Circle the Cirque Crest

From Red Pass, which is just below Red Point, you can look right down into Lake Basin and Marion Lake.

Red Pass!

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

A mind numbing view slammed us in the face as we crested Red Pass (which is truly red), breathing new energy into us for the last long leg of the hike to Marion Lake, half of which we could see far below. The shockingly impressive Lake Basin is laid out like a map, thrilling me with discovery after all the time spent studying the map and the features seen below. We were enjoying an inexpressible emotional high, for we were at the highest point in our trip, and at the emotional high-point of the trip. We didn't even realize how tired we really were, and I for one was unnoticeably tired. It was such a thrill, a privilege to be there, or anywhere in Lakes Basin, that all physical concerns seemed insignificant. We knew we were in a special place. Cirque Crest was imposing, and there did not seem to be any obvious places to cross it other than climbing Marion Peak and going down the other side, a Class 3 effort seemed to us. And the route to Marion Lake seemed to go down forever, as did the canyon down to Cartridge Creek on the opposite side of the pass. Far up Lake Basin we could see Frozen Lake Pass, one of the few routes out of the basin. It seemed we were on the only route going anywhere navigable.