Trip report by Jeffrey Olson
Amy, Tom and I headed out July 2 after work to hike for five days on the Boundary Trail in the Pasayten Wilderness from Irongate Camp to Cathedral Pass and back, about 50 or so miles. There was no traffic on Hwy 20 so we could drive the speed limit. Winnebagos were nonexistent.
We left Seattle about 6:30 thursday night and stopped at a flat place about a mile from the trailhead to camp for the night about 1:00 AM. I laid my bag out under cloudy skies and within an hour was in the tent, hiding from an intense rainstorm that lasted until about noon the next morning, when we finally packed up and drove the mile to the trailhead.
We got there and a couple was hefting on their packs, grimacing under threatening skies, saying that their luck with weather in the Pasaytens was three for three: three trips under rain out of three. By the time we were ready to hit the trail four other parties had arrived. This was the Seattle crowd who left early for the three day weekend. Our plan to start hiking early Friday morning was shot by the rain.
The trail heads down an old road for a third of a mile or so before beginning a gentle four mile climb to Sunny Pass. The thick forest slowly gives way to open, flower studded meadows. Where the trees end a third of a mile or so from the pass, there are a number of camps near water. Sunny Pass itself opens onto Horseshoe Basin, one of the premier meadowlands in any high country I've hiked in, including Tuolomne Meadows in Yosemite and Evolution Valley in the southern Sierra.
The trail heads gently down for a mile or so towards Horseshoe Pass, nothing more than a meeting of trails in the meadow. Along this stretch of trail the route of the Boundary Trail as far as Bauerman ridge, about ten miles away, is visible. Remmel Mountain, the dominant peak in the area, is background.
From Horseshoe pass the trail traverses to Louden Lake, a pond in the meadow, and a decent camp with a view across to grass and flower covered Armstrong Mountain. All the mountains are rounded and a hike to the top. They are all grass covered. It's a "Sound of Music" kind of environment. Most of the people we met were heading for the basin and intended to spend the three day weekend exploring from a basecamp. We strode on.
From Louden lake the trail heads round Rock Mountain in forest, drops down to a bridging saddle, and climbs in a gentle traverse up to a ridge on Haig Mountain. Im going to stop using the word "gentle". There are no steep climbs on this section of the Boundary Trail. Everything is a "gentle up or down traverse". There is only one section of switchbacks, going west and down from Scheelite Pass, and then, only four or so.
The trail traverses Haid mountain in very thin forest or along rocky, grassy slopes laced with rivulets. Because of the copius rains over the previous days, and the 60 - 70 degree temperatures there was water everywhere. In a month there will be water only every couple miles.
The traverse around Haig Mountain opens up the view to the south and west, a pace slowing constant vista that calls for long foot care breaks/rests. The whole of the trail from Horseshoe Basin to Cathedral Pass has views. Seldom does the trail enter the forest, and when it does, it's only for a short while. This can be a problem in August when temperatures can reach 90 degrees. (I hiked this trail in 89 and 91. The first trip was hot, hot, hot, in late July. The second was in early August and we got two inches of snow!)
The trail crosses another bridging ridge and traverses Bauerman Ridge with increasingly incredible views of Remmel Mountain, and finally, the brooding presence of Cathedral Peak, pyramid shape over intervening ridges. Scheelite Pass is reached, and a beautiful camp spot with east/south facing view next to a pond. Most camping spots on Bauerman ridge are in little meadows with creeks flowing through them, sans views.
Three miles from Scheelite Pass is Tungsten Mine and its two rodent infested bunkhouses, both with working wood burning stoves. In 1991 with ten teens we spent two nights in one of them waiting out the snow and freezing temperatures. All I could think of this trip was Hanta Virus. The rodent droppings were thick, as was the dust. There is also running water from a spring piped into the buildings and a working outhouse! There is lots of old iron strewn around, and a tower and huge pile of tailings visible for miles. The mine itself was imploded and is blocked. There are still some narrow gauge tracks as well.
We camped near Tungsten mine and day hiked over Apex Pass to Cathedral Pass, the visual high point of the trip. The glory of the Boundary trail on this section are the unending, unlimited views. From Apex pass, more quarter mile wide saddle than pass, you traverse a huge basin in which eagles circle dominated by the dark, brooding presence of Cathedral Peak. At Cathedral Pass, four or six miles from Tungsten Mine, whoever you believe, the trail crosses at its foot. Upper Cathedral lake is nestled at the foot of a five hundred foot wall of granite.
In 92 in late May I came up from 30 mile trailhead and from Remmel Lake to Cathedral lake there was solid snow. We climbed Cathedral Pass and the snow disappeared. From post holing, sweaty, grinding hard work to summer hiking in the matter of a few feet. From the pass, to Tungsten mine and down tungsten mine trail no snow. I don't remember if 92 was a high/average/low snow year. But this part of the Pasaytens opens much earlier than anywhere else in the Cascades.
Because Cathedral Lake is essentially shielded by Amphitheater Mountain from the east and south, it holds snow longer. It's approach from the south and west also holds snow longer than does the south facing Boundary Trail. AT the top of the pass we encountered the chilliest temps and strongest wind. We ate lunch and headed back, deciding to hike up Apex Mountain from Apex Pass. The views were stupendous and well worth the thigh aching hike. Tungsten lake lies in the cirque of Apex Mountain, and I was told by a fisherman on one of my trips into this area, that it is bountiful with fish. It looked beautiful from above.
The weather had finally turned that day, and the almost constant rain, or threat of rain, had stopped.
Getting there: From the U. District in Seattle to the trailhead took just about six and a half hours of driving. The distance was about 300 miles, whether it was out I-90 and up 97 or up I-5 to Hwy 20. ROAD TO TRAILHEAD: The road is paved until the turnoff to Irongate Trailhead off Toats-Coulee Road. The six mile dirt road is single lane and very rutted and rocky. My 82 Honda made it with no problems, but I never got out of first gear. I had to get out of the car and survey the road ahead only once. A fellow on the trail said that the week before the road was bad enough overconfident four-wheel drive types had to cell-phone to be towed. The national forest people gravelled a couple sections. A fellow in the parking lot couldn't believe that the Honda had made it with no problems.
MAP DATA: The 100 hikes book says the roundtrip from Irongate to Cathedral Lakes is 44 miles. The Green Trails map has it at 54 miles. Trail signs put it about 50 miles. The Green Trails map also says that Apex Pass is 7800' and Cathedral Pass 7600'. Two altimeters said that Cathedral Pass was higher by about 220' than Apex Pass. Go figure.
HIKING TIME: Hiking time from Irongate to Sunny Pass was about 3 hours. From Sunny Pass to Louden Lake about an hour. From Louden Lake to Tungsten Mine took about 8 hours. From Tungsten Mine to Cathedral Pass took about 2 hours. Our pace was about 2 1/2 miles an hour. We were in good shape and walked fast. This would be considered a fairly fast pace for a five day trip.
SNOW: I called the Winthrop Ranger station ( 6-29) and they said that as far as they knew, there was snow in Horseshoe Basin. The Tonasket Ranger Station (509-486-2186) said in one call that snow was patchy in the Basin. I called back and talked with a woman who actually looked at a list of trail reports and said that all the trails leading to the Boundary Trail were open, but that she had no report on the Boundary Trail. There was no snow anywhere on or near the trail. From the look of the flowers which were out in abundance there had been no snow on the trail for at least a couple weeks. We climbed north facing Apex Mountain to its 8300' summit and encountered no snow. Most people we met were carrying ice axes. Don't call the Winthrop Ranger station. Call the Tonasket office.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.