[pct-l] alternate route for thru-hikers heading north

[Tom Griffin]

I just hiked past these trail junctions last week on my section hike. 
The junction with Trail 756 to Mabee Pass has a sign. The trail looks 
underused and steep--can anyone say "Little Giant"? I couldn't even find 
the second junction for trail 755--although a hiking buddy says he saw a 
cairn in a meadow that might have marked the junction. Between the two, 
my advice would be to take the signed trail to Mabee Pass. Once you 
leave the PCT you will be going through some wild country until you 
reach Ross Lake. Once on the lakeshore trail, the opposite occurs, as 
you will see plenty of boats and horse parties. However, that trail is 
in good shape and should be fast for anyone who has already hiked 2,600 
miles. There is a road from Hope, B.C. to the end of Ross Lake, where 
there is a boat launch and a campground. You should be able to yogi a 
ride to Hope, which has lots of facilities for tourists (and right now, 
lots of smoke from wildfires). You can take Greyhound from there to 
Vancouver and then Amtrak back to Seattle.

Good luck to the Class of 2006 and don't give up at Rainy Pass!

Tom Griffin (Bullfrog)
Seattle
PCT Pages: http://griffinte.home.comcast.net/pct.html

> Subject:
> [pct-l] alternate route for thru-hikers heading north in a bid to 
> complete the 2, 650-mile Pacific Crest Trail
> From:
> csxii at schizoaffective.org
> Date:
> Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:08:47 -0700
> To:
> pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
>
> To:
> pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
>
>
>Friday, Sep 08, 2006
>Detour ahead on the PCT
>
>
>The Methow Valley Ranger District yesterday announced an alternate
>route for thru-hikers heading north in a bid to complete the
>2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. About 40 miles of the PCT, from Windy
>Pass north to the Canadian border, has been closed due to the Tatoosh
>and Tripod fires. In addition, all of the Pasayten Wilderness is
>currently closed due to fire danger. Information on trail closures and
>the Tatoosh fire can be found at InciWeb.
>
>Tripod fire from the airAccording to Laurie Dowie, wilderness ranger
>for the Methow Valley Ranger District, the alternate route begins
>about 5.5 miles north of Methow Pass. Hikers can either take trail 756
>over Mebee Pass and down Boulder Creek Trail 729 to the junction with
>Chancellor Trail 754. Alternately, hikers can take the Mill Creek
>Trail 755 from the junction with the PCT over Azurite Pass and down
>Mill Creek to the junction with Chancellor Trail 754.
>
>The route continues west on trail 754 to the East Bank Trail on the
>eastern shore of Ross Lake. Thru-hikers can then continue north on the
>East Bank Trail and the Lightning Creek Trail to Hozomeen campground
>and the Canadian border. The road from Hozomeen connects to Highway 3
>in British Columbia west of Manning Park.
>
>Dowie said in an e-mail that the alternate routes have been posted at
>Agnes and Rainy Passes. The Forest Service said it had sent rangers to
>alert hikers currently on the trail, and has also dropped messages by
>helicopter. For current information on trail closures in the Okanogan
>and Wenatchee National Forest visit this site. For current information
>on PCT and Pasayten closures, call the Methow Valley Ranger District
>at (509) 996-4003.
>
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