Trip Date: October 1-4, 2020

GOLDEN LARCH OUTING:  SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS

North Sawtooth Hiking & Climbing Traverse:  Prince Creek to Purple Creek

Prince Creek Landing
Star Pass
Star Peak (8690’)
Star Lake
Fish Creek Pass
Courtney Peak (8392’)
Lake Juanita
Boulder Butte / Lookout (7350’)
Purple Pass
Stehekin Landing

Trip Report Summary

Region: North-Central Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Sawtooth Mountains

Areas: Lake Chelan – Sawtooth Wilderness & Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

Starting Point: Chelan Lakeshore Trailhead at Prince Creek Landing on Lake Chelan (Elev. 1100 feet)

Way Points: Prince Creek crossing & North Fork Prince Creek Shelter & Star Pass & Star Lake & East Fork Fish Creek & Tuckaway Pass & West Fork Fish Creek & Deephole Springs & Deephole Pass & Lake Juanita & Purple Pass & Purple Creek & Stehekin Landing (trail hike)

High Point: Star Pass (Elev. 7400 feet)

Ending Point: Purple Creek Trailhead at Stehekin Landing on Lake Chelan (Elev. 1100 feet)

Campsites: North Fork Prince Creek Shelter & Star Lake Meadow & Lake Juanita

Summit: Star Peak (rock scramble via Southwest Ridge—West Spur)

Sidetrip: Fish Creek Pass (trail hike)

Summit: Courtney Peak (rock scramble via Southeast Ridge)

Summit: Boulder Butte (hike via lookout trail)

Approximate Stats (excluding sidetrips): 31.5 miles traveled; 10,000 feet gained; 10,000 feet lost.

Approximate Stats (including sidetrips): 36 miles traveled; 13,300 feet gained; 13,300 feet lost.

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Full Trip Report

This year’s annual Golden Larch Trip was the North Sawtooth Trail Traverse from Prince Creek to Purple Creek in the Sawtooth Mountains.  Eileen and I had done this traverse back in 2014, but popular demand warranted a 2020 encore.  We were more than happy to oblige.  Brooke, Kevin, Todd, George, Karen, Tony, Susie, and Lisa eagerly signed on for the four-day outing.

Day 1: Fields Point Landing to Prince Creek Landing to Prince Creek Shelter

Nine of us assembled at Fields Point Landing on a hazy Thursday morning (Lisa planned to come in a day later).  The Lady Express boat whisked our group up Lake Chelan and dropped us off at Prince Creek Landing at 10:15am.  Lakeshore Trail hikers will be happy to know that a nice new dock here now allows year-round drop-offs and pick-ups.

After redistributing gear and food to lighten Susie’s burden (she was recovering from spinal surgery), we began hiking up the Prince Creek Trail.  A steady trail grade led us upward from lake level to highland forest over a period of several hours.  The trail was brushy in places but completely logged out, with interesting features along the way.

Two crossings of Prince Creek were easily accomplished on rocks or crude footlogs before reaching a junction with the Sawtooth Summit Trail.  We turned left and proceeded northward for 1/2 mile to the North Fork Prince Creek shelter and campsite, arriving just before dark (8.3 hours + 4900 feet from landing).

Day 2: Prince Creek Shelter to Star Lake + Star Peak + Courtney Peak

After spending yesterday in very hazy air (a result of wildfire smoke drifting up from Oregon and California), we were happy to see a blue patch overhead.  Hopefully, this was the start of a trend.  Our group proceeded northward on the Summit Trail and stopped at Star Pass (1.8 hours + 1550 feet from Camp 1).

Tony and Susie continued over the pass and descended to Star Lake, our planned campsite for the night.  The rest of us grabbed summit packs and headed up nearby Star Peak—the well-named shining star of the Sawtooth Mountains.

A 90-minute hike and scramble ended at the summit in early afternoon.  There was still enough atmospheric haze to prevent long-range views, but the local scenery was pretty good.

After returning to Star Pass, we collected our backpacks and hiked down to Star Lake.  The display of golden larches and granite cliffs here provided a gorgeous setting for this diminutive lake.  Warm afternoon sun prompted most of us to take a plunge in the chilly water.

Sufficiently refreshed, we established camp in a huge meadow closely downslope from the lake.  There is no shortage of camping space in this unusually flat expanse of low grass.

Having a couple hours of daylight remaining, George, Kevin, Todd, Brooke, and I made a hasty ascent of Courtney Peak.  This is not a particularly remarkable summit itself, but it offers a fun scramble and an outstanding view of Star Peak.

We hurried back down to camp in time for a twilight dinner (1.8 hours + 1200 feet RT).  Lisa arrived about 45 minutes after dark, having started from Prince Creek Landing earlier today.

Day 3: Star Lake to Lake Juanita + Boulder Butte

Gradual clearing throughout the night created better visibility in the morning.  Things were definitely trending in the right direction.  Our group ate breakfast together, then broke camp and headed out at staggered times with different agenda.  George and Karen left first and made a beeline for Lake Juanita, today’s ultimate destination.  Todd, Lisa, and Kevin also charged off early, with a goal of tucking in Gray Peak along the way.

Tony, Susie, Eileen, Brooke, and I pulled out later, heading for Lake Juanita on a more relaxed schedule.  The Summit Trail took us through Lower Horseshoe Basin, over Tuckaway Pass (2.9 hours + 700 feet from Camp 2), down to Fish Creek, and back up to Deephole Pass (7.0 hours + 2650 feet from Camp 2).  Kevin and Todd caught up to us during a rest stop at the latter pass.

The remainder of our afternoon involved a 3-mile hike across the headwaters of Fourmile Creek to Lake Juanita (8.8 hours + 3000 feet from Camp 2).  This tiny lake becomes stagnant and unappealing in late season, but there are many pleasant campsites on the surrounding rim.

With a bit of daylight left, Eileen, Brooke, Todd, George, Kevin, and I made a 45-minute dash up to Boulder Butte Lookout for sunset photos.  Kevin brought his backpack up and spent the night on the summit, whereas the rest of us returned to our lake camp for a headlamp dinner.

Day 4: Lake Juanita to Stehekin Landing to Fields Point Landing

Since we all had a date with the Lady Express, which departed Stehekin at 12:30pm, everyone awoke to a 6:00am alarm and headed out shortly after 7:00am.  Upon reaching Purple Pass 30 minutes later, we were delighted to find that all haze and smoke had cleared out during the night.  Morning sun dramatically highlighted the Stehekin Mountains immediately to our west.

Soon it was time to put away our cameras and begin the 5800-foot trail plunge to Lake Chelan.  Durations for this final task varied according to each individual’s knee tolerance; Kevin, George, and Karen attacked the trail and arrived at Stehekin Landing by 10:30am, whereas most of us arrived between 11:00am and 11:30am.  This allowed time for swimming, eating, shopping, and/or relaxing before boarding the Lady Express.  Kevin even managed to fast-walk up to the bakery and bring back pastries for everyone!

When the Lady Express pulled away from its dock at 12:30pm, our ten-person group was gathered on the stern deck—basking in the sun and reliving the details of a wonderfully successful Golden Larch Trip!

Route Maps & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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