Glacier Basin Trail
2.0 mi
Distance
46 min
Time
terrain
1,703 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a moderate one way trail in Henry M. Jackson Wilderness.
This trail goes by Mystery Hill.
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
I had been wanting to get to Glacier Basin for a long time, so I was thrilled to finally get a chance this weekend. We left the Barlow Pass trailhead at about 8am and started towards Monte Cristo. The log "bridge" over the Sauk was in great shape and was pretty easy to cross this time of year. The only people we saw along the way were a few backpackers who had spent the night along the river. Out from Monte Cristo, the trail gets quite a bit more difficult. We must have been the first of the day headed up, because the trail is fairly overgrown in places, and the brush was quite wet. It's a tough climb including a few slick spots, a rope section, and a small snow patch, but well worth it!
The basin itself is incredible. There's a snow cave, tons of creeks, huge glacial boulders, and even some artifacts left behind from the mining days. We easily spent a few hours wandering around the basin and enjoying the magnificence and solitude. I'd definitely love to come back to camp here sometime.
On the way down, we crossed paths with a few people prior to Monte Cristo, then saw a fair number of families enjoying the day in the townsite. With our wandering, I logged a total of 16 miles and 3,800 feet of elevation gain. I'd guess the numbers listed by WTA are on the low end.
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