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View Full Version : Where are most of the PCT hikers now? Best place for TM?



Matteroo
09-04-2008, 03:20
Hello,

Looking to try to do some trail magic for PCT'ers around Southern WA or Northern OR - (probably southern WA around Mt. Adams area, generally speaking). September 7th is available to us

I heard from a friend up near Seattle who said they put on some TM near Snoqualmie Pass this past weekend - so I am wondering if everyone is basically past the gorge area or if any folks more in the know of the PCT or of forums that are more actively perused by PCT enthusiasts I can ask at to find out where a good spot/if I can get a gage on numbers - would like to try to maximize our giving, if possible. 1 hikers with trail magic is nice but if we can meet more thats fun too..

Sly
09-04-2008, 03:46
I think many will still be in the gorge area. One place you may try (and be willing to give rides) is the road to Trout Lake. It's about 80 trail miles past Cascade Locks in the Mt Adams wilderness.

Matteroo
09-04-2008, 04:28
great news - i thought there would still be a fair amount - i dont know for sure but snow pack may have slowed things too, caused a hiccup of a delay. give rides in what sense - good place to help resupply? or what? we are thinking donuts, lots of soda, ...brain storming other ideas - maybe i'll grill up a few pounds of bacon, people love that.

well we're going up st. helens on the 8th, driving to cougar to pick up the permit for that on the 7th early - and plan to hike in up to tree line later that night. But during the day on the 7th we're free - looking in google maps, they actually have road pics up until about 5 miles before a road crosses the trail.

from where we'd turn to go up to mt. st. helens its 30 miles to the PCT by road. NF90 out of cougar is paved (curly creek road it turns into) and then it looks paved on wind river rd / meadow creek road -NF32 -- beyond that no google images available - i think the road that crosses the pct 5~ miles past that is called NFD-24 / Twin Buttes Road. Sly, (or others) do you have any recommendations on connections/sources where I could ID viable PCT road crossings? I'll try calling the forest service but thus far had a lot of worthless interactions with whoever they place as the face-person at ranger stations - people we meet in the backcountry have the know we seek to consult - ranger stations read the website back and dont seem to discuss much.

Many Walks
09-04-2008, 10:46
We hiked the Bucks Lake area of the PCT South of Quincy, in Northern CA late July and ran into smoke jumpers and wildfires that closed the trail. We went back a week later to check the trail and did some TM for a group of 6. They had to jump up about 50 miles by roadwalk or bus due to the fires. They should be close to WA by now. If you meet "Low Bridge" tell him hello for Oorah and Promise Keeper. He stood out as he did a thru of the AT a few years ago. We had a pretty good time talking about both trails. Good luck on your TM.

wilconow
09-04-2008, 10:54
I saw a bunch in Stehekin a week and a half ago, so I guess they're almost done.

Matteroo
09-04-2008, 11:25
Hey Many Walks - this is Water from Bucket & Water (we stayed with you around New York - you brought our map up from a deli actually!) How are you enjoying Northern CA compared to the midwest life you had for so long? We too moved west (OR) within a month of finishing the trail, after having spent the first 25 year of our life in Michigan.

hmm.. well thanks for the infos and tips! I'm wondering if there is a more active PCT forums or mailing list to find out if there are any hikers left now if you saw tons in stehekin...

A-Train
09-04-2008, 11:28
I saw a bunch in Stehekin a week and a half ago, so I guess they're almost done.

I was in Stehekin a week and a half ago too! Maybe we ran into each other?

As far as where hikers are, I was at Snoqualmie last Sept 8th, however people seem to be earlier and ahead of normal schedule, due to skipping around fires. I was blown away by how many hikers I saw near Skykomish and Stehekin 2 weeks ago (who have all finished by now).

While Snoqualmie is convenient, people don't need magic there. Personally I'd try to get in south of there, on one of those secondary/logging roads. There was magic last year near the Weather Station which was totally a dry section last year. Maybe Stampede Pass would be good too. I'm not from the area so I don't anything about accessing these pts.

Sly's recommendation is a good one. The hitch to Trout Lake is very difficult since part of the road is closed. The stretch between the Gorge and White Pass is a long one without the stop in Trout Lake. The 40 miles south of Snoqualmie are mentally trying with all the logging/clearcuts and boring trail.

wilconow
09-04-2008, 11:51
I was in Stehekin a week and a half ago too! Maybe we ran into each other?



We were planning to spend a day and overnight in Stehekin but fell behind schedule and only had like 3-4 hours before we had to get back on trail. I did manage to meet a PCT thru hiker that I met last year while she was doing the AT in Vermont

I was there on Sunday Aug 24th

Photos in my gallery, including one of a cinnamon bun from the bakery.

Matteroo
09-04-2008, 12:48
Right, we wouldn't go to Snoqualmie.. good to hear the area north of the gorge would be recommended. Yes our plan is to go back onto a logging road.. talking to the forest service today about it. A-Train - you have a way of crossing paths with whiteblaze members while in beautiful locations in the pacific NW? (did you end up moving out here?).

I've used the postholer map to see the PCT on google maps but is there a better online map to make sure where the PCT crosses forest service roads?

Sly
09-04-2008, 12:58
. Sly, (or others) do you have any recommendations on connections/sources where I could ID viable PCT road crossings?

Below is the Mapquest map. It doesn't show the paved road leading to the trail, but once you're in town it's easy to spot. It's road 23 or Mt Adams Road. There's pretty good markings, or were, so it should be easy to spot the trail. The trail crossing is about 13 miles from town and there's water near by.

Also, there's a couple other roads in the area that cross the trail before Road 23. Road 60 and 24 but they're further from town.

Matteroo
09-04-2008, 13:36
Thanks sly! I think we may shoot for the road 24 - since we'll be west of Trout Lake - coming from Mt. St. Helens area and I'm not sure if that Mt. Adams road goes through to the other side.. will figure out with the forest service shortly. TM and rides to town would work great for us.. : )

Pacific Tortuga
09-04-2008, 14:38
This is not on question, but if you run into Jester or JB, could say say hello from Tortuga? Thanks

Matteroo
09-04-2008, 15:09
Yeah, I'll keep a sheet from anyone here to take with when we head out to send messages along! : )

sarbar
09-04-2008, 20:22
I saw a bunch in Stehekin a week and a half ago, so I guess they're almost done.

Yeah, they would have been the ones we saw 3 weeks ago near Bumping River, they had passed over the burn areas.

Last weekend I ran into 3 thru's North of Chinook - they road walked instead of hopping over. One some of you might recognize: Sarong otherwise known as Stretch, who hiked the AT as well. This was at Arch Rock, on this past Saturday afternoon.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a308/NWHikergirl/PCT%20Govt%20Meadows-Crystal/Sarong.jpg

They seemed to be in the front of the pack.

Many Walks
09-05-2008, 12:02
Matteroo, it's great to hear from you. I remember that night. The deli was great and we tried to beat the storm, but wound up climbing that waterfall in the downpour. Man that was wet, but we still loved being out there. As I recall my croc slipped on a rock at the shelter and I took a tumble...that's just life on the trail. It was great to spend the time with you and bucket. We heard you had settled in OR and hope you really enjoy it there. We've been hiking all over Northern CA, pretty much out every weekend. Going to summit Lassen tomorrow, did the Buck's Lake section of the PCT not long ago and dropped down a few thousand feet to meet smoke jumpers and wildfires. We're looking forward to a half dome summit hike in Yosemite in Oct. We're trying to delve more into the PCT experience. We got seriously bitten by the thru hike bug on the AT and plan to thru the PCT about 2010. At the moment we're refurbishing a little house in the mountains overlooking a lake. It's a pretty nice spot and we walk a few miles every night. I wish you well and maybe we'll see you on the trail again. We really enjoyed you both. Take good care.

A-Train
09-05-2008, 13:52
Right, we wouldn't go to Snoqualmie.. good to hear the area north of the gorge would be recommended. Yes our plan is to go back onto a logging road.. talking to the forest service today about it. A-Train - you have a way of crossing paths with whiteblaze members while in beautiful locations in the pacific NW? (did you end up moving out here?).

I've used the postholer map to see the PCT on google maps but is there a better online map to make sure where the PCT crosses forest service roads?

No, I never moved out there. I just like to take a trip or two a year out to the rainy NW and visit friends and hike. School and a cross country move was just too expensive.