My first hike in quite some time turned out to be a bit more than I had anticipated. After reading an article in the newspaper about Gothic Basin, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the route that I took from Darrington ended where the Mountain Loop Highway had been washed out almost a year before. Unable to reach the trailhead, I decided on the spur of the moment to take the closest trail I could find.

After climbing a fairly steep trail that gained about 3500 feet in 5 miles, I was rewarded with a fantastic view of Round Lake (I think), from a viewpoint on a ridge above. I was able to enjoy my lunch while gazing on the emerald green water surrounded by a meadow on my side and a shear rock face on the far side topped with Lost Creek Ridge. Early snow had fallen a few days before at this elevation, but the ground was mostly clear and the sun was good enough to be out and warming me while I ate.

The real surprise came when lunch was over and it was time to descend. It only took a few hundred yards for me to realize that my knees were none to happy about going downhill. Although I had been forced to stop to catch my breath many times on the climb, my knees had given no indication that anything was wrong until I asked them to put on the brakes on the steep trail. The walk back out, which I expected to take an hour and a half to two hours, finally ended after three increasingly painful hours. I managed to keep myself going at a pace that got me back to my car before dark, so that I did not have to spend the night wrapped in my emergency tarp while the family at home wondered where I was.

After driving home, wincing up the basement stairs, and icing the angry knees, a good night's sleep brought me around and two days later, my knees were as good as new. I will try to return to this beautiful spot next Spring or Summer when I am in better shape, and perhaps have some hiking poles to ease the strain on my knees. I think that an overnight would be a better idea, camping next to the lake and perhaps even staying a second night so the I can explore the ridge and meadows that seem to hold such incredible beauty.