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Trip Report

Frosty Creek, Boundary Trail - Pasayten & Pacific Northwest Trail - Pasayten Traverse — Friday, Jun. 28, 2024

North Cascades

On 6/25 we traveled the boundary trail from the vicinity of Frosty Pass to the vicinity of the Pasayten Airstrip. Much of this area burned in the 2022 Parks fire.

Blowdowns came quickly after leaving our camp in the SE facing basin below Mt. Winthrop. In one spot where the trail flattens out we left the trail completely for several hundred feet to navigate through a maze of charred logs and rejoin the trail in the next meadow.

The trail then goes through an unburned swampy section before reentering the burn. The rest of the descent down frosty creek was extremely tedious, crossing blowdown after blowdown after blowdown every 50' or so on the trail.

Rough conditions continued on the ascent to Dead Lake where we were relieved to step out of the burnt forest on to a talus field.

We noticed a fresh (summer 2023?) looking cut log along dead lake then many more on the descent to and along soda creek. Huge thanks to whoever cleared this section! After hours of slow tedious travel we were thrilled to finally be moving.

Besides the climb up to dead lake from the Pasayten River/airstrip, I can't recommend this trail in its current shape. I am unsure if there is a preferable route (Rock Creek? Chuchuwanteen trail?) in better trail condition nearby for PNT / Boundary Trail hikers.

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