This was a weekend warrior trip with Parker and Andrew. We had planned on going to Twisp Pass but I had forgotten the amount of BS the National Park Service puts you through to get an overnight permit. After getting our permit for the Horse Camp at Dagger Lake, we continued our drive over the North Cascades Highway. The further we drove the madder I got, so I proposed we do Buckskin Ridge instead even though I've been recently (2007 & 2008).
Instead of the Silver Bullet ('85 Camry) I was driving the Corolla, which isn't quite a mountain car. The road to Hart's Pass gets worse each year and it definitely isn't for the faint of Heart. Parker, who had never been on such a road, was really uncomfortable going up with the sheer drop on his side of the car.
-Cascade Bill Mooseker
Date(s): August 27-28, 2011. Album by Cascade Bill. 1 - 29 of 29 Total. 418 Visits.
enlarge 208KB, 800x549 1
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enlarge 199KB, 800x600 2 Looking South from Slate Pass. Our car is at the last switchback on the road to the Slate Peak Lookout, which is the highest elevation you can drive to in the state of Washington. This is looking south.
enlarge 199KB, 800x600 3 Parker at Slate Pass This is the boundary for the Pasayten Wilderness, which is under the USFS not the NPS, WHOOO HOOO!
enlarge 240KB, 800x600 4 The trail drops down immediately over Slate Pass. This is a long grind when you are coming back. You can see the lookout on Slate Peak at the upper right of the photo.
enlarge 219KB, 800x600 5 After dropping down through the talus on the other side of Slate Pass, the trail traverses meadows along the ridge.
enlarge 323KB, 800x600 6 The trail has a lot of up and down, and it traverses several small basins along the ridge. Parker and Andrew are going up much faster than I am.
enlarge 279KB, 800x600 7 From all the cars at the trailhead, I didn't think that we would get the camp at Silver Lake, but we were lucky and did get the camp. Troop 24 camped here in 2000 (Photo album " Here. ) There was another group camped right on the lakeshore that I only saw when I went fishing in the morning, and one other couple came in after us and was camped about 150 ft from us. They were already gone when we got up. You can see my old Clip Flashlight (10 yrs old) and Andrew's new dome tent.
enlarge 272KB, 800x600 8 Parker eating his oatmeal. It was another great day.
enlarge 318KB, 800x600 9 Parker with a nice trout. Fishing was good for small trout. I think that they were rainbows but some of them looked like cutthroats.
enlarge 326KB, 800x600 10 Andrew trying his hand at fishing.
enlarge 320KB, 800x600 11 Scenic view.
enlarge 337KB, 800x600 12 Can you find Parker? (enlarge to original size)
enlarge 259KB, 800x600 13 There he is.
enlarge 274KB, 800x600 14 There is about a 300' climb up out of Silver Lake. There hasn't been any trail work done for a while so you have to do some detours around fallen trees here and there.
enlarge 380KB, 800x600 15
enlarge 314KB, 800x600 16 Andrew and Parker taking a break after climbing up to the ridge from Silver Lake.
enlarge 249KB, 800x600 17 Looking up the valley of the Middle Fork of the Pasayten.
enlarge 210KB, 800x600 18 Looking across the valley - the cirque on the ridge opposite is Ferguson Lake.
enlarge 236KB, 800x600 19 Andrew and Parker coming down the switchbacks from the ridge above Silver Lake.
enlarge 267KB, 800x600 20 Andrew and Parker
enlarge 300KB, 800x600 21 Parker.
enlarge 246KB, 800x600 22 Heading back along the Buckskin Ridge Trail.
enlarge 453KB, 800x600 23 Some of the many fields of lupine along the way.
enlarge 239KB, 800x600 24 As we climb out of one basin we can look back down the Middle Fork of the Pasayten.
enlarge 143KB, 800x600 25 Looking ahead we can see Slate Pass. If you enlarge the photo to original size you can see the trail going up to the pass.
enlarge 323KB, 800x600 26 Another hill to climb!
enlarge 184KB, 800x600 27 Parker and Andrew have gone ahead. This is near the junction with the trail that comes up out of the Middle Fork.
enlarge 212KB, 800x600 28 Getting closer. We still have a climb as you can see from the trail going up the ridge beyond.
enlarge 181KB, 800x600 29 Looking back along the ridge from Slate Pass.
Andrew had gone on ahead and then came back to carry my pack up part of the last stretch. We were glad to get to the top of the pass.
We went to Winthrop and had supper where we always go, the Riverside Grill - they used to have a "Pasayten" Burger but its under new management now and a Burger by any other name is still a burger. We headed home at dusk after a satisfying dinner.
