[pct-l] WA-Rock Pass to Woody Pass Washouts

[David Hough on pct-l]

> Recent storm activity in the North Cascades produced closure of State Route 20 over a 5 mile stretch west of Rainy Pass. That has been 
> cleared. Washouts of alluvial fans below Powder Mountain made foot travel difficult between Rock Pass and Woody Pass in the PCT section
> north of Harts Pass


Nothing new there.   For a while the trail was built more of less level from Rock Pass over to the switchbacks up to Woody Pass.
Later it was rerouted down into the valley and up the other side.       The old route was marked closed on the Rock Pass side.

But it was still passable when I started my intentional PCNST hiking:

http://pcnst.oakapple.net/photo/wa-pct/l/2001-09-21-x07

It was just a little hairy in one gully where there was no tread left, but at least the dirt was soft enough to get some traction. 
I think I did it with a day pack, thinking it would be a bad idea with a full pack and a worse idea with stock.     As I recall,
the original 1974 guidebook showed the abandoned route.


So it sounds like history has repeated itself in spades and now even the reroute is a bit of a challenge.       



This bit of trail is analogous to the part of the Angeles Crest Highway 
that seems destined to wash away every so often.     When I was hiking that part of the PCT, I ran into a mountain biker
who had just traveled through the closed section of the highway.     He said that in one part, the only pavement left
was that on the inside of the inner fog line.     He's also done all the closed sections of Hwy 39 and the Glendora Mtn Road,
and said the Angeles Crest was the hairiest.