[pct-l] For those rejected by Canada...

[dnlcyclone at aol.com]

There have been several questions about what people should do if they are rejected entrance into Canada based on myriad reasons.  There are several backtracking options, all of which involve reaching Monument 78 and heading back south through the Pasayten.  They are as follows:


1. Turn around and head south to Castle Pass (4 miles) and head west on Trail 749 which is known as the Boundary Trail.  Check with the Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Service Ranger for updates on trail closure; anyway, this trail heads west until you reach Ross Lake, which has been dammed by Ross Dam and is part of Ross Lake Recreation Area.  There is a great little resort with floating cabins called Ross Lake Resort (www.rosslakeresort.com) that gives water taxi rides to their resort on the southwest side of the lake.  There is a fee for this; look it up on the website.  When I thru-hiked the Pacific Northwest Trail in 2009, we lucked into a cabin being available (usually sold out through the summer).  We arrived at 5:00, the owners came by and knocked at our door at 6 and invited us to eat with the resort crew, on the house.  The meal:  filet mignon, corn on the cob, deluxe baked potatoes, you name it...and a lot of beer and margaritas.  I haven't been rejected into Canada, but my wife and I are strongly considering this option anyway this year.  If you don't want the water taxi, you can choose to walk south along the east side of the lake until you reach Washington State Highway 20.


2. Turn around and head south beyond Castle Pass to Holman Pass (17 miles) and head west on Trail 752 (Devil's Ridge Trail).  This trail also heads west to Ross Lake.  Once at the lake, you have the water taxi option or you can hike south to Highway 20.


3. And finally, you can turn around and head south to Hart's Pass (31 miles) where there is a Ranger cabin and a forest road that eventually gives you access to Highway 20.  No chance at a hitch from there, but if you had somebody to pick you up, it's an option.  If absolutely necessary, you could take Forest Road 700 from the cabin west until you reach a trail that again heads west to Ross Lake.  This Trail has two short sections where you have to Macgyver it across a washed out section of trail on a sheer faceish, sandy, loose ravine by holding on to a rope tied between two trees.  Kind of shady, but my wife and my buddy did it in 2009.  It was awesome.  


Hope this works for those who the Canadians hate; I know that if the weather is good, we'll do one of those options.


Cheers,


David, Rachel & Hazel Liechty