[pct-l] Urls (WA reroute)

[JPayne at standardsteel.com (James Payne)]

The urls/links seem to be working now - at least for me, when I tried at
10:30 PM EDT, Friday, April 23rd...

Regarding phlumf versus USFS routes, they have some common sections -
but are quite different...  The common sections are Trail 1563 from
White River to Nepeequa River over Boulder Pass and Trail 789 from Buck
Creek Pass to the PCT at Miners Creek...  Jonathan's route goes further
North on the PCT, then down the White River (trail 1507 on the USFS
'overview' map) - USFS says this trail "might not be in very good shape,
may be somewhat overgrown and hard to follow"...  Upon reaching the
Nepeequa River, Jonathan's route then goes upstream (topo maps show
trail) before heading away from the Nepeequa (due N) towards High
Pass...  from the Nepeequa to High Pass and a little beyond, the route
is a 'knapsack' or 'cross-country' route - no maintained trail...  Topo
maps show a trail heading South from Bucks Creek Pass along the ridge
towards High Pass, but it ends on the other side of the ridge before
High Pass (I have no idea what shape this 'trail' is in, if it even
'exists' or is maintained anymore!)...  I believe the original or early
routing of the PCT was to go through Nepeequa River valley and possibly
over High Pass to Bucks Creek Pass - and that is why there is a trail
'to nowhere' shown on the topo maps ending up on that ridge N of High
Pass (whether that idea was abandoned due to construction/maintenance
difficulties or was later planned to go around Glacier Peak since it's
such a beautiful, majestic, mysterious, and magical mountain, I don't
know... ).

If one is an experienced backpacker with off-trail and cross-country
route finding and map skills, I feel they should seriously consider
going over the High Pass route instead of the USFS route from Nepeequa
to Bucks Creek Pass.  I was only in that area twice many (20+) years
ago, so I certainly don't know current conditions...  but it is (was) a
beautiful off-trail route...

But HYOH, etc.

Happy trails!