Gothic Basin, Del Campo Peak & Gothic Peak — Sunday, Jul. 13, 2025

This one is long and I apologize in advance :)

• Trail: 
• The trail alternates between mellow and steep intermittently. The trail has one blowdown to navigate and a few easy stream crossings. The trail is snow free all the way to Foggy Lake, where some intermittent snow remains. No technical expertise necessary to reach Foggy Lake.
• Continuing past the lake, to either Del Campo or Gothic Peak, there are a couple snowfields lingering that must be traversed. My dad and I managed without traction, but some will want at least poles to make either summit. The climb up Gothic is easy class 3 (some routefinding required). Del Campo is a much more sustained Class 3, which can become Class 4 if you don’t pick your route correctly. Climbing experience and comfortability with some moderate exposure are recommended for both.
• *It is possible to string the peaks together in a loop, which we did on this trip. There is a narrow gully, on a bluff above Foggy Pass (actually, significantly west of the actual pass), that you can downclimb and then traverse over to Foggy Pass.Early in season it would be an easy traverse on snowfields, but this time of season it is generally all on loose talus/skree. From Foggy Pass, the route difficulty decreases as it follows a ridgeline below the western face of Gothic, up to the normal summiting route. Routefinding and the ability to downclimb semi-steep talus fields required for this traverse.
• Hike stats (averaged between two GPS tracks):
  • Weden Creek Trail - 0.85mi, 0ft ^
  • Creek Crossing - 1.85mi, 220ft ^
  • 1st Major Waterfall - 3.1mi, 1,540ft ^
  • 2nd Major Waterfall - 3.65mi, 1,900ft ^
  • 3rd Major Waterfall - 4.10mi, 2,500ft ^
  • Gothic Basin - 4.6mi, 2,900ft ^
  • Foggy Lake - 5.0mi, 3,300ft ^
  • Del Campo Peak - 5.7mi, 4,700ft ^
  • Gothic Peak - 6.7mi, 5310ft ^
  • Return to Gothic Basin - 7.7mi, 5,430ft ^
  • Back to Trailhead - 12.3mi, 5,650ft ^
• Bugs: Bugs were present throughout (bottom to top), but not overly obtrusive (just mildly annoying).
• Road: Parking for the trail is immediately off the road, suitable for all vehicles.
• Gear: No gear required for Gothic Basin & Foggy Lake. If continuing on to Del Campo or Gothic Peak, a helmet is generally recommended. The snow fields that remain (currently) are easily traversable and do not require traction - but some hikers will feel more comfortable with some traction devices (in a couple of weeks, it'll be a moot point).

Full report: 

The trail starts at the beginning of the old forest road which leads to the abandoned town of Monte Cristo. Park right off at the highway, or in the small lot (if there is room). You begin the hike walking down a more or less flat road for approximately 0.85 miles. A trail marker denotes the start of the Gothic Basin trail to the right. The trail stays gradual for roughly another mile until you reach a year-round creek crossing (easily managed). After this point, the trail will alternate between moderate and severe grading.

At approximately 3 miles, the forest begins opening up and you will shortly encounter a fairly significant waterfall. The first (and most significant) of several waterfall crossings you will encounter (season dependent). From here, gain roughly 1,000 feet of elevation in just under a mile to the third (significant) waterfall. Once you reach this spot, you are getting close - just 0.5 miles to the Basin. 

Shortly before entering Gothic Basin, the open and forested trail quickly turns into  rugged and rocky scenery - with Gothic Peak looming overhead in the background. There are multiple locations to camp both here and up a bit further at Foggy Lake (about 0.4 miles and 400 feet of elevation change between the two). If given the choice, I would pick Foggy Lake to camp, but I believe both are worthwhile. The route to Foggy Lake from the Basin is obvious, follow the boulder fields to the south around the lake and ascend a fairly steep (very light scramble) rock field. Foggy Lake lies just beyond. 

• Del Campo Peak:
• Follow the edge of the lake to the south. Your goal is to reach the obvious ridgeline, coming around the back side and then following it to its terminus a few hundred yards below the beginning of the scramble route. Snow fields linger late into season, so expect some snow if climbing through mid-July. As you reach the end of the minor ridgeline, you will be presented with only one real option, southward and upward. The trail doesn’t really exist here, it’s a choose your own adventure kind of deal. But the talus is mostly large and stable, with intermittent loose crappy rock mixed in. 
• The summit ridgeline has a large gap - if you were looking at it from the northern side that is - that gap is the scramble route. Within the gap, there is an exceptionally obvious (and generally friendly looking) gully and a less forgiving-looking scramble. AVOID THE GULLY. Take the less forgiving-looking scramble route (by whichever route you deem best) and you will find that it is not as intimidating as it looked from a distance. Once you reach the summit ridgeline, turn to your left and start your final ascent - understanding that the “most dangerous” scrambling is already done at this point. From here, another choose your own adventure exists. A faint trail is visible intermittently, however, all roads lead to the same place. Enjoy a rocky, but generally large summit block. Boasting room for several hikers and a summit register.
• Gothic Peak: 
  • A much more straightforward summit than its neighbor. Gothic requires some easy class 3 scrambling and routefinding. As it was with Del Campo, there are options here. Hit the ridgeline and follow it more or less as you ascend toward the summit block; or stay beneath the ridgeline, traversing gentle snowfields before ascending a semi-steep talus field below the summit block (my recommendation). Either route will get you to the summit. The summit block scramble is an easy (and fairly enjoyable) class 3. There are some dead-ends along this scramble, so if you feel like a move is class 4 or higher, you’re probably off route and should re-calibrate (also, If you take the ridgeline route, presumably there is much more scrambling to be had - but it isn’t necessary if you ascend the talus fields instead).
• Traverse from Del Campo to Gothic:
  • The traverse from Del Campo to Gothic is not a trail of any kind - routefinding skills and common sense will be necessary to complete the traverse. Or, return to the lake and do the two peaks in an out and back style. 
  • The basic “route” for the traverse is to drop down below the scrambling portions of Del Campo. Then continue in a more or les straight line down talus fields to an obvious drop-off. Be careful, however, as there is only one place that where the traverse is relatively straightforward and it is very easy to miss. What you are looking for is a very narrow gully with a rock wall to your right and trees to your left. It is NARROW - less than 5 feet across. In early season, this is certainly snow covered and an easy descent on a moderate snowfield. In later months, it is loose talus and scree that is manageable (know your own ability level).
  • From the gully, descend roughly 100 feet, staying as close as possible to the rocky ridge above you to your right. Your goal is to aim for Foggy Pass, the saddle between the two peaks, which is obvious and usually snow covered. From the pass, ascend on generally good boulders and talus, traversing across the southern face of Gothic Peak. Your route will go directly up an extended talus field up to the west side of the summit pyramid. Summit as per the normal route.