[pct-l] SOBO report Canada to Steven's Pass

[Andrea Dinsmore]

This is from our first SOBO hiker. Please read and take heed.

PCT MOM

Luke DeGroote degroote.1 at gmail.com to andrea
show details 12:10 PM (22 minutes ago)

Andrea,

I was getting too many emails from the listserv and knew I wouldn't be
online much so I signed off which is probably why it won't let me post
this.  Could you forward this info for others?

Thanks,

Luke

First off I'm going to preface this for potential SOBOers.  I'm not going to
tell you not to do it.  If you're anything like me that won't make a damn
bit a difference.  What I will tell you is what it's like.  It's dangerous,
wild, breathtakingly beautiful, and exhausting (mentally and physically).
It's doable but only if you don't mind hiking 80% of the time in the snow
and don't have a lot of fear.  I'd say 30% of the time if I had slipped
that'd be it.   In general (even yesterday),  3' of snow at 4500 ft
(sometimes down to 4000ft) with more as you go up.  Though after a foot it
really doesn't seem to matter since you're walking on top of it for the most
part anyway.  Going was tough. Averaged 1 mph so though one section took me
6 hours to go 2 miles.  Had one day where I hiked though a snowstorm and was
only able to cover 9 miles.  Best day was 18 because I hit some trail below
4000.  There's so much snow I'd say it's going to be tough for the next 2 to
3 weeks. It's physically and mentally draining hiking though that much snow
(and treacherous slopes).

PCT Mom introduced me to Helen Thayer in Baring and we talked about the next
section (she was the first woman to do a solo trip to the north pole and has
done a ton of serious climbing).   She said there were a bunch of bad
traverses and a catwalk coming up and you couldn't pay her to do it right
now.  Said she was amazed I made it here.

After hearing that there's a big part of me that only wants to keep pushing
on; however, I'm flipping to the town of Burney.  Mainly because after the
thrill wore off it just got to be draining hiking on the edge.  It stopped
being fun.  A realization that hit me full force hiking through the snow
with poor viability.  I also want to finish this bloody trail and am
concerned that only putting 10 to 15 miles a day (12 to 14 hours of full
body hiking), will put me into the high sierras too late.  That and I
suppose I'd like to live to finish the trail in one piece.  Managed to get a
mild sprain on my left foot trying to do some of those traverses (if I were
continuing on I'd seriously consider full fledged boots over trail runners).

Ok, long winded preface aside.

Manning Park to Stehekin 6/24 to 7/2.

No snow until the approach to Hopkins Pass.  Other then a small section soon
after Glacier Pass pretty much solid snow. 3 to 4 feet of snow at Harts
Pass.  Lots of long dicey traverses and several times I dropped down and cut
across strait across the valley (or to slope that was "safer") instead of
traversing treacherous slopes for miles (even though your legs feel like
they're filled with hot lead and your lungs feel like you're going to
explode trying to get back up).  Went over the crest before Glacier Pass
with poor viability (~200 ft) and it took me 30 minutes to find a slope to
work down and even that was hairy.  Be careful picking your route there.
Even thought the traverse between Methow Pass and Granite Pass was high
(~5500) it was mostly clear (~70%) up until the last portions of Granite
Pass.  Should be even better now.  Granite pass however was horrid.  4 foot
high blocks of ice shaped like toberlone bars on the switchbacks with
absolutely no room for error.  If you slip, you're toast.  Not even a chance
to self arrest because it's just rock and cliff.  I really hope that's
melted off in the past 3 weeks for anyone who has or might come through.  By
comparison, Cutthroat Pass was a cake.  Just be sure that you're going over
the right pass since it seems like they're are several options and it's a
little confusing (but that may have also been because I was again in a
cloud).

Tore up my Achilles tendons trying to go strait up some rock instead of snow
so I took the rest of 7/2 until the morning of 7/5 off to let them heal (pun
intended).  It also gave me a chance to mail my snowshoes home when the post
office opened Tuesday (they're useless out there).

Stehekin is amazing.  Be sure to load up at the Bakery before heading out.
If you're zeroing (highly recommend) be sure to stop by the Garden for some
great goat cheese, yogurt, and produce.  I stayed at Purple Point Campground
for free and ate pretty cheap from the bakery/garden/landing.  Also, if
you're staying the night go to any spot at the landing (NP visitor center,
store, or restaurant) look for someone under 35 and ask them what's going on
that night.  Probably be a bonfire with great people to talk to.  Tell them
Crazy Mother sent you.

Stehekin to Skykomish 7/5 to 7/11.

Took the old PCT route not the detour.  They don't maintain the detour and
the old route is in good shape.  Only a few big blow downs here and there
and all the streams were crossable by bridges or blow downs.  Some of the
bridges though are downstream and don't have all the trails connecting them
so it was easier for me to cross a blowdown.  Seriously, DON'T TAKE THE
DETOUR.  The Glacier Peak area is stunning.

Started around noon.  An easy 12 miles up Agnus Creek where there's a good
camp at Hemlock.  The traverses up to Suiattle Pass were a pain but it was
gorgeous.  Nothing too dicey.  Opted to crossed the Suiattle on the log
described by Yogi's book rather than bushwhack it 3 miles downstream (west)
to the new bridge.  Just upstream from the trail entry.  Finding the trial
on the other side was a cinch since there's only a narrow region of shallow
banks.

As far as other bridges I remember fording Stickum (no problem), crossing a
snow bridge at Milk Creek, and a blow down on another (Vista?).  Otherwise
all the other bridges were obvious.

The switchback area down to Milk creek was horrible because it was extremely
steep and icey until I got low enough to finally hit the trail.  The
forested slopes often don't get slushy enough to kick good steps or really
plunge the ice axe into.  You'll want micro spikes or crampons because of
that.

Can't say much about Mica Lake, Fire Creek, to Kennedy Creek.  Complete
whiteout with the snow and the whole day seemed tough.

Heading up to Red Pass burned the lungs but was breathtaking.  Nearly cried
when I got to the top.  Crazy steep traverse afterwards so I opted to take
the ridge as long as possible.  Still a really hairy decent to White Pass.
After that I tried to take the ridges as much as possible but was really
forced to traverse the slopes because the ridges were just too rocky.  The
saddle between 2495.5 and 2495 is tricky.  There's only one spot down and
it's near the steep rocks before the saddle.  Had to backtrack to find that
one.  Also beware the boulders.  I post holed and after I dug myself out saw
that I could have plunged 10 feet through into some rocks.  I'd drop down a
bit to avoid the rock garden and then hike back up around 2494.5.

When you get to Stevens Pass hitch to the Baring Store.  To find the
Dinsmore's go across the street, across the railroad tracks.  There's a road
heading left and they're at the end (3 houses or 100 ft) down.  Can't miss
the sign.  They're incredible and have a great set up for hungry cold
hikers.

Enjoy the heck out of it.

Crazy Mother

-- 
Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot
do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can,
then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the
beginning. ~Gandhi