convinced that I had made a big mistake coming this way and would have to backtrack.  About an eight of a mile from regaining the PCT the trail is washed out in two spots and the crossing is precarious to say the least.  I caught a glimpse of two people on the other side and I called out to them asking if they had just crossed.  They said that they had and that it was "a little sketchy" but manageable, pretty apt description.  There was no way around above or below, both of those options would have led to more dangerous situations.  I decided to go forward, more worried about the dog than myself but backtracking from here would have added 6 plus miles to the day and I didn't like that option.  The crossing was sketchy but it actually looked worse than it was once I started it.  Extreme care is required as a misstep or slip in a couple of spots would lead to a fall with bad consequences for sure. We both made it across fine.  In retrospect it is unfortunate that I did not start my loop by going down the Basin Lake trail, I would have gone down the ridge and seen the washout and turned around to retrace my steps the short distance back to the PCT.  If you are not comfortable with some exposure I would advise against attempting this trail, at least go take a look at it instead of encountering it at the end of the loop like I did and having to make a more difficult decision.  Followed the PCT all the way down to Bear Gap on the return trip so I could see a little bit more of the trail, pretty similar to the fog city trail so I don't think you can go wrong with either one, fog city would be a little bit shorter if you are heading north like I was.  Wonderful day in the high country!  Bugs weren't too bad, no snow on the trail at all, only saw six other people.  Saw an elk, couple fo deer, marmots and a large herd of goats.  GPS stats below.

12.39 miles with 3209 of gain.  Car to car in 5:45.

10.3 miles, 2,000 feet of elevation gain (mostly in the first 2 miles).  Bear Gap to Fog City, to the PCT.  Followed PCT to Scout Pass and then up to Norse Peek.  We (my husband and I along with our 14-year-old son) hiked this trail, as an out and back, in about 6 hours. There were very few bugs and hardly a skeeter in sight.  We saw several monarch butterflies and the wildflowers were blooming. You definitely get the thrills of Mt. Rainier the views of Mt. Adams, the green surrounding the valley and hills below, and cell signal from Crystal Mountain without the crowds on this hike.  

We started up the trail at Bear Gap around 8 am and returned around 1:45 pm, taking stops for pictures, water and snacks.  The extra 200' climb to Norse Peak from Scout Pass was well worth it.  The views were outstanding! 

The Morse Creek (FR 462) road to the Bear Gap trailhead is passable beyond the "park here and follow the road" sign near the cabin.  We were able to go up the road to almost the trailhead in our Honda Accord.  We stopped short of a gully and parked in a pull out.  There was one truck parked at the trailhead.  I am glad we parked as far up as we could, because we needed the extra muscle for the climb up to the PCT.    Look for a old sign that says “TRAIL” with an arrow pointing to the right. 

The Bear Gap and Fog City trail were in great shape.  There were some bushes hanging over the trail but nothing that made the trail impassible or hard to navigate.  Several of the slopes were sun exposed; so, you'll want to go early. It felt warm coming back down with little shade. The trail up to Norse Peek from Scout Pass on the PCT did have a few down logs, but nothing impassible. In addition, the Bear Gap and Fog City trail do have a fair amount of shale rock on them, making it slightly difficult on the return.  It got a bit slippery.  

We saw an abundance of wildflowers along all 3 trails.  The ones we could identify were magenta colored Indian Paintbrush, purple Lupine, and Beargrass.  There were also several other “aster like” flowers, yellow “daisies” and lavender “daisies”.  It was a sea of color in many places.  About a mile or so into the PCT we could see the results of the Norse Peak fire in 2017.  Many of the trees are charged; however, the vegetation is nice and green.  It was a unique stretch of trail, in its own way. At 2 or 3 points on the PCT you can see the drainage on both sides of the trail. 

Don't do it. Don't hike this trail. 

Let's just start with that. After reading several recommendations on different platforms, I tried this hike. It was supposed to be a loop from the Bullion Basin to the Lake, meeting the PCT and then back around. There is no trail. Absolutely nothing. Do not follow the AllTrails route. There is nothing there. In the end, I couldn't make it. I couldn't get back how I'd come either. 

I am a seasoned hiker with years of experience and this is the first time I ever contemplated phoning for help. It was extremely dangerous. I had to free climb using roots to hoist myself over a scramble some 6000 ft up. The snow on the PCT trail makes it impossible to pass as it is a sheer cliff straight down and the snow is not safe. The snow is giving way every moment and there is no way around the patches.

Above all, there is no trail. For the vast majority, even in August, I doubt this would be doable. There is simply no trail.

This was dangerous, terrifying and unpleasant. I am covered in cuts, bruises, scrapes and goodness knows what else. There were multiple spots where the footing was insecure and I was lucky as hell to have a rope hold or I would have fallen fifty or more feet. In a few places I saw tracks of animals who had slipped and fallen and a couple times blood. I did meet a lovely (and giant fox) and a hawk who was markedly unsure if I was food or annoyance. 

And yes, I attempted to turn around several times but the path was not safe to go back or another trail was marked as safe and was not. 

In the end, this is beautiful. Words fail to express the beauty. But it is not worth it. It isn't safe. Please don't try this hike. Look at the photo. Look at the size of the trees. Then look at that rock. Are you comfortable climbing up that rock free and down the other side? See that small ledge up towards the top? It's about a foot wide and covered in snow that is extremely questionable. That describes most of the trail. Every time you think you have made progress, that you are safer, it gets worse. It is impassible. 

Stats: Irrelevant. Please don't do this hike.