With a name like Easy Pass, it must be easy… perhaps in a relative sense.
Summary
On 28 July 2018 I set out with my friends Linda, Roger and Rob on my third UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge EasyPass. We fastpacked the route, starting at Easy Pass trailhead and camping overnight at Junction camp. We finished the next day at Colonial Creek campground. My elapsed time was 28 hours 51 minutes. Overall, it was a wonderful 40 km trip, despite hot weather and a plethora of flies.
Easy Pass route
Details
We set out from the Easy Pass trail at 8:01 AM on 28 July.
Our route up the Easy Pass Trail climbed up steeply for about 6 km, until we reached 2100 meter Easy Pass. Near the top, there was an observation camera from the Cascade Carnivores project; situated to look for wolverines, martens and other rare carnivores.
After a nice rest and a bit of exploring at Easy Pass, we headed down switchbacks into Fischer Basin. During the day, I made more than 40 botanical observations. This entire section had some spectacular views.
Had a nice brekky and some great views of the mountains. Around 8 Am, we started descending down the Thunder Creek trail. The forest ecology during the descent was quite different and I made about 30 botanical observations on 29 July.
As we walked through the Fischer Creek basin we moved from alpine to meadow and then forest ecosystems.
About 2 km east of Junction Camp we encountered a gnarly section of trail. There was a poor run-out if one should slip and the trail was eroding as we walked on it. Looking back, we light have been better to climb up and around this segment.
We reached Junction Camp, having walked about 23 km from the Easy Pass trailhead. Along the way, we took a number of breaks due to the heat. I didn’t bring a thermometer but I’d estimate it was more than 31 degrees. I had a leisurely dinner and a good nights rest. I borrowed a bear vault from the Parks Service to store my food. (Concerned about bears and other creatures getting into my food).
Had a nice brekky and some great views of the mountains. Around 8 Am, we started descending down the Thunder Creek trail. The forest ecology during the descent was quite different and I made about 30 botanical observations on 29 July.
I was out at the Colonial Creek trailhead at 12:51 PM, elapsed time was 28 hours 51 minutes. Overall, this was a great two day fastpack trip and another fun UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge. Not running allowed me to observe the ecology closely while enjoying the company of three excellent companions. Next UPWC trio is Alpine Lakes Grand Tour starting on 2 August 2018, 4 days after the Easy Pass challenge.
Lessons Learned
- First time using Gaia app on my phone. Gaia worked well and I was able to download .gpx and .kml files.
- Decided to use a bear vault, added several pounds of weight. My base weight was about 11 kg. without food and water. I am going to lighten up a bit for nest backpack.
- Brought a battery pack and was able to recharge my phone. Unfortunately, forgot the correct adapter for my camera so my photos were mostly lower quality cell phone images. I had been hoping to obtain some high quality macro images with my new Olympus TG-5 camera.
- Instant mashed potatoes are delicious.
- Made sure to keep drinking plenty of water with electrolytes, I felt great on this hike.
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