Prologue
The friend I’ve probably known longer than anyone else in my life and I reconnected during our adult years and he now lives outside Seattle with his wonderful wife. Our mothers were best friends since they were 13 years old. Our families spent much of our childhood together, all living in Southern California. We have fond memories of spending summers and holidays, especially New Years, together as kids.
Tom hadn’t been backpacking since he was a teenager, and I’d suggested flying up at the end of my summer break so we could head into the Pacific Northwest wilderness for a few days. Tom was all in.
The fires had been raging in Washington for almost two months, but the wind pattern had kept the area we were planning to visit virtually smoke free the entire summer. That changed just a few days before my flight when a line from Portland to the Canadian border experienced some of the worst air quality in the country.
Flying north from Sacramento was horrendous as the visibility out of the plane windows was close to zero.
Landing in soupy Seattle didn’t bode well, but the weather patterns were expected to change over the next 48 hours as the winds shifted from their unusual westerly flow back to their normal onshore pattern.
Waking up on the day we were supposed to drive to the trail, it was obvious we’d need to wait another day and cut our trip down to one night and two days.
Tom works as a Senior Manager for Boeing, his dream job after a long career in aeronautics. Instead of hitting the trail, we headed to the Boeing factory where I got an absolutely amazing one on one tour with Tom. I was able to see the entire process of how the Boeing 737 MAX is built. I got to see virtually every aspect that goes into putting one of these unbelievable machines into the air. It was fascinating.
Tom hadn’t been backpacking since he was a teenager, and I’d suggested flying up at the end of my summer break so we could head into the Pacific Northwest wilderness for a few days. Tom was all in.
The fires had been raging in Washington for almost two months, but the wind pattern had kept the area we were planning to visit virtually smoke free the entire summer. That changed just a few days before my flight when a line from Portland to the Canadian border experienced some of the worst air quality in the country.
Flying north from Sacramento was horrendous as the visibility out of the plane windows was close to zero.
Landing in soupy Seattle didn’t bode well, but the weather patterns were expected to change over the next 48 hours as the winds shifted from their unusual westerly flow back to their normal onshore pattern.
Waking up on the day we were supposed to drive to the trail, it was obvious we’d need to wait another day and cut our trip down to one night and two days.
Tom works as a Senior Manager for Boeing, his dream job after a long career in aeronautics. Instead of hitting the trail, we headed to the Boeing factory where I got an absolutely amazing one on one tour with Tom. I was able to see the entire process of how the Boeing 737 MAX is built. I got to see virtually every aspect that goes into putting one of these unbelievable machines into the air. It was fascinating.
Work on the Boeing floor. Incredible!
Later in the day we visited his mother and went to dinner. I love spending time with Joy because it always feels like I get a little piece of my own mother back whenever I'm in her presence. It was a wonderful visit.
After finalizing our gear and pulling a day's worth of food out of our packs, we watched Mile... Mile & a Half. Since I’d just gotten off my JMT trip, I thought they’d enjoy it, and they did. When it was over, we hit the sack.
After finalizing our gear and pulling a day's worth of food out of our packs, we watched Mile... Mile & a Half. Since I’d just gotten off my JMT trip, I thought they’d enjoy it, and they did. When it was over, we hit the sack.
Day 1
Miles: 5.46
Total Miles: 5.46
Elevation Gained: 1,874ft
Elevation Lost: 779ft
We woke up early and were pleasantly surprised to see that the air quality was significantly better in the area we were headed. We hit the road at about 8:00 a.m.
After a short 60 minute drive to the trailhead at Crystal Mountain, we made a quick decision to change our plan, choosing to start from the ski resort parking area instead of another trailhead a bit farther north. This changed our planned route a bit and ended up putting us in a better area given that we had to cut the trip short.
After a short 60 minute drive to the trailhead at Crystal Mountain, we made a quick decision to change our plan, choosing to start from the ski resort parking area instead of another trailhead a bit farther north. This changed our planned route a bit and ended up putting us in a better area given that we had to cut the trip short.
And it begins.
Walking out of the quiet Friday morning parking lot at 4,375 feet, we started climbing the Crystal Mountain Snowshoe Trail, a steeply graded trail through the dense forest. After crossing a stream, the trail angled even more steeply and we made our way to the more established Bullion Basin Trail.
Tom across a stream.
Not long after starting up this new trail, we got our first views of Mt. Rainier.
First views of Mt. Rainer.
It felt like we could reach out and touch it as it was only 15 to 20 miles away as the crow flies. We pushed our way to the Pacific Crest Trail just below the ridge at 6,125 feet and began traversing the ridge heading north. Two northbound PCT thru hikers passed us over the next little while, and we talked with each of them briefly.
Later, during a break while having a snack, another female hiker and her dog approached us from the north. They stopped and chatted for a bit before moving on.
As we continued moving north, we noticed a brand new plume of smoke directly to our west and just north of Mt. Rainier. The smoke was moving northeast with the wind and headed toward us. Just when we thought we were out of the smoke risk, a new fire had changed the game.
Later, during a break while having a snack, another female hiker and her dog approached us from the north. They stopped and chatted for a bit before moving on.
As we continued moving north, we noticed a brand new plume of smoke directly to our west and just north of Mt. Rainier. The smoke was moving northeast with the wind and headed toward us. Just when we thought we were out of the smoke risk, a new fire had changed the game.
Another new Washington Fire.
We reached Scout Pass at 6,530 feet at about 11:30 a.m. and stopped for another snack and water break.
Tom from Scout Pass.
The PCT headed north on a wide sweeping arc, and we could see the area we were aiming for with a trail that would lead to our campsite.
North on the PCT.
Almost immediately after we started walking again, we could see Basin Lake, our destination, down in the basin to our east. Soon after, we reached the sign pointing us there.
Basin Lake
We dropped 650 feet, crossing a creek that was fed by a spring high up on the slope several times as the trail wound its way back and forth while losing elevation quickly.
At about 1:30 p.m. we arrived at the lakeshore and quickly found what we later discovered was the best campsite in the area before dropping our packs and getting camp set up.
I’d brought all of Tom’s key gear including his backpack, tent, sleeping bag, chair, kitchen, water purification, and a few other knickknacks. Tom had brought or acquired the rest. I helped him get set up and then moved over to pitch my own tent. It was only the fourth time in about 18 months I’d slept in my tent, and it felt a bit odd not to be sleeping out as I usually do. But when I'm with others, I tend to use my tent.
At about 1:30 p.m. we arrived at the lakeshore and quickly found what we later discovered was the best campsite in the area before dropping our packs and getting camp set up.
I’d brought all of Tom’s key gear including his backpack, tent, sleeping bag, chair, kitchen, water purification, and a few other knickknacks. Tom had brought or acquired the rest. I helped him get set up and then moved over to pitch my own tent. It was only the fourth time in about 18 months I’d slept in my tent, and it felt a bit odd not to be sleeping out as I usually do. But when I'm with others, I tend to use my tent.
Camp at Basin Lake.
After getting camp organized and having a snack, I went for a quick swim while Tom soaked his feet and legs for a bit. After drying off in the growing wind and much smokier air, we set out to explore our area. Just before we left, I’d asked Paula to give me any information she could on the fire. She told me it was listed as the Grand Park 2 Fire and at that point was only about 200 acres. It was 32 miles to our north. (As of the end of our trip, the fire was still not completely out.)
There were signs of animals everywhere but none in sight. The lake had hundreds of footprints both in the shallows and leading up onto the shore. We saw both elk and mountain goat droppings as well. We made our way around the southern side of the lake and directly beneath Cement Mountain at 6,779 feet. It was a stunning geologic example of the volcanic Pacific Northwest.
There were signs of animals everywhere but none in sight. The lake had hundreds of footprints both in the shallows and leading up onto the shore. We saw both elk and mountain goat droppings as well. We made our way around the southern side of the lake and directly beneath Cement Mountain at 6,779 feet. It was a stunning geologic example of the volcanic Pacific Northwest.
Cement Mountain.
As we approached the eastern side of the lake, we ascended the ridge behind it. We passed tons of elk poop and even a spot that looked like an elk had unloaded its bladder quite recently.
Looking out into the vast Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Wilderness and the basin below ours was like looking into armageddon. The 2017 Norse Peak Fire had decimated the area as far as the eye could see. There were a few pockets of untouched green, but otherwise there was nothing but standing and fallen matchsticks of trees.
Looking out into the vast Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Wilderness and the basin below ours was like looking into armageddon. The 2017 Norse Peak Fire had decimated the area as far as the eye could see. There were a few pockets of untouched green, but otherwise there was nothing but standing and fallen matchsticks of trees.
Moving on, we dropped into the most heavily forested area along the eastern shores of Basin Lake. There were a few more campsites and lots of game trails leading in every direction. Crossing the outlet of the lake, the smoke was the thickest it had been, and we could both feel it in the backs of our throats.
We made our way along the northern shore of the lake, and by the time we arrived back at camp, the wind had shifted a bit and much of the smoke had moved out of our basin. (The smoke would continue to lessen that afternoon and evening and would be virtually gone by that evening and throughout the entire next day.)
We spent a couple of hours just sitting in our comfy chairs and chatting. Eventually, we decided it was time to make some dinner. Tom had an REI freeze dried dinner while I had my staple, one of my homemade burritos. It was a very pleasant evening.
We made our way along the northern shore of the lake, and by the time we arrived back at camp, the wind had shifted a bit and much of the smoke had moved out of our basin. (The smoke would continue to lessen that afternoon and evening and would be virtually gone by that evening and throughout the entire next day.)
We spent a couple of hours just sitting in our comfy chairs and chatting. Eventually, we decided it was time to make some dinner. Tom had an REI freeze dried dinner while I had my staple, one of my homemade burritos. It was a very pleasant evening.
Prepping dinner.
After dinner we went on a short walk to the base of Cement Mountain, scrambling up a bit and taking some pictures before walking to the head of the basin to find where the sound of water we'd been listening to all day was coming from. It turned out to be a series of small cascading waterfalls flowing through beds of beautiful wildflowers.
Tom on the Cement Mountain scramble.
Cascades.
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Adam on the Cement Mountain scramble.
More cascades.
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After admiring it for a bit, we moved back to camp as the sun was finally setting. Tom’s wife, Yuki, had given me some crystallized instant tea to try, and this was the perfect time to pull it out of my food bag. It was amazing, and I’ll be looking into getting some for myself.
Tea time!
Just then the elk began their songs, bugling first from the east and then from the west. We'd listen to them on and off for the next hour or so. It was beautiful.
The stars began to appear, slowly at first and then in an explosion of white points in every direction. Satellites also began to appear, traveling in every imaginable direction. I commented to Tom that when we were younger satellites were a rare and exciting thing to spot. Tom replied that it looked like a highway in the sky. So much human activity everywhere you look. The sky felt like it was one of the last truly untouched and visible places. No more. As a myriad of man made machines crisscrossed the sky above our heads, we dove deeply into conversation. It was a wonderful night with a wonderful friend. I couldn’t have asked for more.
The stars began to appear, slowly at first and then in an explosion of white points in every direction. Satellites also began to appear, traveling in every imaginable direction. I commented to Tom that when we were younger satellites were a rare and exciting thing to spot. Tom replied that it looked like a highway in the sky. So much human activity everywhere you look. The sky felt like it was one of the last truly untouched and visible places. No more. As a myriad of man made machines crisscrossed the sky above our heads, we dove deeply into conversation. It was a wonderful night with a wonderful friend. I couldn’t have asked for more.
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We retired to our tents at about 10:30. It was a breezy, pleasant night.
Day 2
Miles: 8.04
Total Miles: 13.60
Elevation Gained: 1,472ft
Elevation Lost: 2,897ft
It was a solid night's sleep. In a tent, I didn’t get the opportunity to just open my eyes and look at the stars and the lighting as it changed. I peeked out just as the sliver of moon was rising. It was just another reminder of how much I love and prefer to cowboy camp without a tent.
My watch told me it got down to 45 degrees overnight. I was quite comfortable. I wandered out of my tent a little after 6:30 a.m. and was greeted with a sky filled with some high clouds but not a hint of smoke at our location. After some breakfast and coffee, we broke down camp and began our 650 foot ascent back up to the PCT filled with wildflowers. We hadn’t seen another person since about 11:00 a.m. the previous day. After crossing the spring fed creek a few times, followed by a very steep climb, we reached the trail junction sign. After snapping a few pictures and videos, we headed north. We’d decided to turn the trip into a lollipop by hiking north on the PCT for about a mile to a mile and a half before taking a connector trail back to the ridge trail north of where we’d come in.
My watch told me it got down to 45 degrees overnight. I was quite comfortable. I wandered out of my tent a little after 6:30 a.m. and was greeted with a sky filled with some high clouds but not a hint of smoke at our location. After some breakfast and coffee, we broke down camp and began our 650 foot ascent back up to the PCT filled with wildflowers. We hadn’t seen another person since about 11:00 a.m. the previous day. After crossing the spring fed creek a few times, followed by a very steep climb, we reached the trail junction sign. After snapping a few pictures and videos, we headed north. We’d decided to turn the trip into a lollipop by hiking north on the PCT for about a mile to a mile and a half before taking a connector trail back to the ridge trail north of where we’d come in.
Back to the PCT.
It was a mostly level hike until the trail junction where we stopped at a spring to refill our water for the day before starting the climb into Big Crow Basin. It began with a variety of wildflowers and then opened up into a wide, stunning view across the basin with the trail climbing toward the ridge. We’d seen many birds of prey over the last 24 hours and saw even more from this point on
As we approached the final climb to the ridge, I set my phone up to take a time lapse of Tom cresting the top. The trail turned south and became very narrow. It was about 11:00 a.m. when we came across a day hiker headed in the opposite direction. We hadn’t seen another person for 24 hours in an area no farther than about five miles from the trailhead. Incredible.
Soon, the connector trail rejoined the ridge trail. I climbed to a high point and took some pictures of the fires north of us and could even see Mt. Baker over 100 miles away near the Canadian border.
Mt. Baker.
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Northern fires.
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Another 15 minutes later we crested Norse Peak, the high point of our entire trip at 6,856 feet. The views of Mt. Rainier from here and over the next mile were spectacular.
From there we were back on the "lolli" part of the lollipop and traveling the trail we'd come in on. The smokeless views to the west of Rainier were stunning, and we took many pictures.
We dropped back down the Bullion Basin Trail, chatting as we descended the steep terrain. Down is so much harder on the body than up, and I wished, like I always do, that I was going up instead of down. The time passed quickly, and we "missed" the junction that would have taken us down the steepest, most washed out part of the descent and instead found a very pleasant way back down. For the last half mile, we decided to take a gravel service road that actually took us a bit out of the way but worked out just fine.
Back at the car we high-fived and congratulated each other on a terrific trip. The parking lot was incredibly busy on this, one of the last school-free weekends of the summer. The hour drive home went by in a flash, and after repacking the gear for my flight home and taking a long, leisurely shower, I went back upstairs to visit with Yuki’s parents, who were joining us for dinner. Italian food was delivered, and I thoroughly enjoyed my long and interesting conversation with them. Fascinating people with equally fascinating lives.
Yuki took her parents home, and Tom and I watched NOATAK: Return to the Arctic since I’d told him so much about the MMAH crew and about Jim and Tip. He loved it. It was late and time for sleep.
The morning was filled with more conversation, breakfast, and coffee. Tom dropped me off at the Seattle airport, and I was headed home.
This was my second visit to Tom and Yuki’s beautiful home built right into the woods of the Pacific Northwest. It’s a special place where you can walk out the door and into the forest, which is both calming, centering, and peaceful. Both Tom and Yuki are so incredibly generous and just plain lovely people. I’m so grateful to have their family in my life.
Till next time.
Back at the car we high-fived and congratulated each other on a terrific trip. The parking lot was incredibly busy on this, one of the last school-free weekends of the summer. The hour drive home went by in a flash, and after repacking the gear for my flight home and taking a long, leisurely shower, I went back upstairs to visit with Yuki’s parents, who were joining us for dinner. Italian food was delivered, and I thoroughly enjoyed my long and interesting conversation with them. Fascinating people with equally fascinating lives.
Yuki took her parents home, and Tom and I watched NOATAK: Return to the Arctic since I’d told him so much about the MMAH crew and about Jim and Tip. He loved it. It was late and time for sleep.
The morning was filled with more conversation, breakfast, and coffee. Tom dropped me off at the Seattle airport, and I was headed home.
This was my second visit to Tom and Yuki’s beautiful home built right into the woods of the Pacific Northwest. It’s a special place where you can walk out the door and into the forest, which is both calming, centering, and peaceful. Both Tom and Yuki are so incredibly generous and just plain lovely people. I’m so grateful to have their family in my life.
Till next time.