I did a five day trip in North Cascades National Park, up Thunder Creek all the way to Thunder Basin Camp, just below the north side of Park Creek Pass. It was 18 miles in with nearly 4000 feet of gain (and a 1000 foot drop) through miles of rainforest with no views to a spectacular camp surrounded by towering mountain walls.
It starts with the rainforest
Thunder Creek - looks more like a river, and this in late August in a dry year
Eight mostly flat miles in and I get to my first camp
Camp was on the bank of Fisher Creek
All camps in the park have a toilet, though not much privacy. These are usually at the end of a long trail, though.
My first uphill the next morning, to the Junction area, and the forest floor is all moss for miles
First tantalizing mountain view
Can't quite figure out moldy mushrooms
The sunlight was just right for this
In the Skagit Queen Ck area there was a lot of old mining stuff. Must have taken quite some effort to get these heavy pipes in.
Finally, in the upper Thunder Creek drainage, that is Park Creek Pass
The ford of Thunder Creek, nothing like down below
My Thunder Basin camp, a ridge of Buckner Mountain looms above
Looking more westerly from camp
The creek near camp and the ridge to the east
The next morning I did a dayhike up to and over Park Creek Pass, this is looking back, where I came up the day before
Approaching Park Creek Pass, about 6100', from the north
The best view looking back north
Now looking south from the pass
Looking west, Booker Mtn, note that bootpath, I would explore over there next
I found this nice little tarn to have lunch at
On the way back, got this picture of Mt. Logan
I think that is Mt Goode
More of Buckner Mtn from camp, with the sun lower in the sky
Alas, it was time to head back. This is a calmer section of Thunder Creek
That night I camped at Junction Camp and got this glacier picture through the trees
This is the Fisher Creek trail that I strolled up a little ways
Through another hole in the trees I got this great sunrise photo of Tricouni Peak the next morning
And the same view with the sun higher in the sky. I counted 14 waterfalls on the creek on the left. Then it was 10 more miles out to my car.
