"Epic White Cloud Backpacking Loop" revisited, August 27, 2023
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DSCF0638.JPG7 viewsJust ahead, the gradient becomes much steeper, and eventually leads to Warm Springs Creek.
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DSCF0639.JPG4 viewsHiking gets more difficult as one nears Warm Springs Creek. This is the third time I have descended through here. Following this drainage for the most of the descent may be the easier route. The red stain on the west facing slope is an indicator that the entrance to Iron Basin is further northwest.
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DSCF0642.JPG5 viewsForty-five minutes later, I'm reaching the flatter, heavily forested section, strewn with down timber. Take the path of least resistance. Take heart; Warm Springs Creek is not far.
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DSCF0643.JPG4 viewsTwenty-five minutes of working through fallen timber leads to the crossing. There is a good trail on the east side. It couldn't be more welcome!
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DSCF0644.JPG5 viewsPleasant hiking offers glimpses of Warm Springs Creek.
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DSCF0645.JPG5 viewsForty minutes later, the trail enters an open area with lots of down timber. Fresh saw cuts in down timber make for much easier going than last year.
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DSCF0647.JPG5 viewsHalf an hour later, I'm nearing the entrance to Iron Basin. I'm watching very carefully, as last year, I went too far downstream to the west, missing the entrance entirely. In late August, this is the only place water can be seen coming from the east entering Warm Springs Creek.
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DSCF0648.JPG4 viewsI start my ascent into Iron Basin, staying well east of the gorge. A map indicates a trail, but it is not evident. Game trails start, then vanish. If one keeps climbing, one eventually stumbles onto a trail.
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DSCF0649.JPG4 viewsThirty minutes into the climb, I find what appears to be a pretty decent trail!
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DSCF0651.JPG4 viewsThe trail stays on the east side of the drainage, and reaches a plateau.
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DSCF0652.JPG4 viewsI find what I recall from the first time I did this loop; water. It is located in a fairly flat section immediately above the initial steep-walled gorge. I stop and pump enough water to mix a hydration drink. It's worth getting enough water here for the night, in the event you fail to find the creek near the 8700' level in the basin above.
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DSCF0653.JPG6 viewsI finally camp at 9200' after failing to find the stream I was looking for. I should have crossed that stream at about 8700'. I flows east southeast, in line with the top of Watson Peak and a small lake above Iron Basin to the east southeast, roughly half way through the north/south climb into the basin proper. I dropped my pack and checked for water at the high tarn below the east face of Watson, but it was dry.
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