Flawless itinerary?! The closest thing I've ever seen, anyway. Highly recommended.
Parking was relatively easy when i arrived just before 7am on Friday morning. People were circling when I was leaving on Saturday afternoon around 2pm. It seemed like a significant amount of the traffic at the trailhead is related to Glacier Peak summit attempts, so maybe it's somewhat seasonal.
I'm going to try and keep this focused on info because I could spend a long time describing the beauty of this hike. I filtered two liters of water at the shelter (which is fallen over) because I wasn't sure when the next reasonable source of water would be. It turns out there are several near the junction with the PCT, I would only filter one liter if I could do it again.
I hiked out the Foam Creek Trail to the knoll, really beautiful and increasingly so the farther out you go. More water sources on this trail. I ate lunch on the knoll with a view of Tahoma. While eating lunch two military planes roared through the canyon. Not my cup of tea so I covered my ears and waited for it to end. If it is your cup of tea maybe something that happens regularly? Since the base on Whidbey is relatively close. As I continued south on the PCT after lunch I also enjoyed the added perspective hiking out the Foam Creek trail provided.
There was only one source of water I would choose to filter between White Pass and Blue Lake. It was a little spring fed creek between the White River trail and Indian Pass. I carried two liters from White Pass to Blue Lake which I finished as I descended the high route.
I found the high route trail to Blue Lake relatively easy to follow, when you get to the top make sure you look behind you for the first switchback down. I didn't see it at first and was confused for a few minutes. There were several parties camped at Blue Lake and it was still easy to find a good spot for my tent when I walked in around 6pm.
I left Blue Lake just after 7am the next morning. I hiked to the summit of Johnson Mountain. This was my favorite side trip of the route. It's the highest point I reached and I could visually trace most of what I had walked and what I would hike, really gratifying. Pilot ridge was extremely lovely in the morning, probably baking in the afternoon. No good water sources until you're well into the descent and at that point your knees will want you to wait until the valley floor to filter / treat more water. Two liters got me from Blue Lake to the North Fork of the Sauk River. I think you'd need more later in the day. The descent is the least maintained section of trail, relatively easy to navigate though.
Hopefully this helps someone!
Wildlife: black bear early on it ran as soon as it heard me, hares, hawks, so many marmots, at the other usual suspects.
Berries: ripe thimbles a low elevation, infinite huckleberries and blueberries higher up.
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