Category: Trip Journal

PCT 2018 Day 106, August 6, Monday

Start mile 9 of 11 of Hart Lyman Trail, then skip to milepoint 2569.4, Highpoint ranger station

End Bridge Creek Camp, mile 2574.3

Miles walked: 6.9

On the way in to Holden I meet Avocado, camped with several hikers just out of town. He is not stopping at all in Holden, but going through to finish the fire detour trail into Stehekin.

A covered bridge leads to a small hydroelectric installation. Holden Village is a Lutheran family camp with lodges, yurts, and… no cars. They have been really kind to the PCT hikers that unexpectedly showed up due to trail closure. Hollywood, another northbounder, explained to me the amenities, like free showers, free laundry, low price meals in the cafeteria, free cereal anytime, a computer with internet in the library.

After continental breakfast, we check the internet and find that the PCT is still closed to the north of us at Rainey Pass due to the Cutthroat Fire. Both Hollywood and I decide to skip the 17 mile final part of the fire re-route into Stehekin, and take the ferry on Lake Chelan there instead. Several southbounders have said the trail is difficult, overgrown, and somewhat dangerous. Holden offers a shuttle to Lucerne to catch the ferry in late morning, for a modest charge. The ferry, Lady of the Lake II, allows purchase of tickets on board, at reasonable rates. Some campsites can only be reached by ferry or other watercraft. I miss Lake George… The ferry stops at Stehekin Landing. Shuttle busses can take us further up the road places we might want to visit, for a substantial ticket price. Hollywood and I stop by the park service station at the Landing, and learn the happy news that the trail is now open! I get a camping permit to a camp location a few miles past High Point, while Hollywood decides to stay the night in Stehekin. I walk to the post office and get my last supply box! After organizing my food bag I go back to the general store to buy wifi, only to learn that they were out of vouchers, whatever that means. I take a free shuttle to the famous bakery, to spend a couple of hours recharging and grazing, until the final shuttle. Avocado is at the bakers, and describes the hike I skipped. He decides to spend the night here and get his supply box in the morning.

When the Red Bus comes to tack me to High Bridge Ranger Station to resume the PCT, Hollywood is there, having changed his mind, along with Clutch. The young ranger chats with us for a while, eager to improve his knowledge of local trails. I hike to the campsite assigned on my permit, joined by Clutch at dark.

Finished audiobook Your Days Are Numbered, by Myke Bartlett.

PCT 2018 Day 105, August 5, Sunday

Start mile 2527.4, creek near campsite

End mile 2549.3, then mile 9 of 11 of Hart Lyman Trail

Miles walked: 30.9

Descending down to walk along the Suiattle River, I pass a grove of the largest trees on the PCT. A climb from 2.5k to 6k brings Suiattle Pass, and views of more glaciers. The trail diversion due to wildfire is well-marked. Southbounders tell me the route is clear and easy to follow. The steep climb to Cloudy Pass reminds me that other trails are not built with the limited grade specifications of the PCT. This is what toilet facilities look like at many of the recent lakes. The trail goes by Lyman Lake and then Hart Lake, both with many campers. Blueberries, or huckleberries, are at peak ripeness just beyond Hart Lake, and yon can reach your hand out and grab several at a time while passing. I walked until dark closer to Holden Village, a Lutheran Camp that southbounders tell me is a nice place to stop and have a meal, or perhaps more. Breakfast is from 7 to 9, and I would not like to be late.

Before today, approaching southbounders did not know much about fire diversions, having missed them. Now they offer advice. One that impressed me warned me that the next part of the Bannock Lake Fire detour, 11 Mile Creek Trail and Company Creek Trail, is 17 very hard miles, and that the final descent to Stehekin is treacherous, and that he would not hike it in the direction I am going. He suggests an alternative, that I will explore more at Holden.

PCT 2018 Day 104, August 4, Saturday

Start mile 2502.2

End mile 2527.4, creek near campsite

Miles walked: 25.2

Well now, which hiker broke the bridge? We still use it to get across. The trail today seems to be an obstacle course, with sections of thick overgrown plants, huge logs to climb over or under, and wet trails. And the elevation goes from 5.5k down to 4k, up to 6.5k, down to 3.3k, and back finally to 6k. I forgot to mention the alpine ecosystem at high altitudes, seen for several days now, thick with wild#lowers and plants unfamiliar to us lowlanders. The views of green mountains and glacier mountains today rewards the long climbs. Mica Lake is still partially iced over, but I saw some campers thinking about a swim. After climbing way down to Milk Creek and way up again, I get water at a creek and stop at a nearby campsite, with a view of Kennedy Peak and its glaciers. Camp is early because a thunderstorm threatens, with many flashes. The rain is mild, but will stay on the bushes and make tomorrow morning wet.

Today I struggled with an ingrown toenail, from a couple of days of wet-feet hikes and a stubbed toe. Finally, after several attempts, in early afternoon I managed to bandage the foot in such a way that it did not hurt every other step. That cost me some miles today.

For several mornings I have greeted Hot Sauce as he zooms by. He hikes faster, and is doing more miles each day, but we manage to overlap, and I start early and pass his tent, and then he catches up later, and we chat before he goes past. After today’s low miles, I may not see him to discuss the possible re-route of the PCT that we hit tomorrow at Suiattle Pass, caused by the Bannock Lakes Fire.