[Paul M]

David D and I spent 3 days over the 4th holiday hiking in the Pasayten Wilderness. We came in and out via the Billy Goat Corral Trail Head and spent two nights at Larch Pass. Day two we climbed Sheep Mountain and Sand Ridge. On Day three we went South from Larch Pass on a scratch trail into the little basin below the Easter shoulder of Two Point Mountain. We used the faint scratch trail to get us up to the ridge crest then followed the ridge over the eastern summit point and then on to the true summit (class 2). From there we dropped to Dollar Pass and then went p Dollar Watch Mountain (a former fire Lookout). We had zero rain up to that point but the weather was changing so we started for the barn. Rain started as we left Dollar Watch Pass and we ended up walking out the final 11 miles in a steady rain that became a heavy down pour at times. The 2018 McLeod Fire was not kind to this region of the Pasayten. All of the passes we crossed thru were burnt, although we usually found stands of unburnt trees on the north side of each pass. Fire devastated the forest between Three Fools Pass, extending all the way up to Larch Pass (We stopped counting logs across the trail at >200 here). Fire also burnt in places up to tree line on Sheep Mountain. In some places where the fire quickly moved across the fields the wild flowers were abundant and very color full. Where the fire burned hotter in the forest there are places where all of the duff is burned off, leaving nothing but bare rocks and burnt sticks behind. Amazing. Once in the high meadow country the landscape is more normal looking. Some pictures follow. 43 miles and over 7K ft in 3 days.

[Sallie4jo]

Any problems following trails? I have many fond memories...sand ridge and the coyotes...and sheep mountain...always fascinated by the peaks out there..walk up one side and cliffs..oftentimes with a small lake on the othere. Did u go into whistle basin? Loved the report.

[D. Inscho]

Good effort in Pasayten country, and thanks for the post-fire trails report; always valuable in those parts

[wildernessed]

The morning of the fire / trail closures we were heading up to do a multi day backpack to Sheep we were that close but had put it off too long.😢

[Paul M]

[Sallie4jo]

Yes..and just means the wild can come back. Appears there is alot of focus on trying to get the boundary trail back after many years of letting it go... Appreciate!