hello fellow hikers!

Determined to see some larches before fall completely fades into winter, my friend and I set out for Easy Pass. 

Trail: Snow starts from the jump /: we started hiking around noon, so there was no trail breaking for us. The boot path was easy to follow, but made the hike considerably harder, and thus our pace considerately slower. We made it to the final bowl, above the valley. But looking up at the 700ish feet left to ascend, we opted to turn around & head home :( The 3 of the 4 groups we saw Monday did make it to the pass. We needed an earlier start, unfortunately.

Snow: About a foot and a half. We found winter hiking boots, gaitors, and rain jackets (for the forested section) to all be helpful.

Parking: Plenty of spots on Monday.

Road: Paved, no slush or ice, but check WA DOT for more updated info :)

Final Stats: 6.5 miles & 2,197 ft of elevation gain

happy hiking!

-Lauren is Exploring

IG: @laurenisexploring_

Came for the larches but only made it up halfway due to a significant accumulation of snow. Encountered a few other groups of hikers, most of whom also turned around in the valley.

A friend and I saw the 100% chance of rain forecasted in the North Cascades today, but decided to just go for it in the hopes of seeing the last of the larches. And we were rewarded, by many snow-covered larches at the pass, and by pride of perserverence. By views, not so much. Read on.

We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30 on a Sunday with just a few other cars in the lot. There was a light rain when we got on the trail, and by 4,000 feet it had turned to snow that was sticking to the ground. We got out of the forest and into the valley, which was completely blanketed in 2-3 inches of snow with more coming down. At this point, we ran into two other groups who had opted to turn around at this section of the trail. We were feeling good with our gear, traction, energy, and dryness/warmth, and so decided to keep going as long as we felt able to safely find and follow the trail in the snow. Shortly after entering the valley, we re-entered the forest, and ran into another group who had successfully made it to the top. They were reassuring about trail-finding on the talus slope and we knew we'd also have their boot tracks to follow, which gave us the confidence to push on.

From here, with fairly low visibility and everything blanketed in slow, I zoned out for a while during endless switchbacks, first in the forest and then on the open slope. The snow was fresh and powdery so my friend and I felt like we had decent traction with just boots and poles, and in some ways walking on snow felt easier than walking on a rocky slope. 

We got to the top and enjoyed some beautiful, snow-covered larches, and celebrated a very snowy ascent! The snow at the top was around 4-6 inches and still coming down quickly. There was zero visibility beyond the pass, although we could see a bit back the way we had come. I'd love to do this hike again someday and enjoy the views! We quickly became too cold, so after 20 minutes we headed back down. I wore my microspikes for a while but they kept jambing up with the fresh snow, so I eventually took them off. 

It took us 2:40 to get from the trailhead to the summit, then 2 hours to come back down.

Poles and waterproof layers (top and bottom) were essential to safely do this hike today. I think microspikes will become essential too in the coming days when the snow hardens up/packs down. In the last mile especially, the trail is very steep and narrow and it is easy to slip. Warm layers were also key, we stayed warm going up, but once I layered back up at the top I kept all those layers on for the full descent. A full change of dry clothes at the car was also very welcome at the end of the hike.

TH: 9 cars in total at the parking lot on this Wednesday. Pit toilet available.

Trail: The first 1/3 is a steady grade in the woods. After that you break above the thicket and into the rock fields. The grade gets steeper, rockier, and the views get way better! The last 1/3 is all rocks and a leg burner. The fall colors are peaking right now and the wildlife is getting ready for winter. We saw many pikas, a marmot, and someone reported seeing a black bear. The larches don't start until the pass itself, but once you're there you are enveloped in the larch forest stand. Plus, the views on the other side of the pass towards fisher creek are stunning. Such an awesome hike!

Quite a few folks out on the larch march yesterday and for good reason, it was a spectacular day in the mountains. Parking was readily available at 830 and the trail was not too crowded until later in the afternoon. Ascending through the forest up to the basin look out for pikas in the boulder fields, I saw multiple off leash dogs which may chase or endanger these creatures so be mindful. The larches are close to peaking with some lime green still turning golden. With snow level dropping to 4000 feet I imagine the rocks will get pretty slippery and parts of the trail are exposed, maybe an ice axe will be in order if snow piles up. Berries are mostly desiccated but you can find a handful here and there. I hiked over the pass down to the Fisher Basin camp where the trail is overgrown and rough in spots, the camps are lovely and shaded in the forest and views of Logan are spectacular descending into the basin. Great hike, the challenge of this trail seemed pretty overblown to me lots of different abilities were able to tackle the hike and it took me about an hour from the bottom to the pass without working too hard. Great day out there and beautiful views.