Gothic Basin via Weden Creek Trail #724

Our Hiking Time: 7h
Total Ascent: 3700ft
Highest Point: 6000ft
Total Distance: 10.5 miles
Location: N 47° 58.9980, W 121° 27.9240
Required Permit: Northwest Forest Pass
Difficulty: Hard

Last week we headed out to Barlow Pass and the Monte Cristo trail to explore Gothic Basin, a popular area filled with ice-carved lakes and rocky cliffs. Everything we’d seen and heard about this hike promised a beautiful lunar landscape with big views, meadows and alpine lakes and Gothic Basin did not disappoint.

After gold was discovered in Monte Cristo in 1889, initial efforts to extract minerals from the area were fairly small-scale. Bigger mining syndicates began arriving a few years later, starting in the areas around Del Campo Peak. In 1896, the Del Campo Mining Company began pulling gold, silver and copper out of the area, and that same year, Gothic Peak was named in honor of William Gothic, one of the first prospectors to stake a claim in Gothic Basin. Mining operations continued to expand after the turn of the century, and eventually an elaborate air tramway was constructed to transport ore from Gothic Basin down to the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad along 7,000ft of cable.

Although prominently signed “Weden,” the creek the trail follows was named for prospector and settler Otis N. Weeden. Thus, the creek and lake that are often labeled “Weden” should actually be Weeden. It is unclear how the creek lost an “e,” though it may have been an intentional effort to remove the reference to Weeden because of his later crimes. On March 30, 1911, Weeden shot three of his neighbors before taking his own life in what was called the Sauk Prairie Massacre. The shootings were the result of a dispute over a small creek that all of the neighbors used for irrigation.

The Weeden Creek Trail #724 begins along the Monte Cristo Road, the former Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad grade. Flat and wide, the grade quickly covers the mile to the trail junction. Once on the path toward Gothic basin, the trail soon narrows and becomes more challenging. The miners and prospectors that cut this trail were interested in getting to their mines as quickly as possible, and the trail wastes little time before tackling the elevation. After a long series of switchbacks through a young forest, the sheltering trees are traded for open views of the river valley and cliffs of exposed rock. As you traverse the mountainside, the trail crosses a number of creeks and waterfalls. The largest is known as King Kong’s Showerbath, which makes for a great spot to take a break to cool off in the summer.

Continue to push up into the basin, where the trees almost completely recede and vast expanses of rock dominate the landscape. As you explore the basin, the trail splits. The short trail to the left descends down to an unnamed lakelet and views down onto Weeden Lake. Head right to continue deeper into Gothic Basin and toward Foggy Lake. There is still some elevation to tackle, pressing up rocky gullies to arrive at the lakeshore. Almost always frozen, Foggy Lake sits beneath the three-pronged Gothic Peak and Del Campo Peak. Clamber around the rocks and find a quiet spot to relax and enjoy the lake.

If you’re up for a little more work, we recommend continuing up the shoulders of Del Campo Peak. Follow the faint trail around the east shore of the lake and soon find yourself next to a small tarn known as Tin Cup Lake. Push up the rough trail to the boulder field at the base of the summit. From here the views are spectacular. A sea of mountaintops spreads out before you. Pick out nearby Sheep Gap Mountain, Silver Tip Peak, Gothic Peak and Crested Butte. The rest of the way up to the summit of Del Campo is somewhat technical, so make sure you’ve got the right experience and gear before attempting a scramble to the top.

This is a challenging hike that is not for everyone, but Gothic Basin is well worth the effort. The area is simply stunning. In the few weeks that Foggy Lake is melted out each year, its icy waters exude a gorgeous deep blue color. There are also a number of truly amazing campsites that offer privacy and choice views. We highly recommend this hike to anyone that is comfortable with the elevation gain along a moderately rough trail. Make sure to do a little research on the conditions in the basin before you go, as the experience is better if the area is melted out.

To get there, take I-5 North to Exit 194. Follow Highway 2 for about two miles. Stay in the left lane and merge onto Lake Stevens Highway 204. Follow for two miles to Highway 9. Take the left onto Highway 9 toward Lake Stevens. In just under two miles, you’ll reach Highway 92 to Granite Falls. Take a right and follow for about nine miles to the Mountain Loop Highway. Take the MLH for 31 miles to Barlow Pass. Park and find the gated Monte Cristo Road on the right side of the road, opposite the trailhead parking lot.

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