Circle the Cirque Crest

This oasis was our lunch spot. How we were loath to leave this valley of the Cartridge Creek drainage!

A Cartridge Creek Drainage Oasis

Circle The Cirque Crest - By D.W.Donehoo (All rights reserved)

Then a easy class 1 walk to White Pass, and as the way narrowed a bit, the trail made another appearance to guide us through the rough parts to level and forested Gray Pass. Thereafter we wouldn't see more trail or so much as a well defined ducked route until we reached Red Pass. Gray Pass is a level forested notch on Windy Ridge, and as you break out of the trees on the grassy slopes below the pass, you are greeted with yet another awesome view of the west fork canyon of Cartridge Creek. You can see numerous lakes
and cirques that hold lakes. The forest below suggests good camping, and the numerous waterfalls and cascades sing day and night. The whole basin is surrounded by pointed lofty peaks, some gray, some red, all impressive. The route to White Pass, the next goal, is easy to spot high above to the east, but first you have to get down to the basin bottom. The best way down is not obvious, so we just headed down the slope, keeping to the easy terrain until steep terrain forced us over to a now obvious grassy gully to the right. After a short descent we could see a large granite dike that was an obstacle to progress up canyon. Dave took the high route to bypass the dike, while I went lower to find easy ramps leading over the dike. By this time we had gone through our supply of filtered water, and anyway, it was lunch time. And what a spot for a break! The views down canyon were awe inspiring
and forbidding.

There was a good sized lake below that looked like a great spot to camp, providing you could safely cross the stream. Where we dined on nuts and powerbars was a large lawn-like grassy area with convenient rocks and slaps to drop gear on. Nearby was the large west fork Cartridge Creek stream with deep clear pools and laughing swirling cataracts. Up stream were loud full throated waterfalls, and the nearby woods whispered, "Stay...stay... explore us...". Alas, we already had lost a day due to rain, otherwise we may
of stayed a day to explore this magical remote oasis.