I was in the mood for a climb with mild summer temperatures so this overnight trip was perfect. The trail is wooded the entire way up to the 4th of July Pass campsite and several features keep things interesting. Less than a mile into the hike, you walk over the bridge, pass the group campsite, and then take the well-marked 4th July pass trail up the mountain. After 1.7 miles of switchbacks later (based on walking distance measured by GPS), you encounter the second of three water crossings and this is a good place to stop for a second to catch your breath and cool off. There's a nice lake viewpoint looking north in this stretch of the trail too.
The rest of the distance to the campsite is mostly switchbacks of various lengths. At the campsite, there are several nice views of the surrounding glaciers and I had the choice of either a sheltered or exposed campsite because only one other couple stayed the night. There is a pit toilet at the camp site. I only met 6 hikers during the journey so this trip gave the opportunity for solitude. Small mammals and birds were the only animals observed during the hike and overnight stay.
Using the National Geographic map of the north Cascades, the distance from Colonial Creek campground to the 4th of July campsite is listed as nearly five miles, but my GPS logged about six and a half to the camp site from the trailhead (i.e., from switchbacks). Total elevation gain is about 2,000 feet.
I wish I had a car swap option so I could have hiked the entire portion of the trail up to the pass, and to the highway on the other side of Ruby Mountain. Next time!
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