[pct-l] PCT Hike 1977

[csiechert at hotmail.com (Carl Siechert)]

I dug out my 1976 (second edition) guidebook...I don't have a current
guidebook with which to compare, but here's a general description of the
1977 route:

>From Stevens Pass, north past Lake Valhalla and over Union Gap, down to Lake
Janus, along the crest past Grizzly Peak and Wenatchee Pass, down to Pear
Lake, north along the west side of the crest to Saddle Gap, Cady Pass, Lake
Sally Ann, Wards Pass, Indian Pass, Lower White Pass, White Pass, Red Pass,
Fire Creek Pass, crossing the Suiattle River (on "a 50-yard-long horse
bridge") near the site of Lyman Camp, east to Suiattle Pass, down Agnes
Creek (crossing on "a massive...27-yard-long bridge") to High Bridge Ranger
Station, up Bridge Creek to Hwy 20, and then along the highway (which was
built in 1972, only 5 years before we were there) to Rainy Pass.

Other bridges mentioned in the book are three log bridges over the creek
north of Red Pass, "a wide, planked horse bridge" over the White Chuck
River, a log crossing of Baekos Creek and several smaller creeks to the
north, a "precarious log crossing" of Sitkum Creek, a log crossing of Vista
Creek, a bridge over Miners Creek, a log crossing of Glacier Creek, "a
sturdy horse bridge" at Swamp Creek, Stehekin River Road, a "side-planked
horse bridge" above Bridge Creek near North Fork Camp, and a log crossing of
State Creek.

The only hairy crossings mentioned in the guidebook are Kennedy Creek, Milk
Creek, and a "tricky ford of Bridge Creek" near Hwy 20. Regarding Kennedy
Creek, here's what they wrote in 1974: "a 10-yard-wide torrent that in 1973
had to be forded since its bridge had been washed downstream. Another bridge
is scheduled to be built." In the 1976 addendum, they wrote: "Around July
11, 1975, an avalanche swept down Kennedy Creek canyon, destroying parts of
the White Chuck Trail. Kennedy Hot Spring was narrowly missed, and trails
back to it were quickly reconstructed....Because two major avalanches have
descended [Kennedy Creek's] canyon in three years, it is unlikely that
another bridge will be built. A simple log crossing existed in late July
1975." As for Milk Creek, in 1974 they wrote: "A log crossing existed in
1973, but it was scheduled to be replaced with a 'permanent' bridge. As
you'll discover along this trail, nothing endures but change." The 1976
addendum reports on the "permanent bridge" thusly: "As predicted by the
author, this $40,000 bridge was swept away by an early-summer 1975
avalanche." Man, some things really do stay the same!

I also checked our (Kelty Kids) journals for that stretch, which we covered
during the first week of September. None of us commented on the creek
crossings at all, so I guess they were no big deal. Instead, we all carped
about the huge elevation changes each day and, worse, the fact that it was
pouring rain through most of the week.

Cheers,
Carl
One of the 1977 Kelty Kids

P.S. I spoke briefly with Dick Kelty about three weeks ago. He's old and not
well, but he's still hanging in there.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marge Prothman" <marge@prothman.org>
To: "Pct-L" <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 3:58 PM
Subject: [pct-l] PCT Hike 1977


> I would like to know from Monte or Greg or any of the other Kelty kids.
> In 1977 what was your route from Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass in Wash.  Did
> you have
> the same trail as we have had in the past few years, and did you have all
> the
> Bridges in place that we are use to.....Just curious what your trail was
> like
> Then.