[pct-l] Glacier Peak Detour (was Yellow Blazing)

[CWillett at pierce.ctc.edu (Chris Willett)]

Trying to ford the Suiattle in mid August of 2003 (when I finished) would have been insane. Suicidal.  There is absolutely no way I would attempt or plan on this. If I was hiking northbound, I would have to hear from someone whom I trusted who had just gotten across before I went on the old route.  

For prospective hikers, I would not, absolutely not, recommend or endorse this idea.  The Suitattle (at least in 03) isn't like the Sierran fords:  You really do need a bridge to ford where the PCT used to hit it.  For perspective, the hardest ford for me in the Sierra was Bear Creek.  Take its flow and multiply it by about two or three, make the water brown-white, and put more boulders in place.  Also, widen it.  That was the Suiattle in 03.

Suge

---------------------------
Christopher Willett
cwillett@pierce.ctc.edu
www.pierce.ctc.edu/faculty/cwillett
Pierce College
9401 Farwest Drive SW.
Lakewood, WA. 98498-1999

> 1. Take the original PCT anyway and ford Mill Creek and the Suiattle. This is what many 2005 northbounders did when they reached the North Cascades in September. Some reported that they crossed both rivers on logs and never got their feet wet. However, the winter of 2004-05 had record low snowfall for much of the state. Rivers were running much lower than usual. If we have a high snowpack or lots of rain, this could be risky in 2006.
>