[D. Inscho]

It was the second night; I awoke on a piece of plastic sheeting to the purest darkness I had ever seen. With back pressed firmly to earth I gazed through our galactic haze to behold the fuzzy spiral called Andromeda; a galaxy apart from our own visible even to my 50 year-old eyes. I lost sleep contemplating that such darkness was common 100 years ago, and that the glint in my dog’s eyes while tucked into his warm bag originated from the stars above millions of years ago. My hand was lit by that same old light, and it was reflected on the mirror surface of my companion tarn. (It was also fun to contemplate the irony of the Tungsten Mine in one of the darkest places of the state) I was in supreme awe; this was the best part of the trip.

Camp view, nite 2

Granite crumb

Inspiration for this journey came from map-mulling and augmentive reporting on NW hikers; thanks to those who quest and post. The destination tarn was between Bauerman Ridge and Teapot Dome in The Mighty Mysterious Pasayten.

Moon, rock

My start did not go as planned. Firstly, the prior day’s storm lingered longer than expected so it actually snowed as I drove FS roads 37/39 from Winthrop to Irongate. Then, within 3 miles of the trailhead, a tree boasting 13 inches of growth blocked the road. I regretted having taken the axe out of my truck last year. Just as I resigned myself to the added mileage/gain and had shouldered the pack, an outbound truck pulled up on the other side. A youthful couple inquired if I had a saw. We spent the next 4 hours driving around and back into Tonasket to round up a sawyer crew.

Checking out the damsel

Clearing the road

The Forest Service at work

The FS office eventually located a fire team and we commuted back to the scene. The couple’s truck was quickly released and I advanced to “Go”. There was only one other car in the lot.

Lichen

Beauty after the beast

Spuce grouse

It was 5p when I hit the trail, just enough time to call Sunny Pass home before the dark side of the planet caught up with us. The great thing was that the weather had cleared convincingly; I walked in beautiful light and snow, crunching along as if in a bag of chips. A handy spring provided treatment-free water. This was the worst part of the trip

Inbound snow

Snow, first night

Back door of Horseshoe Basin

Windy Peak above the burn

I had 11 miles and a brief offtrail thrash the next day, but got an early start with perfect sunshine. The whole route stays fairly level and there is not one switchback. Just when I began to raise a finger to some ascent in the trail it would go back to minding its contour business, a steady 7100’ most of the time as scenery easily moved by like those airport walkways.

Boundary trail heading west

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N. Twentymile fire lookouts and their charred domain

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6 meter border swath

There was not much shade in this fire-roasted landscape, but it made for good views. The ascent onto the tarn ridgeline was uncomplicated by terrain, just a steep 400’ hoist.

Our tarn below Teapot Dome

Break time

First evening moonrise over Teapot Dome

Lodgepole pine regeneration

I had 2 nights to reside at this unnamed tarn. Mornings invariably began around 6a with a squirrel-alarm scolding me from the whitebark pine above. After a snoozy respite, nutcracker would razz until the silent alarm of Bauerman Ridge, shining richly with sunrise, stirred me out of the bag.

Sunrise reflection

Kitchen nook

The promise of another golden day in the Pasayten was too much to ignore for long. A falcon periodically raked the air with furious feathers, scattering panicked avian survivors about the basin. Other than that it was a quiet place.

Shadows & clouds

Bodhran is a great companion on these trips, and he reminded me once again that he is a valuable backcountry partner. The first morning he alerted with a polite woof to something toward the outlet. Less than a minute later we both watched a shimmering black bear dreamily bumble (cue tuba music) the opposite shoreline, unaware of our presence. I did not dare break the spell with a reach for the camera; the bear passed within 150 feet and over the ridge. Thirty seconds later, as a slight breeze carried bear scent to Bodhran’s big nose, he trembled with renewed excitement. Maybe this was the best part of the trip.

Fishing

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North Pasayten Wilderness and Cathedral Provincial

I explored the broad shoulder of Bauerman Ridge with my layover day and gazed over the inner sanctum of The Pasayten. Being too lazy to explore it, I took pictures instead. It was a warm and nearly breezeless afternoon.

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Deep Pasayten

Bauerman Ridge

Raking the wilderness

I encountered a gang/posse/covey of Rock Ptarmigans on the high tundra of Bauerman. They did not menace me, but I got some mugshots just in case.

Looking the part, Rock ptarmigan

Perfect camouflage

Find the birdie

The 6 meter border swath was visible in the NE, but was not tempted to break any Federal Laws this time. The pale tailings pile of the Tungsten mine was also visible jutting over the valley. Tungsten lighting is an old-timey thing now with LEDs and fluorescents so thoroughly dazzling the planet.

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Kulshan peeping through from the Puget Sound

Bauerman Ridge and Scheelite lake

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Apex, Amphitheater, and Cathedral Peaks

The next day’s 11 miles were warm & bright with just enough breeze to chase the sweat. Contrary to maps, the trail tops-out at around 7400’ on the slopes of Haig. Re-entry into Horseshoe’s generous meadows, tawny with seeded grass, was welcome and spectacular.

Home stretch

Marking the marker

Sunny Pass exit (and puma dog)

Sunny Pass lived up to its name; the last night was spent there again and I wandered-away the evening in sandals with the last of the wine ration. It was fun comparing my journey with the visible topography of Haig and Bauerman to the north. This certainly was one of the best parts of the trip.

Sunny Pass to Horseshoe

Despite the indecision about the best part, I concluded that there is more joy-per-footstep in the first 8 miles of this tour than in the subsequent 8; similarly, the view beyond Bauerman to Cathedral did not look very exciting. Additionally, the tarn was not as scenic & open as hoped; and the deeply muddy margins did not inspire swimming. Next time I visit Irongate, I think I’ll stay a little closer to home. Stats: 32 miles RT 2420’ gain inbound 1140’ gain outbound

[Redwic]

I saw the "Bauerman Ridge" reference in your thread title and I had to respond. That is a very underrated but cool peak and has a great view of the eastern Pasayten Wilderness. The tarn is neat. Thank you for sharing photos. Did you happen to stumble upon the natural chasm slightly below the summit ridge? Gimpilator and I thought it was pretty neat. Tungsten Mine Camp is full of history, too. But the mice can be annoying.

[iron]

looks very beautiful!

[Magellan]

Poetry in motion.

[Abert]

Thanks for the lovely report. If the weather cooperates I've planned on getting there sometime in the next couple of weeks. Good samaritan points for the catch and release of the couple on the wrong side of the log. There's some sort of cosmic irony in man (the border) or nature barring the way up there under the harsh northern light.

[D. Inscho]

[cartman]

Great story and photos. Were there many larch in the Bauerman/Teapot area? Continuing west over to Apex Pass might not be that exciting, but the reward is the open country from the pass to the very scenic Cathedral Lakes and more open wandering beyond.

[harrymalamute]

Nice I thought about that tarn a lot as I recently passed by. thanks for the pics. As always your thoughts throughout your trip are a fun read.

[GeoTom]

I always enjoy reading your TR's, and this is no exception. Bodhran does look like quite the hiking partner.

[contour5]

Another fine Inscho Report, and a tantalizing glimpse of another fascinating area that I have yet to visit. I'm left wondering if there's any surface exposure of tungsten minerals in the area...or tailings loaded with colorful scraps... From the gear shots, it appears you're hefting some vintage cordura...an increasingly rare sighting in this age of crinkly fabrics. Thanks for the enjoyable photos and TR.

[D. Inscho]

[Matt]

There are many larches around the tarn and on the ridge from the tarn to Haig peak. I'll dig out some old photos and post them later. What was the date for your trip? I notice the larches were all still green in your photos, so I'd like to know how long ago that was.

[D. Inscho]

Sept 3-7 for this trip. I went to the Sawtooths last weekend, and the larches had changed noticeably over the 48 hr stay. Catching up on reporting...