Copper Pass via Twisp River — Saturday, Jul. 21, 2012

A backcountry ski partner and I decided to see the heart of the Birthday tour when there is no snow on it and also to escape the wet westside forecast for Saturday. Following an easy cruise down the PCT from the Bridge Creek trailhead on Hwy 20, we started up the Cooper Creek trail. After crossing the decaying log over Bridge Creek (the supports are rotted and collapsing and the flat side is tilted toward the creek. Scary when wet), we soon encountered what turned out to be a long series of blowdown across the forested sections of the lower part of the trail. Some were easy to cross, some requried logjam gymnastics, and one required some route finding to get around it and find the trail again on the other side. The trail is also very overgrown in places and was still wet from Firday's rain.Out boots and socks also soon got wet too. Once the corner into the creek basin is turned the trail climbs steeply up to the northern side of the valley and around several large patches of avalanche brush and then traverses high about mid slope for several miles along a beautiful meadow alp. Not in full bloom this time, but dotted with some nice flowers including paintbrush, several parsleys, sitka valerian, tiger lilies and early lupine.We hit snow patches and very wet meadow trail in the upper end of the basin where it skirts a patch of woods and crosses from north to south. Near the head of the basin the trail climbs up to the pass located in a notch. Great views of nearby Stilleto, Pika and Blue Peaks from the pass, which still has a fair amount of lingering snow. The weather remained classic warm eastside sunshine which made the return through the flowers and back over all the brush and blowdown worth it.I would say it is time for WTA to put this one on the todo list for log and brush removal before it faces away.