[pct-l] Your Snoqualmie PCT Snow Report...

[zoroastr at pioneernet.net (john cain)]

Hi PCT'ers...

I just joined this list a couple of days ago, and coincidentally, I was on the PCT today [wow!].  I had planned to repeat my "August Epic" of last year, during which, for some unfathomable reason, I ran-hiked from the Snoqualmie trailhead to Spectacle Lake and back as a day trip.  Apparently, it took ten months to forget the pain and to entertain the prospect of a repeat.  What I failed to take into account, however, is that this is not August, but only the end of June and there's still a buttload of snow back there.  Two days ago, I was on top of Alta Mountain, drooling over the PCT in all its distant wonderfulness as it threaded its way 'round a dozen marvelous peaks.  I noticed some snow, but from that distance, it looked insignificant; the fact that I had just finished slogging through a totally buried main trail in the Rampart Lakes area somehow failed to impress itself on my Gatorade-addled brain.  Anyway, this morning, shortly after starting out for Spectacle, I encountered yard-deep hardpack completely obscuring the Ridge Lake basin.  Undaunted, and still stubbornly refusing to accept what was quickly becoming obvious, I kept going, axe in hand, slashing and hacking and holing much post.  Finally, after a standing glissade down to the west shore of Alaska Lake--a slide that seemed to last for ten minutes--I gave up my dream of getting to Spectacle, sat down on my bluefoam, ate a power bar and quietly wept.  
Then, to console myself on the way back out, I climbed Mount Thomson via the East Ridge and met a very nice couple on top who let me share their rope on the rappel sections that I was not really looking forward to downclimbing, especially since I had no climbing gear apart from a lightweight axe and a pair of $19 trail runners from Big 5.  It turned out to be a pretty nice day in the woods, but I'll wait till the end of this month to do the Long March.  
Any interested trail runners, mileage junkies, or similarly unbalanced folks who'd like to join me on the Biggie, just mail me.

bai

John Cain
www.pioneernet.net/zoroastr