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Beat back the forest to exquisite Bedal Basin
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../art/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
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| Jagged Sloan Peak is visible from the dry Bedal Creek. Views of Bedal Peak, Mount Pugh and White Chuck are also possible on this hike. Karen Sykes / Special to the P-I |
If the trailhead sign is missing, it's not a problem; the trail is easy to find. When you can't drive any farther, park the car and look for a trail heading steeply uphill.
Though this trail is still featured in hiking guides, don't expect an easy day. An elevation gain of 2,200 feet doesn't sound like much, but unless you're as agile as a tumbler, it will feel like more.
This trail deserves attention and you need to go before the forest reclaims it. Although the U.S. Forest Service and volunteers provide some maintenance here, it's an ongoing battle. Your very presence on the trail will make it a little easier for the hikers who follow.
Even 10 years ago the trail was in deplorable condition and almost impossible to follow. The brush was over our heads in places and we hiked as though we were blind, finding the path with our feet. A few strategically placed flags helped us stumble our way up a streambed to the basin.
Was it worth it? Yes; this is the North Cascades edition of "Paradise Lost." However, it is not a hike for beginners.
The legendary mountain man Harry Bedal, for whom the basin is named, built a cabin here to access an asbestos mine in this basin, which sits beneath the jagged monster that is Sloan Peak. His family homesteaded on the Sauk River and Harry was born here in 1890. His mother was the daughter of a Suiattle chief.
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| Not much remains of the cabin that was built on the basin by legendary mountain man Harry Bedal. Karen Sykes / Special to the P-I |
Given my experience a decade ago, I was almost afraid to hike this trail again. How bad would it be? The Forest Service admits this is a low-priority trail, so we expected the worst. We were pleasantly surprised to find that some attempts have been made to clear brush, but nobody can get it all.
In late August the sun was bright, but the brush was so wet with dew that we were soaked by the time we made it through the first pocket. The trail climbs, alternating between brushy avalanche paths and pockets of forest, before leveling off as it approaches Bedal Creek at 1.5 miles.
The hiking guides tell you there is a good campsite here and a possible crossing of the creek on a log, but nature has rearranged the landscape since those descriptions were written. The campsite has washed away and the trail has either been rerouted or a better trail beaten in.
Just before the trail approaches the creek, look for an unmarked junction. It is vague but it is there. The right-hand branch leads down to Bedal Creek and the old crossing (we took this route 10 years ago and it was rough). Don't ford the creek here, instead continue straight -- it is an easier route despite several downed trees to negotiate.
The trail crosses a small stream (one of many to be crossed) and returns to the woods before a crossing of Bedal Creek at about 3,700 feet. The trail returns to the woods for a short distance, then parallels Bedal Creek before leaving the forest and vanishing into the creek, at approximately 4,000 feet.
Memorize this spot. If you miss this important feature on your return, you may get lost. Though it is marked with two cairns, it is easy to miss them on the descent.
Once you exit the forest, hike uphill beside the stream (or in it, if the water is low). In late summer some sections of the streambed are dry, but the rocks under water are slippery. In spring, Bedal Creek is a raging torrent, but in August it was merely a babbling stream splashed with colorful monkey flowers.
Climb approximately 600 feet (in the stream or beside it) and look for a trail heading off into the forest on the right-hand side of the stream. The trail is vague but can be followed as it climbs steeply through dark forest.
Old hiking guides also mention an old mine nearby, which probably was Harry's, but we didn't look for it. We followed the trail to the lip of the basin (5,000 feet) and a quiet meadow with car-size boulders scattered about. Stay a while. You worked hard enough to get there.
Not much is left of the cabin -- only a few foundation timbers, a few rusting cans and some shards of glass. Though Bedal was wise enough to put the small cabin on the forested side of the basin to protect it from avalanches, it eventually collapsed under the weight of winter snows.
The site of the old cabin is a special place, situated between giant boulders and clumps of subalpine trees, surrounded by meadows, with a small stream nearby. Sloan Peak stands guard over the place, occasionally hurling down boulders. On a clear day you will get views of Bedal Peak, Mount Pugh and White Chuck.
If you can pry yourself away, take care on the descent. Watch for a split in the stream, which you may not have noticed on your way up. Though your hiking instinct may pull you to the left, don't do it. Follow the right-hand branch of the creek downhill until you come to the cairns (they will be on the left side of the creek as you descend).
We missed the double cairns going down and had to backtrack to find them. It is easy to miss this spot and a major storm could knock the cairns asunder. An altimeter is recommended, but you should be able to find the trail if you watch for it. Enjoy the view of Mount Baker as you descend.
Getting there
From Darrington drive 17.5 miles on the Mountain Loop highway and turn left on FS Road No. 4096. Drive three miles to the end of the road and trailhead, elevation 2,800 feet. The trail was signed in August and begins on the uphill side of the road.
Trail data
Round trip is six miles, elevation gain 2,200 feet. The recommended map is Green Trails Sloan Peak No. 111. For more information refer to "100 Hikes in Washington's Glacier Peak Region: The North Cascades" by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning (The Mountaineers, 238 pages, $14.95). For road and trail conditions, call the Darrington Ranger District at 360-436-1155.
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