19 people found this report helpful
Wonderful hike of solitude & spectacular views!
I’ve added a 5min video link of hike highlights below..
Forest Road: lots of potholes first mile to bridge; washboard and rocky sections afterwards but fewer potholes
Trail: awkward 18”diameter log across trail tough to bypass - GPS location 47.37023, -121.44110
Wildflowers: Canada goldenrod and fireweed along road; a few pearly everlasting and beardtongue along trail
Wildlife: butterflies, hawks and Jets from Lewis McChord Base :-)
Berries: blueberries ripe very soon
Crowds: no one at all until I got back to trailhead; 3 friendly hikers met there.
3 people found this report helpful
This trail was short and sweet, with great views. Bring poles for steep and stony sections at the beginning and end, but the middle was soft dirt and evergreen litter--very manageable this time of year. The scramble at the end required all fours, but it's short. The panorama view of the pass, mountains, and Keechelus Lakewas was well worth it. Dwarf blueberries were available, and Huckleberry bushes were in bloom (no berries yet).
1 person found this report helpful
Firstly regarding the road: most forest road sections up to trailhead start are in a good shape, but there about 5 or so very rough sections with series of large pot holes and also a few with stones. We went at 10mph or less at those to be safe (we drove a regular Toyota passenger vehicle). Approx. 0.5 mile to trailhead parking, there is an uneven, deep pot hole with a very large stone - when we saw it, we decided not to try our luck and parked our vehicle in a turn just ahead of it - luckily there was enough space.
At trailhead parking on a weekday early afternoon, there was just one car when we arrived, and one other car arrived later in the afternoon.
Trail itself is easy to navigate and in terms of elevation gain, this truly is one of the easier hikes with great rewards, fully agree! There is an iron rope section of about 30 feet or so to get you to the very top of the mountain. Views are great, including full view of Mt. Rainier and also of the entire Snoqualmie Pass. Bugs were not too bad. Berries mostly not ripe yet. Also we liked the fact that most of the hike you are going up through a forest that provides you with shade even on a hot summer day.
5 people found this report helpful
Hikes north on the PCT from Windy Pass to Lodge Lake and back.
The road to get to Windy Pass and the Mt Catherine trailhead is not great. There are a lot of very large pot holes and you will have to drive slowly! When you make the last switchback turn the road starts to get rocky. A few spots take some tricky navigation. This road really needs to be improved! As you get closer to the trailhead for the PCT someone has done some recent brushing along the road to prevent your car from getting scratched up! Thanks! You can drive all the way to the PCT and there are places to park and also turn around. I felt high clearance vehicles would be good here but when I finished hiking there was a Chevy Bolt!
The hike along the stretch of the PCT isn’t that much to call home about. You pass Olallie Meadow but you don’t see that much of it unless you go out of your way. A lot of the hike you are in the forest and some of that forest isn’t in the best of health.
There are a few gravel roads you have to walk down as part of this stretch. Without my Gaia I likely would have been a little confused about which path to take.
Someone along the trail has done some recent brushing which made it much nicer. There were some views as you cross the talus slopes.