This report is for Section J, with a few side trips, 74 miles in 5 days, then another 25 in 2 days due to a storm interruption. We were hiking southbound from Stevens pass got to Park Lakes where, due to thunder and lightning, we exited via Mineral Creek Trail. We came back the following weekend and finished! Overall, the PCT trail is in amazing shape, only two tree falls to climb under, all water crossings were reasonable with a couple manageable fords. If we did it again we would 100% do the same direction. Bugs varied but were generally pretty bad. A few water sources were dry or stagnant. Lots of backpackers out there, views are absolutely incredible and we had a blast! There is a link below with our route and more pics including water crossings and campsites. I may post a short video when I get time.
Day 1: Stevens Pass to Trap Lake + Lake Josephine Detour: Annual archery competition going on so the resort parking was super busy. There are a couple reserved PCT hiker spot near the TH, they were all full but we easily found other spots further away. Very funky start walking through the ski lifts and watching the mountain bikers. We had the first crawl under blow down in the first mile, but after that the trail was great. We did lunch as Susan Jane Lake, which had a few campsites, then went down to Josephine which has a toilet box sign (didn't verify) and a bunch of campsites). Josephine was pretty but I liked it better from above and wouldn't say it is worth it to go down. We checked out Mig (toilet box sign but didn't verify) and Hope Lake but both were buggy, views weren't impressive, and a bit swampy so we continued to Trap, which was stunning! It was relatively busy but we found a great spot. There was a toilet box here in good shape with a view and just a bit of a tilt. Bugs were out but not too bad and we had a decent breeze.
Day 2: Trap Lake to Deception Lakes + Surprise Mountain & Spark Plug: Climbing above Trap with the fog rising around us was magical! It was still very foggy at the top so we decided to go down to Surprise Lake for better views instead of the PCT. The approach wasn't bad until we got right by the lake. There was some mud/water to cross and some trees down that were a bit of a hurdle, but not too bad. We saw one box toilet at the start of the lake. There were lots of campsites and the views were great. Surprise Mountain could be seen above and looked quite intimidating. Getting to Glacier Lake was a little confusing. The sign seemed to indicate that it was the toilet trail but it was definitely the actual trail. The climb is up through the woods and meets back up with the PCT again with a small trail going down to Glacier (not well marked). The lake trail is steep and rough, so we were glad we left our packs at the top. Views were underwhelming compared to Surprise but it was quiet.
As we continued up towards the Surprise Gap/Piper Pass split the views started to really open up and it was quite nice. At the split Surprise Gap was labeled as an abandoned trail, which gave us pause. It looks like it should connect to Deception Lakes but we didn't feel like risking it and Piper is nice too, so we cached most of our stuff and headed up Surprise Gap. The trail was great, a touch rocky in some areas, but decent grade and well maintained! Just as you reach the Surprise Mountain turn-off you can see Cathedral Rock appear through the pass and it is quite striking! The trail seems to continue but we didn't check it out.
The Surprise Mountain trail was also in great shape, just a little overgrown in a couple places. Lots of wildflowers, nothing sketchy until the very top and there there is an option for a safe inside trail with less views or one along the cliff edge. Regardless of which you pick you will get the views at the viewpoint (old fire lookout site with a pole and some cable still there). There is another "trail" up here from the Piper Pass side but we spoke to someone who came that way and they said it was sketchy and more of a rough boot path. Views up here are incredible and puts this up there as one of my favorite peaks! Bugs were pretty pad.
Back down and with our gear recovered we headed up Piper Pass. This trail was lovely with nice long switchbacks to even out the climb, intermittent shade, and great views. Bugs were still a pain and the only water source was a very stagnant tarn. There is a lovely lunch rock just shy of the top of the pass.
At the top we opted to try Spark Plug Peak. We heard it was a bit of a mess and that was 100% accurate. At times the trail is super clear and easy and then it disappears completely for a bit before coming back again. We lost it a few times on both the way out and back but we made it most of the way until it got a touch too scrambly for our liking. Views were nice but no where near as good as Surprise so if I had a do over I wouldn't bother.
Back on Piper Pass the views just kept coming and later afternoon light on the glaciated peaks was beautiful. The trail had a pretty good drop on one side, but stayed nice and wide. We could see lots of familiar places like Marmot Lake and Fisher Lake. It was a really enjoyable walk. We couldn't see the Deception Lakes until we were right at them.
At Deception Lakes there is an unmarked toilet box near the a junction. There are some flags on the trail to it but they are hard to see coming from the south side. The box was in good shape and private, but the lid didn't stay open >_<. We found a couple large campsites on the upper trail and some smaller ones down by the lake. Some are sloped and others are decent. We didn't see any on Daisy Lake. We picked one out on the peninsula (rock hopping acroess small stream to get there. You can see some glaciers from the stream and the first campsite. The water was pretty nice but the bugs were merciless.
Day 3: Deception Lakes to Deep Lake + Lake Vicente attempt: Getting up to Deception Pass was quite mild and the pass is nothing special, not really any views. The walk up was mostly forested and had lots of water along it.
Cathedral Pass was much less heavily tree covered but still had a decent amount of cover with some nice views interspersed. The first major water crossing had a bunch of strategically placed large branches across the deep spot making a rough bridge, which we both used. The next one that was the potentially hazardous ford had a large log that was a little wet, but had enough knobs and rocks that I could touch with my poles that I felt comfortable, but my friend played it safe and forded instead and the water came almost to their knees. We both crossed right at the top but the trail will take you down further to another option if you are not comfortable.
After those there are a couple more crossings shown on the map but they no long er exist. Unfortunately, we had researched the fords more than the water sources here so we were counting on at least one more and ended up making a side trip up a dry river bed where we could see/hear a waterfall above to filter water. It was about a 1/4 mile detour to find a place where it surfaced and someone had placed some rock stacks along the way. There was a campsite by the trail with a lovely view if you are willing to travel for water.
Approaching Cathedral Pass the views get very nice, so many colors and glaciers! It was still buggy, even at the top. We had a wonderful friend meet us here and bring us lunch!
Dropping down to Deep Lake, the trail goes in and out of the trees. The trail was mild but felt brutally hot. We were the first to arrive at the lake and found a very nice spot toward the end with a nice rock with a view. This lake has a toilet box but the marking is a bit confusing and it was in rough shape, practically full. There are plenty of cat hole spots in theory, but I had quite a fight trying to actually dig one. The dirt really really wanted to be one solid mass in the areas I tried, but I eventually won. We refreshed in the lake a bit, then set out for another adventure.
Vicente Lake is only a couple of miles and we decided to give it a try without the packs. So so glad we didn't try to camp up there! The split was surprisingly well marked but the trail is very difficult to follow due to the steams that carve their own paths through it and the aggressive brush. I don't know how people wold manage this one without a track. The trail passes through one camp early on. We saw a decent amount of bear scat and lots of berries. There were a few holes hiding in the trail, one big enough for both feet, which could be very dangerous, so watch out. We got to the final slope and about halfway up before getting to some terrain that was just a bit too mobile and exposed for our liking. There were both large and small moving rocks with nothing super solid to hang onto. We were pretty far out and still had a long way to go so we called it. We found another way down a bit more to the side where there were more trees to stop a slide, then went back the way we came.
Back at Deep Lake things had gotten busy. There were lots of backpackers, including a group of a dozen or so. There were kids hooting across the lake and it felt a bit like a party. We were very glad for our semi-isolated spot and ear plugs.
Day 4: Deep Lake to Escondido Ridge:
Morning at Deep Lake was beautiful and we had some adorable tiny diving ducks for breakfast entertainment. The trail from Deep Lake to Waptus River goes along a canyon for a bit before turning into a mostly shaded walk with mountains saying hi every now and then. There are great bridges at both water crossings and the second has easy water access as well as a nice view. Fill up here because this is the last good source for some time. The long climb up to Escondido Ridge was pretty well shaded over halfway and it was hot so we were very grateful. Toward the top the views open up and are spectacular. The mountains on the sweeping mountains, like Bears Breast on the Waptus side reminded me of the Sierras. We found a couple magical trickles and pools along the way, that were lovely for dunking a hat or buff to cool off.
There is no water at the Escondido camp but there is a little further up at a tarn that is a bit stagnant but still had a trickle of water running into it where the trail crosses. Camping here and along most of the ridge is prohibited. The walk along the ridge was one of the highlights of our trip and the south end was probably our favorite view. There are two more tarns that provide pretty easy water sources but both are off trail and not obvious so keep an eye on your map if you need them. Towards the south end camping restrictions lift and there are a few spots. Some have limited trees so if you are hanging your food this may be difficult. Once you pass the last tarn on the ridge again you have a pretty exposed hot trail with very little water until you reach Lemah Meadows area.
Day 5: Escondido Ridge to Park Lakes then out Mineral Creek Trail:
The trail down from the ridge is a little narrow in some ares but it mostly nice hard packed dirt tread, the scenery just makes it easy to be distracted. The trail is pretty much bare of trees until about halfway, but one of the few did manage to fall across the trail making our second crawl under tree fall. I managed to climb over instead of under but the ground on the far side was not very solid near the edge so I don't recommend that.
Down by Lemah Meadows the trees close in and you walk through a lovely mossy forest with several stream crossings. We took the Lemah Meadows trail towards Pete Lake Trail instead of the official PCT route to do the Lemah Creek ford there since last time was a slightly easier/safer crossing (I have done both before: https://youtu.be/WnDo_B-kNGc). The water there seemed just as high, strong, and icy cold as early July last year, but this time there were some rocks on the far side so there might be a way to cross without getting wet if you hunt out the logs. This is a good place to top off your water because there isn't much reliable water between here and the waterfall below Spectacle Lake and it is a hot climb.
On the climb up to Spectacle Lake and the ridge above it the views are great and we did find a few little streams still running. It is all old burn area and in some places the fireweed was taller than us! If you aren't going to Spectacle Lake the waterfall is another good water option because there was nothing else except a murky tarn until Park Lakes. Above Spectacle Lake there is a bit of relief from the sun for a little bit before you pop out on the ridge and get some more incredible views looking down at Spectacle and the surrounding mountains (photo 1).
The walk down to Park Lakes goes back in the trees again with little glimpses of Little Park. The swirls of blue are pretty unique, any idea what they are? We were the first to arrive and claimed a campsite before hiking over to investigate Big Park Lake. There are several nice campsites at each, no toilet boxes, easy water access, although there is some swampiness around Little Park. Getting to Big Park was a bit of a hike with a few rough areas.
Right around when we got back to camp we noticed some dark clouds and the wind started to whip up. We knew there was a slight chance of thunder and lightning later that evening so we hurried up securing everything for the storm. Thunder echoed in the basin and we stowed our gear in the tent and each found a spot to wait it out. We each saw several bolts of lightning somewhere over the ridge in front of us and the thunder was super loud, really scary. About an hour later it finally subsided and we got an updated weather forecast, which called for more the next day on the ridge that we would be on, so we decided to play it safe and hike out Mineral Creek (trip report here). The next day the elevated it to a severe thunderstorm and red flag warning for the area so while it was crushing that we were so close we made the right decision and we came back to finish a week later.
Day 5.5 (Sat 8/9): Returned via Mineral Creek Trail to Little Park Lake + Chikamin Ridge & Glacier Lake:
What a difference! The Mineral Creek Trail was very busy and I'm pretty sure every site was full by night time, as we saw several people hunting for a spot and camping on the vegetation in odd spots. We claimed a decent spot at Little Park around 4, setup, and headed up to Chikamin Ridge.
We hoped to get to Glacier Lake but the reports were mixed so we weren't sure it would be doable for us or not. The Chikamin Ridge is a worthy destination of its own. It overlook Spectacle Lake, but from a different angle than the ridge between Spectacle and Park and is only just off the main PCT. There are not actual campsites up there and the only water is what is left of a couple of tarns (didn't look too bad that day but we had rain recently).
After we finished exploring we went to investigate the "400 ft cliff" trail down to Glacier Lake. We found it and it really wasn't bad. Most of the terrain was pretty solid, there was a little route finding and some pick your own adventure areas, but only a couple moving rocks and one both hands required scrambling boulder to navigate. I highly recommend tracking your route via GPS app because the way back up is harder to see. Once at the bottom of the "cliff" the trail is pretty mild, it gets brushy in some areas and muddy in others. There is a small stream crossing and you pass several pretty tarns, before finally arriving at the lake. The lake was stunning and other than one guy camped up on a cliff above the lake we didn't see anyone else. I have a report with photos here.
Day 6: Little Park Lake to Snoqualmie Pass
The last push and the roughest terrain of the trip pretty much sums this area up. I feel like this would be a brutal place to start and we loved the view of Rainier slowly sliding into view as we hiked southbound. We got a 6:30 start but the initial climb was already in the sun, however, as soon as we crossed over the ridge we had lovely shade for a good portion of the rest of the climbing and the big horseshoe until just before Lake Joe. Ridge and Gravel Lakes, by Kendall Katwalk is the only reliable water source and there is very little shade between the two. Views were spectacular and it was a very cool loop around the valley, but the trail is often rocky with a drop. It isn't super narrow, but it makes the Katwalk look tame, so know your comfort zone.
Above Alaska Lake there is a bunch of rebar sticking out of the ledge...perhaps this area was also blasted, like Kendall? The views of Alaska Lake are just past Ridge and Gravel so I don't know why this isn't included as a viewpoint on those hikes, seems like it would be well worth the effort. We encountered one more tree that was across the trail, but it was just a duck under and very easy to pass.
Ridge Lake was hopping but we found Gravel Lake to be completely empty. Neither was particularly scenic in my opinion. Gravel is definitely much more work to get to, but it made for a nice place to restock out water and soak out feet. For the rest of the way the trail stayed moderately busy and there were a ton of trail runners (surprising with the rough terrain but a great destination). We found a couple streams running towards the bottom, but pretty easy to cross.
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