[pct-l] Section H in Washington Trip Report

[griffin at u.washington.edu (Tom Griffin)]

Got back Saturday night from a 15-day hike of Section H--147 miles of the
PCT from the Columbia River to White Pass. It was the longest section hike
of my hiking years and a transformative experience.

I saw many through hikers during this time (Aug. 30-Sept. 13).  Some had
taken the shuttle around the fires near Santium Pass, others had to rely on
trail angels after the shuttle closed, and at least one (Billy Goat) walked
along Forest Service roads to avoid the closed parts of the PCT.  Others
were delayed when the fires hit Cascade Locks in early September. Here is a
list of the through hikers I talked to during my Section H trek: Veronika
and Marek (the Czech couple), Billy Goat, Salty Bitch and Boy Scout, Tyson
(a.k.a Che), Huff, Mercury, Brooke and David, Kit and Di, Treebeard,
Navigator, and Fashion Plate Dan. All seemed to be doing well and on course
to finish at Manning by the beginning of October.

I enjoyed the first segment of Section H more than I expected, since the
guide recommends skipping it and doing a road walk from the Bridge of the
Gods to the Panther Creek campground instead. I can't understand why the
authors are so negative about this stretch. There is lots of old growth,
lowland forest and great views of our Cascade volcanoes. At one point you
can see four of them across the horizon--Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens
and Mt. Rainier. The hike up Big Huckleberry Mountain after Panther Creek is
a struggle (we didn't bring enough water), and there are only two spots on
this 23-mile stretch that are good campsites. After that challenge, we were
rewarded with huckleberries and lakes in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. Of
course, the most scenic sections are around Mt. Adams and the famous
"Knife's Edge" in the Goat Rocks. This was the second year in a row I did
the Knife's Edge and it was as challenging and as magnificent as I
remembered it. By the way, the notorious 35-foot stretch across Packwood
Glacier is much easier this year. Because of our hot summer and low snowfall
last winter, the glacier has shrunk. I would say that the crossing is now 20
feet at most and rocks stick up out of the ice and snow for most of that
distance.

I was on the trail for 15 days straight without a town stop. I resupplied
when one party left the group and another joined up near Mt. Adams at Forest
Service Road 23. At the end of the trip I could have kept right on going all
the way to Canada. My feet felt great, my spirits were soaring and my energy
level was high. I want to carry the joy of being in the wilderness back with
me as I re-enter civilization. It is hard to let go, and this was just a
section hike. It must be a rough transition for those who do the whole trail
in one long push.

I will have a Web page with a full trip report completed later this month
and I'll post the URL at that time.

Tom Griffin
Seattle, Washington, USA
http://staff.washington.edu/griffin/pct.html