Hart's Pass to Rainy Pass, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Section L - Rainy Pass to Manning Park, Golden Horn - Snowy Lakes & Cutthroat Pass via the Pacific Crest Trail — Sunday, Sep. 28, 2025

Backpacked northbound from Rainy Pass (Cutthroat Pass Trailhead) to Hart’s Pass. Please note that the Rainy Pass (and nearby Maple Pass) parking lots are closed for repaving and have not yet reopened. Date is uncertain and may be prolonged due to the government shutdown. We parked along Highway 20. The PCT reroute is approximately a quarter mile north of the turnoff to the usual parking lot. 

From the Rainy Pass trailhead to Cutthroat Pass, you can see that the larches are starting to turn. It is still early in the season, and these will likely peak in two weeks. There are stunning views. We continued northbound and turned off the PCT to the Snowy Lakes trail. There is a clean toilet near lower Snowy Lake (follow the cairns), and we camped at upper Snowy Lake.

The following day we retraced our steps and continued northbound on the PCT. Most of this section consists of forest. The last reliable water source prior to Hart’s Pass is Brush Creek.

FYI — The road down from Hart’s Pass to Mazama is rocky, narrow, and winding — quite harrowing in a few sections. As usual in Washington there was a sedan at the trailhead, but a high clearance vehicle (and a spare tire) would be recommended. I would not attempt this drive if it was dark, stormy, or snowing.