Trip Date: September 29 – October 1, 2023
GOLDEN LARCH OUTING: ENTIAT MOUNTAINS
Carne–Leroy Loop on Ice: Carne Basin to Ice Lakes to Leroy Basin
Carne Basin
Carne Pass
Carne Mountain (7080’+)
Box Creek Basin
Box Creek Pass
Chipmunk Pass
Freezer Pass
Freezer Peak (8017′)
Ice Lakes
Leroy Basin
Trip Report Summary
Region: North-Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Entiat Mountains
Area: Glacier Peak Wilderness
Starting & Ending Point: Phelps Creek Trailhead at end of Phelps Creek Road (Elev. 3500 feet)
Way Points: Carne Creek crossing & Carne Basin & Carne Pass & Rock Creek Pass & Lower Box Creek Basin & Middle Box Creek Basin & Upper Box Creek Basin & Box Creek Pass & Chipmunk Pass & Freezer Pass & Upper Ice Lake & Freezer Pass & Leroy Pass & Leroy Basin & Phelps Creek Trail junction & Leroy Creek crossing & Carne Creek crossing (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble & snow hike)
High Point: Freezer Pass (Elev. 7600 feet)
Campsites: Lower Box Creek Basin & Upper Ice Lake
Summit: Carne Mountain (trail hike via South Ridge)
Summit: Freezer Peak (snow hike & rock scramble via Northwest Ridge)
Approximate Stats (excluding summit sidetrips): 14.7 miles traveled; 6000 feet gained & lost.
Approximate Stats (including summit sidetrips): 15.8 miles traveled; 6700 feet gained & lost.
Related Posts
Leroy-Carne Loop + Seven-Fingered Jack + North Spectacle Butte – October 2017
Carne-Leroy Loop + The Snowcone – October 2013
Carne-Leroy Loop + South Spectacle Butte + Icebox Peak + Freezer Peak – September 2004
Carne–Leroy Loop + Mt Maude Carry-Over via North Face – August 1981
Carne–Leroy Loop + Entiat Glacier – September 1978
Full Trip Report
For my annual Golden Larch Outing this year, Eileen, Brooke, and Yoko joined me on the “Carne–Leroy Loop on Ice.” This classic trek follows an old sheepherder’s trail from Carne Basin to Ice Lakes to Leroy Basin, passing through high larch-studded meadows that truly come alive in the fall. As it turned out, our trip occurred shortly before peak color and shortly after an early-season snowstorm, but there was still plenty of autumn splendor to be had.
Day 1: Trailhead to Lower Box Creek Basin
The Phelps Creek Trailhead parking lot was already mostly full when we pulled in at noon on a sunny Friday. No doubt, by this time tomorrow, cars would be lined up for ½ mile down the road. We shouldered backpacks and headed up the Carne Mountain Trail. Upon reaching Carne Basin, we could see that some of the larch trees had turned to gold, whereas others still held onto their summer green. However, a coating of fresh snow on the high peaks of the Chiwawa Range created a dramatic backdrop to the green and gold foreground.
.
We dropped our backpacks at Carne Pass and made a short sidetrip up 7080-foot Carne Mountain, which provided a good view of our upcoming traverse route. It was a relief to see that nearly all of the route was snow-free.
.
After returning to our backpacks, we continued hiking over Carne Pass and Rock Creek Pass, then northward along the flank of Ice Creek Ridge on the sheepherder’s trail. Just before dark, we stopped at a 6200-foot campsite in Lower Box Creek Basin (5.7 hours + 4000 feet from TH). A nearby creek supplied water for our headlamp dinner.
.
.
Day 2: Lower Box Creek Basin to Upper Ice Lake
After a clear, cold night, we awoke to a blue sky and a heavy frost. Our morning trek took us through Middle and Upper Box Creek Basins, both of which still had a little bit of flowing water available for late-season camping.
.
.
By the time we gained 7000-foot Box Creek Pass, the day was becoming pleasantly warm, and we began seeing numerous other trekkers—both day-hikers and backpackers—traveling in either direction. As expected, this sunny weekend was bringing out an army of larch lovers. We were all rewarded with fully golden larch groves and a skiff of snow on the north side of the pass. Rugged Buck Mountain and glamorous Glacier Peak dominated the western horizon.
.
.
From Box Creek Pass, the sheepherder’s trail dips into the Chipmunk Creek drainage and then turns westward to go around the nose of a spur ridge. However, rather than following this main trail, we headed steeply uphill on a crude trekking path that leads to 7360-foot Chipmunk Pass.
.
From Chipmunk Pass, the trekking path could be seen traversing a broad talus-and-scree slope toward the strikingly white triangular face of Mt. Maude. We followed this path across the slope and up to 7600-foot Freezer Pass, arriving in early afternoon (3.1 hours + 1700 feet from Camp 1). The vivid azure pool of Upper Ice Lake—our day’s destination—sat in a snowy bowl below the pass.
.
.
For lunch, we hiked up Freezer Peak, which stands closely southeast of the pass. This 8017-foot summit offers a splendid view of Mt. Maude to the north, Spectacle Buttes and other Entiat peaks to the east, Icebox Peak and Ice Creek Ridge to the south, and the Chiwawa Range and Glacier Peak to the west.
.
.
.
.
.
After lunch, we returned to Freezer Pass and then descended snow-covered rubble to Upper Ice Lake. There were numerous tents pitched around the lake, but we had no trouble finding a suitable campsite on a small bench.
.
.
We spent the remainder of our afternoon puttering around the lake as the sun slowly sank behind Freezer Pass. Within minutes after sunset, the temperature plummeted and gave our cold-weather clothing kit a stiff test. It sure wasn’t summer anymore! Brooke resorted to using her sleeping bag as a dinnertime blanket.
.
.
Day 3: Upper Ice Lake to Trailhead
The morning was very cold, and we all waited for the sun to hit our camp before we ventured out for breakfast. There had been more than 20 tents pitched around the lake last night, but nearly all of them were now gone, giving the lake bowl a strangely quiet feeling.
.
.
.
We were packed up and on the move at 10:00am, following the hard-packed snow trail back up to Freezer Pass. Once again, the day warmed up quickly, such that we were able to enjoy morning views from the pass.
.
.
The trekking path that descends northwesterly from Freezer Pass toward Leroy Basin is initially very steep, with many scrambly sections. In the morning shade, this path was covered with rock-hard snow and ice. We carefully picked our way down and across a talus slope to a spur ridge, then down slippery switchbacks to 6850-foot Leroy Pass.
.
Upon crossing over Leroy Pass, we expected to finally leave all the tricky terrain behind us. Not so; the north-facing slopes below the pass held more snow, and the trail was a treacherous ribbon of ice. We slowly skidded our way down, wishing that we’d brought micro-spikes. At one point, Yoko slipped off the trail and rolled several feet down the slope before being stopped by a row of young larch trees!
.
We eventually made it down the icy trail and began traversing over a hillslope with alternating bands of forest and rocky debris. Along the way, we crossed a large erosion gully that originates high on the face of Mt. Maude. This gully resulted from a major rainstorm that occurred in October 2003. When I first saw the gully a year later, it had near-vertical sidewalls ranging up to 30 feet high! Now, 20 years later, the sidewalls have worn back to a moderate angle, as shown in the “then & now” photos below.
.
The high traverse portion of our loop ended with a gentle descent into the boulder-dotted meadows of Leroy Basin (3.3 hours + 550 feet from Camp 2). We stopped for lunch here and took a final gander at the heavily furrowed, snow-dusted façade of Mt. Maude.
.
.
Leaving Leroy Basin, we plunged down the steep, rutted trail to Phelps Creek, then quickly marched down the old road-trail for 3½ miles, arriving at the trailhead in late afternoon (6.5 hours + 600 feet from Camp 1). It had been another fun and memorable Golden Larch Outing, with great scenery and enough challenging conditions to keep it interesting!
Route Map & Profiles
…
…
…
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge…
