Did a three day/2 night backpacking trip on WP PR loop. This hike starts with a gradual climb that transforms into 3000 foot climb over 3.5 miles. The trail is well maintained and well traveled. I was originally told there would be no water. But the only really dry place is from Blue Lake down Pilot Ridge back to Sauk River. 

Morning were foggy. If you're an early riser, like me, you'll encounter some awesome animal encounters. This kept me entertained since I didn't actually see Glacier Peak until my third day due to fog and just not being at right angle. 

The stroll down the PCT was like visiting my grown children. It felt like home. I didn't bag any peaks (at least not on purpose) like many adventurers do. But I did do an extra leg south of Dish Pan Gap (turn off to Blue Lake). I went about 4 miles south of Sally Ann Lake. I'd recommend going 2-3. Stop as you start to switch back down to Cady Pass. That part isn't very interesting. If you want more breathtaking views without the climbs, definitely add in extra PCT. Not to mention, chatting with thru hikers is always a treat.

My third day was a challenging, kind of frightening 15-hour day. I got totally lost and the trail I was trying to find my way back on were not actually on the Green Trails map. I had planned to NOT recommend Blue Lake and the Pilot Ridge portion, but once I eventually found my way back, I had to admit it was quite stunning as well. 

Because I ended up back at Sauk River at 7:30pm, the waters were high. The log crossing looked too daunting so I forded. I don't recommend that. Sit on that log. Shimmy across. And take those splinters. Or better yet, there is a single camp site next to the river. Sleep there and wait for lower waters in the morning.

I've edited a video of the whole adventure, along with tips on how not to get lost. Hope you enjoy! Happy Trails.... Scratch

*we did not take the standard route from White Pass to Pilot Ridge, we went up the Curry Gap / Bald Eagle trail to avoid crowds. 

Day 1: NF Sauk TH to Curry Camp; easy hike in, lot of bugs, blowdowns, snow at Curry Gap; one campsite not covered in snow.

Day 2: to Little Blue Lake; clear up to the ridge, then snow on the N side of Bald Eagle, and lots of snow on the ridge to June Mtn, passable w ice axes & yaktrax. From June down to Blue Lakes was mostly snow, but easier travel. Incredible views of Monte Cristo, Sloan, Daniel and Hinman; even a peak at Rainier.

Day 3: to Pilot Ridge; easy hike, spent most of the day at the Johnson Mtn Lookout; there's enough snowmelt at the junction to Pilot Ridge to filter water, which we then carried up to camp on Pilot Ridge. We counted 4 bivy worthy camp spots, and one stellar spot on the ridge. The Johnson lookout is fantastic with amazing views of the central cascades and even Baker & Rainier. Too bad it's covered in glass and rusty parts from the old structure.

Day 4: hiked out to NF Sauk TH; more snow, bugs, and blowdowns but easy travel.

Overall great trip, saw only 6 people on a holiday weekend. Amazing views of Glacier, Monte Cristo, Sloan, Daniel, Hinman, even Baker and Rainier. 

I drove out to the North Fork Sauk River TH and hiked up to White Pass for an overnighter.  The trail is melted out all the way to White Pass, with only a few minor snowfields to cross at some of the creeks and avalanche chutes above 5800'.  Some of the snow crossings require a bit of off-trail scrambling to get across; precarious if you are wearing a full pack.  I kicked new, deep footholds in some of the crossings, but the rapid melt may have already erased them.  There are several new blowdowns along the trail and up the switchbacks.  All can be avoided without too much difficulty, and I suspect they may be one of the targets of the work parties planned for this area in August.

White Pass is gorgeous as usual, and probably 75-80% snow free.  Glacier lilies and marigolds abound.  About half of the proper campsites below the ridge are melted out.  The old ridge camps are melted, but there is no camping allowed on the ridge.  Please use these sites only for short breaks.  I only saw two people at the pass, but the crowds will be on their way as the snow continues to melt.  The sun shone warmly all day but as night fell the clouds rolled in.  I bivvyed in a clump of hemlocks below the ridge and enjoyed a typical White Pass night: driving wind and pouring rain with thick clouds and visibility down to around 10 feet.  Glacier Peak generates its own local weather, and it seems to be a somewhat bi-polar mountain, so be prepared for sudden 'mood' swings.

The next morning I packed up my damp camp and headed south on the PCT to scout the area's snow situation.  There is still a lot of white stuff to cross heading toward Dishpan Gap.  For a few miles the snowfields are not too steep and the PCT is about 50% melted, but after rounding Kodak Mt. I ran into snow that was way too steep to cross without an ice axe.  For those thinking about doing the White Pass/Pilot Ridge Loop, it's going to be at least another few weeks.  If you want to go right now, you will need to go full mountaineer with proper skills and equipment.

I turned around and hiked back to the ol' gas wagon, passing several parties heading in to climb Glacier for the 4th of July.  Ripe salmonberries and lots of flowers on the lower trail including bunchberry, salmonberry, columbine, starflowers, shooting stars, saprophytic orchids, fairybells, fawn lilles, and Queen's cup.

"Just then grandfather came out.  He was upset because Peter had gone into the meadow.  "It's a dangerous place!  If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?"  But Peter paid no attention to his grandfather's words.  Boys like him are not afraid of wolves."

-Sergei Prokofiev, "Peter and the Wolf" 1936

I did this as a 3-day counter-clockwise so I could frontload the toughest parts of each day. Prior trip reports have already covered a lot of this ground, but I'll highlight here what I found most helpful.

TH to Blue Lake: The log crossing over the North Fork Sauk was not a problem. The log is quite wide and sturdy, and it's also not too high above the river. I'm including a photo for reference. The river also looked pretty shallow and mellow right now. The tight switchbacks weren't as bad as I thought they would be, which was probably helped by the fact I did them on fresh legs and before it got too hot. There is a good running water source about halfway up the switchbacks. I don't recall seeing any others until the lake, with the exception of a couple snow patches at the base of Johnson Mountain. Unfortunately there is still elevation to be gained after exiting the switchbacks, and I spent a hot afternoon slogging my way to the lake. The lake itself is gorgeous. A number of campsites dot the shore and ridges above. As mentioned in a previous trip report, the toilet is nearly full.

Blue Lake to White Pass: I had originally planned to take the long way around, but after talking with folks at the lake and looking at the high route from below, I decided to take that. It wasn't an issue on fresh legs, although I may have felt differently if I had used it to come down to the lake since it was very steep slippery from loose dirt/scree in some places. I think there is a small running water source along the trail 2-3 miles south of White Pass - I heard water and there was another hiker stopped there. White Pass has two toilets, both of which are in good shape, although one seems to be in view of a campsite. 

White Pass to TH: Nothing really to report for this leg - there are a lot of water sources throughout and the trail is in good condition, especially once you hit Mackinaw Shelter. 

Other notes: Flowers are pretty much done, although there were a few small blooming patches near White Pass on the PCT and Foam Creek trail. Fall colors are starting and ripe berries are everywhere. Taking a day hike to Red Pass is well worth it - amazing views!  

IMPORTANT: there is no water from the first river crossing to Blue lake (about 10 miles) so bring more water than you normally would. 

We hiked counter clockwise (although I would not recommend this) because of time constraints. The initial log crossing wasn't bad, although can be unnerving. The ascent was ROUGH. Took us about 3 hours to get to Pilot Ridge. Once there you get great views, but be warned, pilot ridge has a lot of elevation loss and gain, it's no walk in the park. We didn't have time to do Johnson Peak because it was getting dark and we needed to get to blue lake, but we heard it's great, so if you have time check it out! We camped at Blue Lake which was fantastic. Nearly no bugs, all the camp spots were great. We took a plunge in Blue lake the next morning before heading out. We took the high pass which wasn't bad, then started the easy part of the trail. From here to White pass the trail is pretty mild. Great mountain views and lots of beautiful plants. Almost got bitten by a marmot so watch out for those on the PCT section! 

We got to White pass where we were planning on taking a break and refilling water, but it's a pretty big trek down to the camp spot, so we decided not to. White pass has nice views, but the campsite is pretty disappointing. The water source is pretty gnarly and it's just crowded. Glad we weren't camping there. We started our trek down the mountain, where there were plenty of small streams to fill up our water bottles. We were exhausted and wanted to take a quick sit down but there was literally NO WHERE to do that, as the trail is super thin and on the side of a cliff. 

We got down the mountain no problem (the trail is in great shape) and set up camp next to red creek. Great water source and place to camp. After fueling up on some mountain house meals (which tasted like the best food of our lives after 15 miles) we passed out. 

Woke up at 5:30 the next morning and walked out the last ~4 miles. Easy trail, nothing to report here. Made it back to our car by 7:45. 

Be warned: heard multiple groups of hikers saying this trail breaks character. Be prepared for a tough trip. Don't attempt if you don't feel VERY confident with your hiking abilities. 

Also, maps are a must here. I know you should always have them but there are a lot of wrong turns you could make on this trail. I saw many people turned around asking where they were. We used Gaia and had no problems (and had a paper map as a back up).

Totals:

trailhead to Blue lake: ~12 miles, ~5k vert

Blue lake to red creek: ~15 miles, ~3k vert 

Red creek to trailhead: ~4 miles, nearly flat