[pct-l] Section K Glacier Peak trail condition update

[sage Clegg]

Hi everyone! I am glad to be here on the south side of Glacier Peak in the warm home of the Dinsmores! The chunk of trail from Stehekin to Stevens pass is as wild as it gets for our PCT. Anyone considering this section should use EXTREME CAUTION, and probably and ice axe and a head full of mountaineering judgment. The trail has the expected mud slides, blow down, head high trail covering brush, and creek crossings, but none of that will kill you, it is just a challenge to hike through. There are two large avalanches on the way to Suiattle pass that are good measuring sticks for the rest of this section. If you feel sketched out by these you should wait until the snow has melted out to hike section K. The back side of Mt. Skykomish is a mini test for north bounders, but imagine everything amplified about 5 times. 
 
This section of trail also has about 17 miles of STEEP NORTH FACING SNOW. From the top of Vista Creek until you reach the top of Kennedy Ridge just up from Glacier Creek is class 3 and 4 terrain. This means you should feel comfortable traveling across steep, icy snow slopes with poor run out. You should also feel comfortable assessing and crossing snow bridges and melting avalanche paths. Navigation through this entire section is quite challenging due to avalanches, deep snow, mud slides and blow down. 
  I traveled this section alone, and if I were to do it again I would have borrowed a SPOT or a sat phone, I would have brought an ice Axe and a treking pole, and I may have thought about my crampons, even though they are another 2lbs. I do not recommend this section solo, even for experienced mountaineers, and especially for people new or uncomfortable to technical snow travel. 
  I broke down and brought a GPS with me, and I think it saved me a FULL DAY in navigation. If you are really good with maps you will still have trouble out here because of the trail erasing avalanches. 
   My itinerary during this section, just to give you a Gage on timing was as follows: 
Day 1 from High Bridge to Suiattle River (never would have made it that far if it wasn't for the huge bowl of leftover coconut bread pudding and carrot cake from my dinner at the ranch-- wow!)
Day 2 Suiattle River, up vista creek (intense blow down in the bottom of this drainage!) over to milk creek (there is a small use trail just past where the sidewalk ends on the west side of the drainage. The snow bridge was solid while I was there, but BE CAREFUL and PROBE the snow with your basketless treking pole before you step on it. It could be melting fast) and up the first chunk of switchbacks to camp near an avi path and a bit of a ridge. There are two switchbacks obliterated by mud slides. Just go straight up rather than crossing them. Look at your map BEFORE you leap.
Day 3 Avi path up from milk creek to just below Red Pass. Travel through fire creek pass was hard but not harrowing, the traverses are where the danger lies. 
***Kick conscious and deliberate steps and ALWAYS assess your run out. If you think you might fall and the fall could kill you DONT DO IT!!!***
 Once I reached Kennedy ridge I felt home free and the travel from there on out was quite enjoyable.
Day 4 Below Red Pass to Saddle Gap. The snow was mushier and I didn't think I was going to die at all this whole day. Ahhh.
Day 5 Saddle Gap to the Dinsmores. Nice hiking, still lots of snow to plod through, but straight forward navigation and step kicking. 
 
My hopes and advice for anyone traveling through section K is that 
1) you are honest with yourself and your abilities. Do you know how to self arrest? Do you feel comfortable being in very dangerous situations in remote places? Do you know how to keep yourself found in challenging terrain?
2) Go with someone else, or at least bring a way to communicate in an emergency. 
3) Bring tools and/or give yourself extra time. I usually never use a GPS (think its cheating) but it saved me a ton of time on this section. It is very hard to see where the trail goes, even using topos. The Avalanche paths fill up the gullies and you cannot tell where the creeks are in some places.. An Ice axe and knowledge of how to use it would have been immensely helpful. Bring at least and extra day of food so you can buy yourself more time. I felt lucky to make it through in 5 days, but I planned for 8. If you only bring 5 days of food Murphy's law will probably keep you out there for 10 days. 
4) Leave your Ego in stehekin or somewhere else. If you think your going to kick section K's ass you got another thing coming. Glacier Peak is very capable of handing out large slices of humble pie, so walk with humility so you don't have to get schooled.
5) Enjoy the true freedom of the wildest place on the PCT. Use your judgment and awareness, laugh at yourself when you slip on the flat snow in the beginning, and DON'T fall on anything that will kill you. 
Have fun and Happy trails!
 
If you want more advice feel free to email me (but I won't be checking for another few days, snoqualamie) or call/ email the Dinsmores. I left a map here with the trouble spots.