Bedal Basin — Friday, Jun. 16, 2000

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

This little-used trail to Bedal Basin below Sloan Peak is one to try out if you want to get away from some of the crowded trails in the North Cascades. The 4096 road off of the Mountain Loop Highway is rough in places as you drive to the trail head where there is parking for 5 or 6 vehicles. The trail goes up through old growth forest and some slide alder areas. Under the big trees the trail is covered in Western Hemlock cones since this trail sees a very small number of boots during a year. A few parts of the trail have gotten very brushy and lots of dead limbs lay on it (I threw alot of them out of the way on the way up). You get to use some of your off trail route finding skills on this trip. After crossing the first large creek on some rocks, the trail seems to disappear about 100 yards ahead. It looks like the trail should go the the right and down hill, but it doesn't. It turns sharply to the left and goes up hill for 200 feet, then right again, contouring the hill side. A large limby dead tree is covering up the trail at this point, so it is hard to see what directioning you need to go. After crossing a second stream you have to climb over some fallen trees and the trail comes the the edge of the same second stream. I followed this stream bank where rock cairnes showed the way. There was some snow on the trail in a few spots and the creeks were roaring. Only saw two other hikers on the day I was hiking. It is a nice area to explore where you will have the forest to youself.