We headed to the Mt Baker area to the Gothic Basin to explore an old abandoned mining town and stay overnight by an alpine lake.
We started the hike at Gothic Basin heading to Monte Cristo. Monte Cristo was a mining town in the 1890's. The mines backed by John D. Rockefeller, produced several million dollars worth of gold and silver ore. They were some of the richest mines at their peak but due to the location and rugged terrain, investment in the mines exceeded the profits and they were eventually abandoned during the financial crisis of 1893 and 1907. The area is also prone to flooding and the road has been washed out several times, the last time in 1980 making car travel impossible. It is now a road for hikers and bikers.
It's an easy 4.5 mile walk on the abandoned road.
During it's peak the town had 1,000 people but was mostly abandoned by 1920.
We were going to camp in the town where there are designated camping sites but they were dark and had mosquitos so we decided to push on towards Sliver lake which was another 2.5 miles and 2,312 feet of elevation gain. It was a difficult hike with a lot of downed trees but we made it to the lake in time for dinner.
Both Maia and Luna did an amazing job considering the distance and climb, they really are strong little dogs.
The views in the Cascades are some of my favorites.
Made it to Sliver Lake.
The water was warmer than expected and so clear.
It was clear the day before but the fog rolled in in the early morning.
Not a bad view to have cheese, crackers and salami.
It was a foggy morning for making coffee and breakfast. We tried different freeze dried meals this trip and were happy with them. They were from Pack it Gourmet, Peak and Backpackers Pantry. All were great, Pack it Gourmet required a little more prep but it was worth it. Peak was great but had too much packaging which matters when you have to carry it out and Backpackers Pantry had great desserts. We tried chocolate cheesecake and creme brulé.
This was chicken alfredo and an Asian chicken rice. Rather than each take a pouch we made 4 different meals and shared them.
We brought a mat and sleeping bag for the dogs to share and Maia was happy with it but Luna insisted on sleeping with me. We carried up 2 backpacking tents- a 4 person for Alia and I and the dogs and a two person that Avery and Scott shared. While the 4 person is meant to fit us all we found that it was a very tight squeeze with the dogs and our gear as well.
Epic Luna. The picture above made us laugh because she always steals my green scrubby under my counter so she can have a treat when she brings it to me. Well she found our green scrubby for camping and quickly let us know she would bring it for a treat. This was her first backpacking trip and she loved it.
Maia was content on Alia's lap wrapped up in her sleeping bag.
We had a sling with in case Maia needed it but the only time we put her in was for a day adventure through thick brush. She can't see well and was having a hard time navigating the brush. Luna on the other hand turned into a feral dog, racing through as happy as can be.
We took a day hike in search of one of the mines. Luna loved running ahead with Avery and exploring. We had no idea she has so much energy because she refuses to run at home unless we are on the beach. She never tired of running around.
Waiting to hike back out. We had the lake to ourselves so the dogs ran free. They never wandered far since there was food involved.
Taking a break
A tasty ice cream sandwich to fuel the hike- freeze dried of course.
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