Cutthroat Pass via the Pacific Crest Trail — Sunday, Sep. 15, 2024

This is one of our favorite hikes in the area, and current conditions could not be much better!  We did the hike as a 10-mile out-and-back to the pass, with 2,000 feet of elevation gain on this very gently graded trail. Parking even on a weekend is now a breeze, and the trail continues to be in great shape throughout with easy creek crossings. Many through-hikers marching their way to the border who are now only days away from completing their epic journeys.  Huckleberries are near the end of their season, but still delicious over the last 2 miles to Cutthroat Pass. After the recent rains, mushrooms are popping up all over, including Amanita of all colors, hedgehogs, Slippery Jack's and many other boletes, giant sawgills, and more than a dozen others we couldn't identify.   The larches at the pass are still green but just starting to turn - peak gold will likely happen in late September and/or early October.  Time to enjoy this gem!