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Forum Index > Trip Reports > Larch basin below Crow Hill- Entiat 10/6-7/2022
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HitTheTrail
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Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5458 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509
HitTheTrail
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PostFri Oct 07, 2022 4:58 pm 
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This two night-three day trip had us starting out hiking up the Oval lakes/Eagle Pass trail in the Chelan Sawtooths on the north side of the lake and ended up in a rarely visited basin below Crow Mt. on the south side of lake chelan (if you can believe that). Long story, don't even ask. My hiking buddy Steve is interested in backcountry history and the basin we camped in was an entry way into the Entiat for sheep unloaded from boats on lake chelan, so he has always wanted to visit that area.
Big Hill TH off of Shady Pass in the Entiat.
Big Hill TH off of Shady Pass in the Entiat.
The red line is our short hike down into the basin.
The red line is our short hike down into the basin.
Sheep boat on lake chelan in 1908
Sheep boat on lake chelan in 1908
It so happened we hit larch season just right for that area. What we didn't know was that the basin is a glacial cirque with near vertical sides with rock slabs and steep hard dirt. It was not a walk in the park getting down there.
Larches on the trail.
Larches on the trail.
Old mile post on the Pyarmid trail.
Old mile post on the Pyarmid trail.
Looking down on the basin.
Looking down on the basin.
Half way down on our first route attempt to drop into the basin.
Half way down on our first route attempt to drop into the basin.
Some slabs on the route
Some slabs on the route
More slabs.
More slabs.
We finally went down the grassy slop on the right.
We finally went down the grassy slop on the right.
Our camp.
Our camp.
We looked aroung the basin for any old sheep drive activity and found nothing, nada, zippo. Not even an ancient camp or old cut log. It looked like no human had been there ever. We surmised the sheep drives up from the lake must have gone up Corral Cr. north of Crow instead, as the name would indicate. Steve took a hike up Crow and found an old lookout site that predates the formation of the Forest Service. That find made his whole trip.
Looking down on the basin as we left the next morning.
Looking down on the basin as we left the next morning.
That basin has some redeeming features: - really short hike - scenic setting - never visited - running water late in the year - lots of larches. Too bad it is such a bitch of a hike dropping down into it.

DWB27, GaliWalker, sooperfly, rubywrangler, jaysway, Get Out and Go, fourteen410, Brushbuffalo, zimmertr, Nancyann, HikingBex, hikerbiker
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zephyr
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Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 3370 | TRs | Pics
Location: West Seattle
zephyr
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PostFri Oct 07, 2022 7:55 pm 
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HitTheTrail wrote:
Sheep boat on lake chelan in 1908
Sheep boat on lake chelan in 1908
That's an amazing old photo! I am reading this exciting history book of Washington State with stories from every little town and settlement to the larger cities. It's meant to take along on drives around the state. It describes all these different ways that the early settlers adapted to the land, climate, and resources. Floating, paddling, steaming, fording, and bridging the various rivers and lakes were a big part of this. In this photo you not only see the sheep being loaded but if you look across the river you can see some of the orchards. This photo would have been a perfect illustration. ~z

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Brushbuffalo
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Joined: 17 Sep 2015
Posts: 1887 | TRs | Pics
Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between
Brushbuffalo
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PostSat Oct 08, 2022 9:10 am 
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Very fascinating account, HTT. Zephyr, what is the name of the book you mention, please? Sounds really interesting.

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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zephyr
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Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 3370 | TRs | Pics
Location: West Seattle
zephyr
aka friendly hiker
PostSat Oct 08, 2022 9:59 am 
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Brushbuffalo wrote:
Zephyr, what is the name of the book you mention, please? Sounds really interesting.
Ha. Usually I wait to post title info when I'm ready to write the book report for the Saloon. wink.gif But life's short and moving quickly these days. This is a terrific read and you might as well get started. It makes me want to get out and drive east to explore some of these towns. The authors describe so many scenic back roads and their history from a trapper's trail to mining supply route to grain shipping corridors. I got this book in the 90s and it sat unread on my shelf all these years until last month. Now I am halfway through at a few pages each night. So many exciting places to explore east of the crest. I just now got to the section on the western part of the state. Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History, by Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander, University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1990. UW Press page here. Available in many places including Abe Books, and Amazon. Let me know how you like it. ~z P.S. With apologies to HitTheTrail for the thread drift.

Lindsay
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Get Out and Go
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 2128 | TRs | Pics
Location: Leavenworth
Get Out and Go
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PostSat Oct 08, 2022 3:36 pm 
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up.gif Great that you guys were able to rise above our (currently) hazardous air. Looks nice up there.

"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go." (Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart) "Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry. Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky." (Thanks, Tom Petty)
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Worthington
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Joined: 23 Jun 2021
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Worthington
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PostMon Oct 17, 2022 7:56 pm 
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HitTheTrail wrote:
This two night-three day trip had us starting out hiking up the Oval lakes/Eagle Pass trail in the Chelan Sawtooths on the north side of the lake and ended up in a rarely visited basin below Crow Mt. on the south side of lake chelan (if you can believe that). Long story, don't even ask. My hiking buddy Steve is interested in backcountry history and the basin we camped in was an entry way into the Entiat for sheep unloaded from boats on lake chelan, so he has always wanted to visit that area.
Big Hill TH off of Shady Pass in the Entiat.
Big Hill TH off of Shady Pass in the Entiat.
The red line is our short hike down into the basin.
The red line is our short hike down into the basin.
Sheep boat on lake chelan in 1908
Sheep boat on lake chelan in 1908
It so happened we hit larch season just right for that area. What we didn't know was that the basin is a glacial cirque with near vertical sides with rock slabs and steep hard dirt. It was not a walk in the park getting down there.
Larches on the trail.
Larches on the trail.
Old mile post on the Pyarmid trail.
Old mile post on the Pyarmid trail.
Looking down on the basin.
Looking down on the basin.
Half way down on our first route attempt to drop into the basin.
Half way down on our first route attempt to drop into the basin.
Some slabs on the route
Some slabs on the route
More slabs.
More slabs.
We finally went down the grassy slop on the right.
We finally went down the grassy slop on the right.
Our camp.
Our camp.
We looked aroung the basin for any old sheep drive activity and found nothing, nada, zippo. Not even an ancient camp or old cut log. It looked like no human had been there ever. We surmised the sheep drives up from the lake must have gone up Corral Cr. north of Crow instead, as the name would indicate. Steve took a hike up Crow and found an old lookout site that predates the formation of the Forest Service. That find made his whole trip.
Looking down on the basin as we left the next morning.
Looking down on the basin as we left the next morning.
That basin has some redeeming features: - really short hike - scenic setting - never visited - running water late in the year - lots of larches. Too bad it is such a bitch of a hike dropping down into it.
HTT - how was the road up to that Big Hill trailhead? 4wd or high clearance only? Thanks

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HitTheTrail
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Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5458 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509
HitTheTrail
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PostTue Oct 18, 2022 5:28 am 
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Worthington wrote:
HTT - how was the road up to that Big Hill trailhead?
The road off of Shady Pass out to the Big Hill TH is a couple of miles and has historically been pretty rough. This time both of us commented that the first part seemed better, almost like it had been worked on. But then toward the end it transitioned back to its old conditions. In any case, even the end mile or so is drivable by a car without major damage if you just take it slow and easy.

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Forum Index > Trip Reports > Larch basin below Crow Hill- Entiat 10/6-7/2022
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