Nice hike with trailhead not to far from Barlow pass on the Mountain Loop Hwy. Oh, and how underrated it is! This may be a bit of a tough one, but it is so worth it. On the first mile or two of trail, there are a few long stretches of brush that you have to push through, since the trail is a bit overgrown in some places, but one way to the basin is not actually that far. I arrived at the basin at around 10:00am, when the striking Slate Peak wall is looking gorgeous bathed in morning light.
If you want to go on further, as I did, its well worth it. Up from the basin there isn't a real trail, just a faint climbers path, but the general direction is straight up, so that's where I went. After reaching a small saddle, you can continue around slate peak, along a steep boulder field decorated with heather. Across the boulders, there's a little more up, and then you are on the pass. From there, but also on the boulder field, there are great views of the surrounding mountains.
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