Cutthroat Lakes via Walt Bailey Trail — Saturday, May. 7, 2016

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Did a solo trip up to Bald mountain summit. the road is great all the way up to the huge tree across it at about 3/4 mile from the trailhead, easy in a 4x4 to go under though. 1000 yards in the trail dissapears, from there on out its maps and compass AND GPS... having never been on this trail before it was rather difficult for me to find any clear route. the summer trail is non existing. and with the warm weather snow tracks will not be there on your way back. look back often for landmarks. All that being said this is a beautiful trip ! the first medow area is like something out of a dream, gorgeous ! the hike becomes more difficult as it climbs out of the valley over several ridges, again no trail to be found but it is doable. once you crest the ridge before the lakes it is pretty cut and dry, head west. the lakes are still 99 % frozen, but gogeous all the same ! from the lakes you can see bald mountain directly to the west, head south around the west side of the southern most lake up the soft ridge to the southwest ridge and follow it northwest towards the summit block. this is where it gets a little tricky, you will reach a very small saddle bowl at the base of the ridge you just walked northward, there is a signpost with no sign attached to it. at this point i headed north along the east side of the summit block, wrong. after peaking over the ridge to see the other side i noticed the boot path on the WEST side of the summit block... went back to the post and found the narrow boot path entrance on the northwest corner of the saddle bowl area. easy to follow and snow free boot path to the summit from there.