Initially I had planned on completing a clockwise loop over the course of three days and two nights, which I would definitely recommend (at the very least) to enjoy this vast and majestic pocket of the North Cascades.
Started hiking at 6:30am. The trail leading up to Mackinaw Shelter climbs gently and provides ample shade. As mentioned in recent trip reports, there is no water between Mackinaw and the PCT junction.After passing the shelter, the trail becomes much more steep and exposed. Get ready for three miles of thigh-burning, full sun action. At the PCT junction, continue right. You'll encounter a handful of streams (maybe two or three) that will serve will for a water resupply.
When you reach the pass, you'll see a sign that indicates to drop down to the right to where the established campsites are. Remember not to camp directly at the pass. The hike down to the campsites is steep but short. From what I observed, there are about eight or so established campsites to choose from. I set up camp at a little site tucked away in a corner for the night.
Because I set up camp so early (around noon), I decided to do a day hike over to the Red Pass/Glacier Peak Meadows area. This adds about another three miles to your trip, but it's definitely worth it. I was able to check out the White Chuck Cinder Cone, and I got the best views of Glacier Peak of my whole trip. I'd like to note that there is no water between the PCT junction and the Glacier Meadows area near the White Chuck Cinder Cone.
Watched the sunset from my campsite and went to bed early.
The next day, I started hiking southbound on the PCT around 7am. Trail rolls gently through Indian Pass and on to Dishpan Gap, which is where you'll want to turn right onto the Bald Eagle Trail. I decided to take the high route to Blue Lakes; it's pretty exposed and climbs steeply, but the views are spectacular. Mount Tahoma makes a grand appearance here. After cresting the ridge, drop down to Upper Blue Lake to snag a campsite, of which there seem to be plenty (though not all are created equal).
After setting up camp around noon, I jumped into the lake (it's chilly!) and sunbathed for a bit. I had planned on staying my second night at Blue Lakes, but as more and more people came pouring in, I became antsy and abruptly decided to pack up and hike out around 3:30pm. Not the brightest idea, in hindsight, but it is what it is.
Pilot Ridge is lovely, offering expansive views of the surrounding peaks. Note that there is no water along this section of the hike until right before the trail switchbacks down to the Sauk. The drop from the ridge is quite steep, and I'm very glad that I chose to do the loop clockwise. Unfortunately, because of my hasty decision to leave, I had to hike out in the dark. The Sauk crossing is straightforward enough (and there appeared to be several crossing options to choose from), and I'm sure it would have been much more obvious during daylight hours. As I approached the river, a couple camped on the left side of the trail directed me to walk through their campsite to find a large downed tree to cross on. After crossing, I was plopped directly in the middle of another campsite (apologies to the folks who were camped there for stomping around in the dark). I emerged at the juncture where the loop began and hiked the last two miles back to the parking lot, arriving there around 9pm.
Again, I would recommend at least three days/two nights to fully enjoy this loop.
Side note: I encountered maybe two dozen other folks during the entirety of my trip. Of these two dozen, I only saw two people of color other than myself (and I believe they were both PCT thru-hikers), which is a far cry from the demographics typically observed on trails closer to Seattle (on the I-90 corridor, for instance). Hopefully, Washington's more remote and far flung trails will also soon reflect the ever-increasing diversity of our lovely state. Now, more than ever, there is a necessity to include all voices from all backgrounds in our advocacy for the protection of our public lands.
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