[pct-l] Trail Report: Stehekin to Manning Park

[Mann]

PCT Trail Condition Report: July 5-11, 2008, from Stehekin/High Bridge to
Manning Park (2574.1 to 2663.6, 89.4 miles)
Summary: Snow covers 5-8% of trail north of Rainy Pass, passable with
trekking poles & running shoes, all bridges fine, streams passable,
currently pre-mosquitoes, but that won¹t last long.
Stehekin/High Bridge to Rainy Pass (2574.1 to 2592.4):  This 18-mile stretch
of trail was in good shape.  There are a few winter blow-downs.  The small
bit of on-trail snow on the last couple miles before Rainy Pass was barely
enough to make snowballs.  There are a few early-bird mosquitoes at Six-Mile
Camp and the other Bridge Creek campgrounds.  We had one route-finding
issue.  At the northbound split of the old PCT and new PCT at the Twisp Pass
Trail 1277 junction (2588.6), the guidebook gives a detailed description of
the new PCT branching right, going over a bridge and then forking off from
Trails 1277 and 1234.  We didn¹t find the new PCT and instead took the old
PCT.  The old and new routes rejoined in 2.9 miles. The old, pre-1990s PCT
route was well maintained.

Rainy Pass to Harts Pass (2592.4 to 2624.3):  This stretch starts with a
5-mile climb from Rainy Pass (4855) to Cutthroat Pass (6820¹).  In this
5-mile leg the Porcupine Creek log bridge is fine and two other creek
crossings may get your feet and even legs wet.  Beginning about halfway up
there is intermittent on-trail snow.  The most significant snow of the
stretch was on the two, three-quarter mile cirques just north of Cutthroat
Pass.  Our group crossed with hiking poles and running shoes and one of our
party had a 40-foot downhill slide. The snow was soft during the days and
the south bounders we met were able to cross, but with some occasional
excitement.  The snow is melting fast. Beautiful, beautiful views of the
Northern Cascades on much of this 18-mile leg.  The Methow Valley portion of
the trail had segments that were quite overgrown, though nothing like the
notorious green sea you have to wade through on California¹s section O.

Harts Pass to Manning Park (2624.3 to 2663):  We had snow flurries on July
10 and temperatures as low as 24 degrees.  Minor on-and-off snow continued
with two more challenging areas comparable to the Cutthroat Pass cirques.
The first was in the mile stretch leading to Woody Pass (the switchbacks
below Rock Pass) and the second was around the trail¹s Washington highpoint
(2646.9, 7126 feet) near Slate Peak.   In the Slate Peak area three south
bounders had missed the PCT¹s descending switchbacks and continued along the
crest for a distance due to the snow.  We camped at a spacious,
well-appointed campsite not mentioned in our edition of the guidebook.  The
campground is just a few hundred yards north of Monument 78.  It has a bear
box, benches, fire rings, outhouse and a rake. How civilized.
   
>From July 5 to July 12 we met 11 SOBOs, including our good friend Thomas
³Deacon² Fisher who hiked the PCT NOBO in both 2006 and 2007.  Good luck to
all.
 
Scout and Frodo