Gothic Basin has the appearance of being a seldom visited location, but for reasons unknown. It is a wonderful alpine basin surrounded by rugged peaks and spires. At its center is Foggy Lake (a.k.a. Crater Lake) which is a large lake considering its altitude. Gothic Peak and Castle Rocks form the SW wall of the Basin and Del Camp Peak the N and NW walls.
The area is accessed via the Mountain Loop Highway. From Barlow Pass, hike Monte Cristo Road for one mile to the S. Fork Sauk River crossing where the Weden Creek Trail (FST 724) begins. FST 724 starts out gently as it follows Weden Creek for about three quarters of a mile with virtually no elevation gain, then becomes moderately steep as it climbs the wooded slopes. At about 3700', the trail begins a long traverse to the south and trail conditions begin to deteriorate about a mile before the trails end in Gothic Basin. The maintained trail ends at a pond, but continuing beyond is worth the effort. From the pond, travel NW on rock and snow for about a quarter of a mile to the outlet of Foggy Lake.
From the outlet of Foggy lake, follow the east shore to a small pond, then ascend to the crest of a minor ridge. Follow a path on the ridge crest to a large boulder and snow field on the south slope of Del Campo Peak. Ascend talus and snow aiming for an obvious notch (almost a col) beween the South Buttress and the summit of Del Campo Peak. Ascend class 3 rock just left of the gulley leading to the notch (do not ascend to the notch), then continue scambling on the NE face to the summit. In addition to excellent views of Sloan and Glacier Peaks, Del Campo offers views of Baker, Rainer, Adams, Stuart and too many others to list.
