Dane Utigard

Dane Utigard

Cathedral Lakes and Amphitheater Mountain

07/14/16

What a 4th of July weekend! Such a cool and remote area. Saw two bears, a family of goats, and some of the best camps I've ever had. Took the exact route in described here, but we were pressed for time and had some of our group not quite conditioned for the hike.... I really wanted to summit the surrounding peaks but time and group energy were lower than I would've hoped for. An extra day would've been what we needed. Only one night at Upper Cathedral Lake was still worth it. Next time I do this area, I'm going to plan a much longer duration and come in through Horseshoe Basin. The Chewuch was fine, but pretty uneventful until you get to Apex Pass. Although the river was awesome and we got to camp right over it in hammocks. Also, TONS of downed trees... Probably added a couple of hours to our trip. A+ destination.

5.0