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Published: July 29th 2018
Sign at Rainy Pass
At the trailhead along the Cascades highway, state #20.We left the hotel in Squamish around 9:00 AM and drove to the USA/Canadian border near Lynden, WA. Though different from where we crossed previously, the delay was just about the same. About 40 minutes after arriving at the border, we were able to actually re-enter the US. The planned 5 hour drive took more like six and a half. The drive to Winthrop goes through the North Cascade Mountains along the Cascade Highway and is pretty scenic in its own right. We arrived in Winthrop, a very touristy little town at the confluence of the Chewuch and the Methow Rivers around 3:30 PM and checked into our motel. After getting settled, we walked on a trail that took us over the Methow River on a pedestrian bridge, through the town and crossing a second pedestrian bridge over the Chewuch River and then along that river on an interesting and informative nature trail. For dinner, we followed the hotel’s suggestion and went to the Old Schoolhouse Brewery that was right on the Chewuch River with tables overlooking the river. Unfortunately, there was a long wait for one of those tables, so we opted to eat inside. Slow, inattentive service and only
Creek Crossing
One of the creek crossings on the PCT. Harder than it looks. so-so food. After dinner, we shopped at the local grocery for something for breakfast and lunch on the trail the next day.
The next morning we had breakfast in the room, then headed back up the Cascade Highway to the Rainy Pass trailhead for the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT crosses the highway at that point and the north bound section is a really nice trail to some outstanding views on the way to Cutthroat Pass at an elevation of 6,800 ft. We arrived at the trailhead around 8:30 and started up the trail. It started out in a forest of very large evergreen trees, most of which were larches, also called tamaracks, I believe. After the first mile or two, the tall trees thinned out and the views opened up. I had read a couple of descriptions of the hike and both had mentioned creek crossings, stating that most should not be a problem to cross but one, Porcupine Creek, was larger and could be difficult. They also mentioned the possibility that the creeks would be harder to cross later in the day due to snow melting and sending more water down the mountains. We found
all of this to be true. There were probably 5 or 6 significant creeks to cross, and Porcupine was certainly the hardest. Actually, if you didn’t mind getting your feet wet, then crossing was really no problem. But I do not care to hike in wet boots if I can avoid it, especially early in the hike. The first significant crossing looked a lot dicier than it was. There were several small logs or limbs laid across the downhill side of the crossing which, if you slipped or they were dislodged, could send you down a fairly steep slope. Fortunately, they turned out to be pretty firmly embedded in place and were easy enough to balance across with the help of our hiking poles. Glad we had them! Porcupine Creek was about the third crossing, and it took a while to decide the best set of rocks to hop across. But there were several just downstream from the direct trail crossing, and we made it across, going up, with no problem. On the way back down, a lot more water was flowing across those rocks we had used on the way up, and we ended up getting feet a little
PCT
Another view from the trail. damp crossing the shallower section just upstream. Then, once across, the problem was getting back to the trail downstream. Most of the other crossings were made with only a couple of minor slips and slides and slight wetting of a boot or two.
Once we cleared the main forest and got mostly above the large trees, we had to cross short stretches of snow-covered trail, which we were somewhat used to by then from our hikes in the Mt. Baker area but which slowed progress a good bit. The total length of the hike was about 12 miles up and back with an elevation gain of around 2,000 feet. The trail is seldom very steep and is well maintained so that the most difficult parts of the hike were the creek crossings. And Cutthroat Pass is well worth the effort and then some. At close to 7,000 feet, there are really no words sufficient to describe the fantastic views from the summit. Once at the summit, we continued off trail up a small knoll just to the south of the pass from which the views were truly 360 degrees. Hopefully some of the pictures posted give some
PCT
View from the trail idea of how beautiful it is. After a leisurely lunch atop that little knoll, we backtracked to the trailhead. At one set of switchbacks that were covered in snow, we had noticed on the way up where someone had just sat down and slid to the bottom, thus bypassing three sets of switchbacks. On our way down, I decided to try it myself. Once I sat, I started sliding and found that I couldn’t stop until I hit the bottom, fortunately in a mound of snow. Once I had done it, Anne had to follow. At the bottom, I mistakenly thought we had only crossed one set of switchbacks, thus when we continued our hike down, we discovered we were headed back up the trail instead of down. Of course that meant we might as well go on up to the sliding spot and do it again. Which we did! That’s when I got the video of Anne sliding down. Probably the most fun we’ve had on a hike in a long time.
Back at the trailhead, we were loading packs and poles in the car when a man we had passed on the trail came up.
PCT
View from the trail. I had spoken to him earlier when we passed him as he cleaned up in one of the creeks and knew he was a thru hiker headed for Mexico. It turned out that he was a 60 something year old psychiatrist taking time off to do the thru hike, and he needed to get a ride down to a small town in order to pick up a package he needed for the rest of his hike. So we gave him a ride. Had a nice conversation with him, dropped him at the small town, and wished him well on his hike. We continued on to Winthrop where we had dinner and got ready for the hike we would do the next day before our drive back to our motel near the Sea-Tac airport.
The next morning we were up fairly early and drove to the same Rainy Pass trailhead as the day before but on the other side of the road. Our original intent was to hike the Maple Pass loop trail, but we had heard reports of heavy snow on the upper reaches of the hike so expected to have to turn around at some point.
Switchback
One of the snow covered switchbacks on the PCT. Weather was not cooperating either, and we knew we had a 3 + hour drive back to the Sea-Tac area, so we were expecting to not be able to do the whole loop. We made it to the lower Heather Pass and a little beyond but met pretty heavy snow covered trails after that and decided to head back at that point. Still, even with the foggy, misty weather, we were able to get some pretty nice views of Lake Ann and the valley from above. Returning to the trailhead around noon, we loaded up the car and headed for Sea-Tac. Got there somewhere around 4:00 PM, checked into our motel and repacked everything to get ready for our early flight back home the next morning.
Home around 6:00 PM to the normal hungry cats, happy to see Anne again. The feeling was mutual, I’m sure.
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