A few additions/ corrections on this from trip of 10/14/18
done parts of this route twice.
section 1: Recent fires in the area have made a lot of the hike in through burn area. You can go to the clearing as described or actually before the switch backs at mile 4.5 you can break off and head downstream a little and find a crossing to the burn and then go up the ridge. I went up as described and down the burn all the way to below the switch backs. The burn is pretty easy travel.
Section 2: Either way The burn has made the lower ridge easier to travel.
Section 3: Finding the campsite at 5800 feet is very difficult... both this attempt and last attempt I ended up too high before going over and then you end up scrambling down class 3-4 terrain and this time too, but found the way on the way back. I would recommend to bring a GPS and probably start a direct traverse at or just below 5800 ft. to skirt the bottom of the lowest buttress. There is about 100 feet of slide alder to cross into the basin here, but if you can find the deer trail it helps a lot.
If you go too high, it's easy terrain to get up to cleator berge pass and then hike over berge, just quite a bit more elevation. You could also drop from the top of the ridge into the basin, looks easier up there, or find a way down the buttress, like I did, but don't recommend.
Then follow as described except for the "ramp"... I really have no idea what this ramp was or is... but anyway, there is a ledge up high (maybe 200ft above the bottom of the buttress) it looks doable, but very exposed... I had my dog, not worth it. Continue around towards almost the bottom of the buttress within site of the noted slabs, then you'll see 20ft of 3rd class going up to a ledge (maybe the "ramp"), go up there continue to the Caren, then go straight up hugging the buttress on your right now, very steeply, until you finally break through into the boulder field and heather basin.
The idea should be to hug the buttress all the way down until almost the slabs then go up to the ledge and over, and then once again hug the buttress on the way up. There were signs of travel, but not much.
Section 5: Why jump across this chasm? when you can just go up and around the pool to the SW where there are many easy foot crossings.
That's all for my corrections.
There are signs the burn will grow in first with dense underbrush in the coming years... at some point 3-10 years from now this route may be too brushy to do the lower part of the ridge without a terrible schwack... it's only 13 easy trail miles to high pass and not too bad over mt Berge to get to the basin and other alternate routes might be better at that point.
Spectacular basin with tons of larches, great in October.
Re: A few additions/ corrections on this from trip of 10/14/18
I've been up that route twice to do Buck. But it was a long time ago. Obviously knowing the route from the first time helped guide us the second time. Now whether I could dial it in if I went up there again, I can't say. So your information could be helpful to others.
As for the burn area, that's good to know. I do need to get back up there to do Berge and some other peaks. I did hike the trail through that burn this summer so I know what you mean about the lack of underbrush. I'm sure the fireweed will take hold first.
Regarding the jump across the outlet: why not? It's a cool spot. The jump isn't all that terrifying (or I don't remember it being terrifying; perhaps it has changed).
Well time brought me back to Buck basin again and yep it's just as beautiful as ever. We did not come in this route, but only descended it. The descent still goes. Being 5 years after the burn, the burn area is now full of fire weed and downed branches from the dead trees. the lower part is also starting to get full of huckleberries and other brush and is generally harder to navigate. Wear pants for sure even if hot for this part. Probably 2-5 years left on this route before it gets so dense that it will not be worth it. Not as easy as 2018, but not too bad. I'd say, personally I'd still rather take this route up vs. the 15 miles in there from trinity, although I was generally more out of shape this trip, that mileage with a big pack (extra gear that we didn't end up using, weather forecast changed so we changed route plans) kicked my butt. Still top 3 most beautiful areas in the state IMO (high pass and buck basin areas.
I descended the direct route from High Pass to the trail a couple of years ago and can attest it's a lot lamer once you get into the burn zone. I passed the hunter's camp at 5800 feet again. It looks the same.
The burn zone alternates between being easy to descend to being aggravating. And then at the bottom you have to schwack horizontally over to the trail for what seemed like a long way.
All in all I think it's only suitable for a shortcut descent but will only save you about 1.5 hours relative to just taking the trail all the way around.
Siracusan - Oct 16, 2018 8:42 am - Hasn't voted
A few additions/ corrections on this from trip of 10/14/18done parts of this route twice.
section 1: Recent fires in the area have made a lot of the hike in through burn area. You can go to the clearing as described or actually before the switch backs at mile 4.5 you can break off and head downstream a little and find a crossing to the burn and then go up the ridge. I went up as described and down the burn all the way to below the switch backs. The burn is pretty easy travel.
Section 2: Either way The burn has made the lower ridge easier to travel.
Section 3: Finding the campsite at 5800 feet is very difficult... both this attempt and last attempt I ended up too high before going over and then you end up scrambling down class 3-4 terrain and this time too, but found the way on the way back. I would recommend to bring a GPS and probably start a direct traverse at or just below 5800 ft. to skirt the bottom of the lowest buttress. There is about 100 feet of slide alder to cross into the basin here, but if you can find the deer trail it helps a lot.
If you go too high, it's easy terrain to get up to cleator berge pass and then hike over berge, just quite a bit more elevation. You could also drop from the top of the ridge into the basin, looks easier up there, or find a way down the buttress, like I did, but don't recommend.
Then follow as described except for the "ramp"... I really have no idea what this ramp was or is... but anyway, there is a ledge up high (maybe 200ft above the bottom of the buttress) it looks doable, but very exposed... I had my dog, not worth it. Continue around towards almost the bottom of the buttress within site of the noted slabs, then you'll see 20ft of 3rd class going up to a ledge (maybe the "ramp"), go up there continue to the Caren, then go straight up hugging the buttress on your right now, very steeply, until you finally break through into the boulder field and heather basin.
The idea should be to hug the buttress all the way down until almost the slabs then go up to the ledge and over, and then once again hug the buttress on the way up. There were signs of travel, but not much.
Section 5: Why jump across this chasm? when you can just go up and around the pool to the SW where there are many easy foot crossings.
That's all for my corrections.
There are signs the burn will grow in first with dense underbrush in the coming years... at some point 3-10 years from now this route may be too brushy to do the lower part of the ridge without a terrible schwack... it's only 13 easy trail miles to high pass and not too bad over mt Berge to get to the basin and other alternate routes might be better at that point.
Spectacular basin with tons of larches, great in October.
Klenke - Oct 16, 2018 10:59 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: A few additions/ corrections on this from trip of 10/14/18I've been up that route twice to do Buck. But it was a long time ago. Obviously knowing the route from the first time helped guide us the second time. Now whether I could dial it in if I went up there again, I can't say. So your information could be helpful to others.
As for the burn area, that's good to know. I do need to get back up there to do Berge and some other peaks. I did hike the trail through that burn this summer so I know what you mean about the lack of underbrush. I'm sure the fireweed will take hold first.
Regarding the jump across the outlet: why not? It's a cool spot. The jump isn't all that terrifying (or I don't remember it being terrifying; perhaps it has changed).
Siracusan - Jul 31, 2023 1:52 pm - Hasn't voted
Current conditions from 7/2023Well time brought me back to Buck basin again and yep it's just as beautiful as ever. We did not come in this route, but only descended it. The descent still goes. Being 5 years after the burn, the burn area is now full of fire weed and downed branches from the dead trees. the lower part is also starting to get full of huckleberries and other brush and is generally harder to navigate. Wear pants for sure even if hot for this part. Probably 2-5 years left on this route before it gets so dense that it will not be worth it. Not as easy as 2018, but not too bad. I'd say, personally I'd still rather take this route up vs. the 15 miles in there from trinity, although I was generally more out of shape this trip, that mileage with a big pack (extra gear that we didn't end up using, weather forecast changed so we changed route plans) kicked my butt. Still top 3 most beautiful areas in the state IMO (high pass and buck basin areas.
Klenke - Jul 31, 2023 8:30 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Current conditions from 7/2023I descended the direct route from High Pass to the trail a couple of years ago and can attest it's a lot lamer once you get into the burn zone. I passed the hunter's camp at 5800 feet again. It looks the same.
The burn zone alternates between being easy to descend to being aggravating. And then at the bottom you have to schwack horizontally over to the trail for what seemed like a long way.
All in all I think it's only suitable for a shortcut descent but will only save you about 1.5 hours relative to just taking the trail all the way around.