[Burke M]

Hi Everyone This weekend I was up around the Gothic Basin area and was thinking about Weden Lake and access. Combing over the internet and searching here on the site I have found virtually no information other than it was stocked with fish in 2014, which seems odd since I dont see much info on access. Does anyone from these parts maybe have info on access? Im under the assumption that there was probably a path in years past possibly related to the mining operations up there but since has been abandoned. Any info would be great. Thanks! Burke

[zimmertr]

Is that the lake at the bottom of the waterfall when at the basin area? If I remember correctly, I read that a trail once broke off the main route to gothic basin about half but it has since been reclaimed by nature. Somewhere or another I read about a party searching for and successfully finding it but they had to struggle through some serious slide alder and blow downs to gain the lake. I believe there is also lots of old rusty mining machinery (and maybe a boot) there as well now. Did you make it all the way up into the basin? How is the snow? Last I read on WTA the trail was pretty treacherous with a few dangerous snow bridges and under-snow rivers.

[Burke M]

I didnt make it all the way into the basin, turned around with maybe a quarter mile left... too much snow and too steep. If I had boots and an ice axe I would have considered it but i was in trail runners with no real gear for that kinda thing. Some of the creek crossing snowbridges are starting to look treacherous on the way up as well. Thanks for the info on the trail, I had a feeling it would end up being something like that.

[fourteen410]

https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7969100&highlight=weden+lk+lake

[zimmertr]

That's the one.

[Riverside Laker]

I suggest dropping down the creek from Gothic Basin that drains into Weden Lake. Both the top and bottom have mine adits to visit. There's no decent camping at the lake -- no flat spots that are not boulder-filled. You'll find better lakes other places to visit, but Weden Lake looks really great from Gothic Basin. Foggy Lake looks even better.

[Burke M]

[Pyrites]

Don’t let them pull you under. Best.

[Randito]

FWIW: I understand that combination of mining activity in that basin and the composition of the ore deposits that the miners were after has contaminated the water with heavy metals. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbs/recreation/recarea/?recid=17792&actid=24

[Backpacker Joe]

Kind of like fishing in the Chain lakes above Williams. NOT!

[borank]

Hey, let me know if you catch or even see a fish in one of the Chain Lks. Only the biggest one was planted - the last time in 1958 (according to the records) - and none survived.

[GC99]

The water in Weden Lake (as well as the lakes above it) is fine. The only “mine” above it is the upper Del Campo which has very little mineralization. Aside from the Mackinaw down below a good ways, that basin never saw much mineral production