Washington Basin & Washington Peak
(White Cloud Peaks and High Lakes)
July 22, 1998

Washington Basin is another White Cloud gem that’s accessible by vehicle. It’s 1.5 hours from Smiley Creek to the basin and worth every bumpy mile.

On this trip, we learned that the basin (and many other nearby landmarks) is named for George Washington Blackman, an early miner.

A steep path climbs to the Washington Peak Ridge, and a view of Champion Lakes below to the west.

A faint trail leads to 10,500’ Washington Peak -- a "walk up", and attainable, even for those who don’t like heights.

Our group had bluebird weather and we lunched atop the peak - looking down into Six Lakes Basin and to the jagged Sawtooth peaks, filling the western skyline.

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