[Stefan]

There was a discussion on this board about Lewis Creek up towards Gunn Lake. Some people say it was bad. Some people say it was okay in spring. https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3280&highlight=lewis+creek#3280 I am looking for more feedback. Is is really that bad in spring? MtnGoat, which side of Lewis Creek were you on?

[aestivate]

Lewis creek is not an easy line. Possibly in early season it is different. If the snow is off the lower brush fields you have a mile or two of serious brush thrashing. You also have a pretty difficult cirque wall problem. I came down creek-right (north side of the creek) from above in late spring and very nearly got cliffed out. I remember yarding down some steep vine maple, and feeling lucky to escape. The creek outlet ravine through the cirque wall is itself fairly low gradient relative to the cirque cliff bandl. When I was there, though, it was already too late in the year to try that route. Lots of water coming down, lots of dangerous undermined snow. Possibly it might still be in now, though. So I had a difficult time. In summer, you have the two miles of brush, but I speculate you can go right up beside lewis creek through the cirque cliff band. In late spring, when I did it, you have not only the two miles of brush, but the cirque wall to deal with. Possibly, maybe, in early spring, like now, you can waltz over those two miles of brush, and waltz right up the lewis creek bed through the cliff band. Only way to know for sure is go up there. Definitely some good ski lines in the upper (gunn lake) basin.