4 day backpack to Lacrosse Basin from Staircase. Very challenging trip but AMAZING and totally worth the effort! Two stream fords that were more than a rock hop...9 stream and the 2nd Duckabush crossing. 9 stream is only about knee high and not difficult. Duckabush is about thigh high, and there is one area where the water is rushing pretty quickly but not too tough to navigate. There are a few trees down in places but navigable. Some areas in the meadows are pretty overgrown but the trail is still easy to follow. Just don't wear shorts. A lot of what is growing into the trail is prickly!
First day we camped at Two Bear. Lovely walk along the river for much of the day, and some amazing old growth forest. Two Bear is a nice campsite with very accessible water. The bear wire there is broken so either bring your own hanging materials or a bear can. Day 1 was pretty flat until the last few miles which was all uphill.
Day 2 was up to First Divide which is super stunning, then down to the Home Sweet Home meadow, and then up again to Marmot Lake. Marmot Lake is breathtaking! No bugs to speak of, but I can see why there are reports of bad bugs. It looks like the area where the "official" camp sites are is kinda swampy. But, if you head up to the left on the ridge, there are a number of sites that are obviously used for camping frequently, with amazing views of Mt. Steele and Mt. Duckabush, and there's enough of a breeze to keep the bugs away. I have never camped in a more stunning location.
Day 3 we left most of our gear at Marmot Lake, and took light packs up to Lacrosse lake and Hart lake. Very amazingly beautiful views. I was glad we had stopped at Marmot however (the original plan was Lacrosse but we were too tired to continue on day 2). There was enough snow at both lakes that finding a snow free site would have been challenging. That said, on the trail itself, there are only a few snow patches and absolutely no need for microspikes. Then back to Marmot, packed up, and headed to Home Sweet Home. There were bugs there, but they weren't biting so no problem. And the flowers and mountain views...wow.
Day 4 was out from Home Sweet Home. Easy peasy in terms of elevation gain, only 1200 for the day, but the 14 miles was exhausting. The last couple miles through Staircase seemed like they would never end! Totally worth the long walk for the stay at Home Sweet Home though!
All in all, this was one of the most amazing and memorable backpacking trips ever. Super challenging, but if you don't mind gaining and losing elevation and crossing lots of water, this is great trip!
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