Easy Pass, Fisher Creek & Fourth of July Pass via Panther Creek — Thursday, Jul. 4, 2024

Day 1 - Started the day picking up our backpacking permit at the Marblemount WIC. We arrived at 7 AM sharp and were ~15th in line. The wait to get our permit took a little over an hour. Thankfully the 3D map of the park inside the center made for great entertainment. We made it to Easy Pass trailhead by 10 AM and there was plenty of parking still available. Easy Pass was no joke - especially once we were above the tree line and exposed to the sun. The crossing of Easy Pass Creek took some balancing on thin logs and there were several snow patches to cross on the way up. We slowed down to make sure we had our footing, but the snow crossings weren't bad. When we made it to the top of Easy Pass, the views made it all worthwhile! Looking into Fisher Basin took my breath away. We took a long break at the top of Easy Pass to soak it all in then continued down the back side of the pass and into Fisher Basin. The decent is narrow and rocky, with great wildflowers dotting the side of the trail. Once down into the basin, there were several spots where the trail was overgrown and we had to fight through dense greenery. But the trail was always easy to find. The next 10 miles were rolling hills through a wide variety of landscapes. 15+ miles and 10 hours later we arrived at Junction Stock Camp for our first night. The views at Junction Camp were incredible! The Stock Camp was more tucked away in the trees, so didn't have the same views but was a fine site nonetheless. Bugs were present but not a major issue. The walk to access water was longer than we would have liked after such a slog of a hiking day.

Day 2 - We slept in and enjoyed a slow morning with a few visits from some deer friends. We were on the trail by noon for a short hike to McCallister Group Camp. This hike was mostly uneventful and flat. One highlight was the crossing of Fisher Creek with a great spot to dip our toes and hats in the ice-cold water for refreshment. Tricouni campsite in this area looks like a gem. We made it to McCallister Group Camp in mid-afternoon and went to cool off in McCallister Creek. The Group Camp area got blazing hot in the afternoon sun, so we sought shade down at the unattended Stock Camp. There was limited tree cover at the Group Camp which made hammocking difficult but made for incredible views of the stars that evening.

Day 3 - We were on the trail by 8 AM determined to conquer Fourth of July Pass and make it 10+ miles to Panther Group Camp well before dinner. Thunder Creek was raging and flashed an enchanting shade of blue. Fourth of July Pass was a grueling climb with no views and steep grade. We earned a nice rest at the top of the pass, where you can finally see snow-capped peaks in the distance. After a rest we continued on the relatively easy trail to Panther Creek. Beware of many overgrown sections of trail on this stint. Panther Group Camp was right on the water which allowed for bathing and the calming sound of rushing water. A short hike past the camp is a glorious waterfall on the left hand side of the trail - a great spot to catch sunrise.

Day 4 - What we thought would be an easy 4 miles out turned out to be much steeper than we imagined. This was a major climb from Panther Creek out to the trailhead. We had earned a big greasy meal on the way back to civilization.