[Lotus54]

Back in '81 I heard about a group of Boy Scouts that needed another adult to make a trip across the Bailey Range. These guys had done quite a bit of hiking and sounded like a good group. I made my first trip across in '68 with a Boy Scout group. We pretty much did hiking trips and not much else. Thats where I learned cross-country, and not with a route either. Just map and compass from 'Here' to 'There'. One was from Texas Valley to Camp Tony. No trials, no route-nothing. Anyway, I went along with these guys. It was a good group, although at the moment I can't recall the name of anyone! The leader (darn, I can almost think of his name) took something like 40 rolls of film! He put together a fantastic slide show, wish I could get it now and scan the whole works. He even taped a narration with music etc. Very nice job. We started at Sol Duc, went up to Heart Lake and stayed there the first night. Here are a couple of pics from the hillside above the Lake.

. The next way we headed toward the Cat Walk.

Then up the hill toward Cat Peak

Some nice views up there:

Carrie in the background

Buzzed across the Cat Walk and stayed on the benches other side of Boston Charlie's.

. Next morning we went up to Mt Carrie. Just a scramble.

. Dang, not many pictures from there. I'll bet he took a bunch though.

[Backpacker Joe]

Great pics. Thanks for the report. Some day Id like to do this trip.

[Lotus54]

Thanks, More to follow. My old light meter was a bit flakey from time to time- and perhaps the operator even more so. If I used the camera very much, I could usually guess what the setting needed to be, within a stop or so.

[Lotus54]

We stayed there below Carrie.

. The next morning the valleys were all socked but we were in the sun.

. Heading out East.

. I had to take another pic of 'LevenBull shelter.

. continuing on east

. We took an alternative route, heading up to the ridgetop, staying there. Dropped down to 'Turquoise Lake' (also called 'Oscar lake') for water. It was a LONG way down!

(more to come)

[Magellan]

Cool! More, please.

[Lotus54]

After staying up on the ridge above Turquoise lake, we stayed high. I'd heard about a really good 'high route' rather than drop into Cream Lake. I searched ahead a bit and found it, then came back for everyone else. It is a really good route, up through the rocks. Cruises right around an drops you into upper Cream Lake basin (some call Ferry basin). On the way around, Billy Everette Lake across the way in the second one:

[Lotus54]

Yeah, a couple of the guys stayed in Crisler's old shelter at 'Leven Bull in '68 when we stumbled across it. The shelter was in great shape then, but the avalanche trashed it. A lot of the old cabins and shelters were still standing back then that are now on the ground. I'm looking to find the pics I took of the 'Poaching cabin' and 'Dr. Balls' cabin among others. Wish I took more! Mark

[Lotus54]

We stayed in Upper Cream Lake Basin for a day, then moved to 'Crystal Pass' (between Ferry and Snagtooth). I really enjoyed just wandering around up there (one of my two favorite places)- but maybe others won't like it very much... Looking down, Billy Everett on the left.

Wandered up to Mt Ferry. There were some nice views.

. And some great sunsets

. We did a day trip to Bear Pass. I kept going by myself down to Queets Basin (thats a long climb back out, but it didn't look that far down!)

More to come. Mark

[Backpacker Joe]

Which lake is near Stephen Peak? Cream or Turquoise?

[Lotus54]

[Hoosierdaddy]

[Lotus54]

A long time friend of mine has done the north route maybe a couple of times. Walk up Carrie, then go over the glacier, staying on that side of the ridge to the lake. crossing over after that. That area is pretty interesting, you can see all the previous glacier activity without all the pesky plants... we set out to do it many, many years ago, but it was so hot we bagged it. Iv been across in the rain, i won't do that again, but I don't do heat well at all (or does he) and at least we knew enough not to do it anyway. Yeah, I've been to Cream lake twice and don't really have plans to go back. I never did fine a route to the upper basin from there that wasn't brushy- well, maybe heading back up the sidehill and then staying high. But lazy and would rather just stay high. You can see the high route pretty easily in the one picture. I'm glad you are enjoying them. Thanks Mark

[Lotus54]

Some more pics from the day trip to Queets basin. The hill south of Lone tree

. . Ragamuffin/Urchin on right.

I goofed up on the exposure again- a number were way too dark. Mark

[half fast]

Very nice Mark, how fun !! Great trip and you have some awesome phots here Thanks for sharing...

[Lotus54]

The other guys stopped at Bear Pass. I wanted to go into Queets Basin and to Dodwell Rickson. It doesn't seem very far down when looking from the top... Looking toward Humes Glacier

. . Looking into the top of the snow finger

. . Queets Basin