[Allison]

Plan A involved climbing St. Helens. After everyone bailed, we decided to go for something more weather-friendly, and settled on Lake Mary, in Icicle Canyon. When the weather there started acting sketchy, we opted out of that plan and looked high and low for drier weather. Finally around noon on Friday, we packed the car and headed for the Methow, with Foggy Dew Falls and beyond as the objective. Many, many, many hours later, we arrived in the Gold Creek drainage and opted for a nice campfire and some car camping and beers, with a pact to get a reasonably early start on our hike. The car camping, especially the primitive variety, is of excellent quality along FS road 4340. I heard R get up and start the coffee, and promised myself I’d just sleep for a few more minutes. An hour later, at 10:30, I finally crawled out of bed. Note to self: Day job making me too tired, must quit job and devote self full-time to leisure activities. We reached the trailhead at the crack of noon to find just three vehicles, including a Forest Service truck. We encountered a smattering of people on the way in, and one mother grouse doing her best to act injured so we wouldn’t disturb her nest. We were so impressed with her display that we opted to not eat her offspring. Shortly after we started up the trail, a cascading falls appeared on our left. We had a slurp of water and admired our speedy pace, as the guide indicates Foggy Dew Falls to be 2 ½ miles in. Sometime later we saw a sign next to another tumble of water indicating it to be Foggy Dew Falls. Guess we weren’t so speedy after all! We expected to see a ton of dirt bikes and mounatin bikes, but didn’t see a one until the Merchants Basin/Cooney Lake intersection at five miles from the car. Here we met a lone Forest Service ranger on a dirt bike. He was toting a chainsaw and had done a boatload of trail maintenance in the area that day. We never once had to step over any deadfall, thanks to his effort. After bidding him farewell, we proceeded to make the steep climb to Merchants Basin. It was a pleasant walk with great views down the valley, but in summer it would be a blisteringly hot misery-fest. A long mile later, Merchants Basin unfolded before us. Hoary Marmots loped about and whistled to one another, and wildflowers abounded. There was a lot of horse manure at the larger camps, and one privy destroyed by the winter’s snow. We crossed the middle fork of Foggy Dew Creek and found a reasonably dry camp. There’s a fair bit of snow up there, but it is going fast and we were entirely on dry ground. It was a nice treat to be camped at 7000 feet so early in the season. Note: If the Basin is too windy, there are nice camps just below, near the boulder field, and amid some gigantic larch trees. We had a nice small fire (wow! it’s allowed here!) and some dinner and whiskey, and enjoyed the longest day of the year until it became too chilly to sit around any more. We snuggled in to our tiny tent for some shut-eye, with the full intention of getting up and hiking over to Sunshine Lake in the morning. At 9:40 a.m. it was warm enough to move around without too much shivering, so the plan to visit the lake went out the window, so to speak. After much coffee, we bombed down the trail. We made it back to the car in two and a half hours, and then fantasized about the great grub at the Winthrop Brewery until at last we reached that objective in mid-afternoon. The Foggy Dew Trail is not to be missed. It’s in great condition, with nice views and waterfalls, and tons of wildlife and flowers. Warnings of hordes of motorcycles should be ignored, at least early in the summer.

out of M basin

frosty flower

[Randy]

Pfft. What, you didn't climb any peaks? Wassup wit dat? Nice report.

[Allison]

No, I don't care about bagging peaks...just like always. Pfft!

[Randy]

Peakbaggers are cool. Quark is a peakbagger and you should be too!

[sooperfly]

I grew up in this area and still spend a lot of time up there.. Its a great place that allows multi use. Not too many of those around. It can get crowded sometimes , but venture off the trail and there are some gems !!!! Note: For you hiker/fishers, if you don't already know there are some lakes in the area with MONDO trout!

[Slugman]

If an idiot could get up there blindfolded, then I would have at least a 50/50 chance. Although if it is 8400 vertical feet, the trailhead would have to be about 6000 minimum!