[pct-l] Re: Glacier Peak bypass

[info at studiozoic.com (Dave Blumenthal)]

Some notes on detouring Glacier Peak, from summer 2004:

1) Stay on old PCT.  Believe it or not, some hikers tried this.  Its 
dangerous and stupid.
2) Official USFS detour hiker PCT
3) Official USFS detour hiker PCT, with High Pass shortcut.  Requires 
off-trail scrambling, best done in good weather and with a map.
4) Roadwalk/detour stock PCT

Options 2 and 3 require you to ford the Napeequa River.  When we were in 
the area, it had been raining for two weeks, and we were unable to verify 
that the ford was possible, even by contacting the Little Wenatchee Ranger 
District.  Us and MANY other hikers, for safety reasons, opted for the 50 
mile roadwalk/stock detour.  The roadwalk is not fun.  My feet have never 
hurt so much.  Information about the roadwalk:

 From Stevens Pass, walk 20 miles east on Rt 2 to the 59er Diner.  Awesome 
place, with Elvis stuff and a real jukebox, especialy after the pavement 
pounding.  It took us 6.5 hours to get to the diner.

Turn left and walk 4 miles north on Rt. 207 will bring you to the Parkside 
Grocery (Sunday-Thursday 8-8, Friday and Saturday 8-9, limited resupply), 
connected to the Happy Clown Restaurant.  They have great pancakes.  You 
can time it so that you eat dinner at the 59er, and have breakfast at the 
Clown. Acros the street from the grocery is the Headwaters Pub.

Camping on Rt 207 is possible:  near Wenatchee St. Park, or near a small 
fenced in power station building.
If you can get further, camping will be easier on FS 62.

Turn right on Chiwawa Loop Rd for 1 mile.  Halfway along is an RV Park with 
a tiny store.

Turn left on Chiwawa River Rd.  25 miles to Trinity.  The first 14 miles 
are boring. After that, thre are campgrounds every 1-2 miles.

The Buck Creek Trail / Middle Ridges Trail is a long, reasonably maintained 
climb

Dave "Packman" Blumenthal
www.studiozoic.com/adventures/2004/pct