[pct-l] Northern half of Washington

[Scott Williams]

>From Goat Rocks north is my favorite part of WA.  It's so beautiful I
re-hiked the section from White Pass to Manning the year after completing
my thru hike.  That just misses Goat Rocks, but we only had 3 weeks and at
a leisurely pace that was fine for us.  So, 2 1/2 to 3 weeks from
Snoqualmie to Manning is even easier.  That should be no problem at all.
 It's a great shot through some of the most beautiful mountains on the PCT,
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Dolly Vista, Glacier Peak and on and on.  You
could do Goat Rocks next time.  Starting at Snoqualmie you'll miss the
great views of Rainier, but put that on for the next trip.  The further
south you go from Goat Rocks the less interesting the trail in my memory.
 It's beautiful, but it gets much better further north.

As for rain, figure on it.  In 2010 it rained from late August till we
crossed into Canada in mid September, but in 2011, same time of year, it
rained only once or twice.  Every year is different, but it's not a gamble
worth losing, bring your rain gear.

I've only used single walled tents on Rainier, WA PCT, West Coast Trail
(Vancouver Island) and other really wet places and they do fine.  Even
double walled tents get condensation, you've just got a membrane separating
you from it.  So in a single walled tent, don't touch the sides and be a
little more careful, but they've always worked just fine.  With two people
I use the ZPacks Double Hexamid or for more room, the Six Moon Lunar Duo.
 I really like them both.

You won't need cramps or ice axe as you probably won't encounter any snow
at all.  If you do, cross it in the afternoon when it's soft and be
careful.  But you shouldn't see any serious patches on trail.

Good Luck and have a wonderful hike.

Shroomer


On Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 1:05 PM, Judith McGuire <judithsmcguire at gmail.com>wrote:

> We're now looking at doing the northern half of Washington, from
> Snoqualmie to Manning starting August 25 for 2 1/2-3 weeks.  I realize
> it's out of date but the OR/WA PCT guidebook description of the
> clearcutting south of Snoqualmie makes it sound pretty ugly (even
> though Goat Rocks sounds outstanding), which is why I opted for the
> section north of there.  Any opinions from the PCT-L on comparative
> beauty southern half vs. northern half of Washington?  We can get a
> ride to the start of our hike but have to find our own way back to
> Seattle/Portland/Vancouver for the trip back to the East coast.
>
> So I have a few questions.
>
> One of us has a single walled tent (Tarptent Rainbow).  It's a great
> tent (served me well on my AT thru hike) but when it rains a lot it's
> not so good.  Any thoughts on probability of early rains (snows?) up
> there?
>
> I read about bears around Stehekin.  I hate to carry the extra 2
> pounds, but should I bring my bear canister?
>
> I read about snow fields and glaciers.  Any need to bring low grade
> (instep) crampons?
>
> As I read it, you only need a permit for the area north of Stehekin
> and can get a pass at the ranger station there.  True?
>
> Thanks for the great response to my earlier request!
>
> Judo (Judy McGuire)
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubscribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
>