Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Section J - Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, Icicle Creek, Chain and Doelle Lakes, Frosty Pass, Icicle Ridge & Icicle Divide: Stevens Pass to Fourth of July — Thursday, Sep. 20, 2018

A friend and I wanted to hike the 44-mile Icicle Divide route from Stevens Pass to Leavenworth described by Mike Woodmansee in his 2003 book, “Trekking Washington”. This route heads south from Stevens Pass on the PCT, connects at Lake Josephine to the Icicle Creek Trail, the Chain Lakes Trail, and finally the Icicle Ridge Trail #1570.

In order to do this as a thru-hike, we dropped our car at the Icicle Ridge Trailhead in Leavenworth, and got a ride from Leavenworth Shuttle (www.leavenworthshuttle.com) up to Stevens Pass.

We did this hike in 3 days:

• Day 1: Stevens Pass to Chain Lakes, 10 miles
• Day 2: Chain Lakes to Lake Augusta, 17 miles
• Day 3: Lake Augusta to Leavenworth, 17 miles

In retrospect, days 2 and 3 were too ambitious. On day 2, the trail dropped into two valleys right before Lake Augusta, and the climbs out of those valleys were very tiring. On the second climb, the trail climbed a steep 1200’ wall in 0.9 miles: a 23% grade. On day 3, it was the downs, not the ups, that got us: we descended 3000’ in the morning, then another 6200’ in the afternoon/evening down Icicle Ridge to the Icicle Ridge Trailhead in Leavenworth, for a knee-grinding total of 9200’ of descent in one day.

The most concerning part of this hike was the Cabin Creek valley, where the trail is not maintained. As other reports have noted, a series of cairns is crucial for following the thin trail down the valley’s north side to reach the rather gloomy campsite at the valley floor.

At Cabin Creek, Woodmansee's book references a footbridge which we did not find, but the water level at this time of year is very low, so it was easy enough to cross.

After crossing Cabin Creek, we would not have picked up the trail again on the south side if it hadn’t been for Mike Woodmansee’s instructions: “To find the trail upward, walk downstream (left) along the margin of marsh and forest until the trail reappears after about 50 yards.” We followed these instructions along the marsh’s edge to an opening in the trees, marked with an old piece of orange tape hanging from a branch.

We thought it would be easy to follow the trail from that point and head up the south side of the valley, but we were wrong. The open, burned/dead southern side of the valley has buried the trail beneath an ocean of downed trees and thick bushes. It was simply impossible to follow the trail for very long. We slogged up the slope, and only by sheer luck did we happen upon a small ledge which proved to be a remnant of the trail. By following this very closely southeast, we were able to make our way slowly along the slope. We often lost the trail, but determined searching, some cairns, and more luck helped us pick it up again. Once we made it back into mature forest, the trail was still thin, but much easier to follow.

In short, I would not recommend the Cabin Creek portion of the Icicle Ridge Trail to anyone who is expecting to hike along a trail. I’ve posted our recorded track in the linked Gaia folder so others can see our route; the recorded track will only be helpful after the initial scramble, where the track begins a steady southeast course.

Also note that, after Cabin Creek, we came across no water for the rest of the hike, or about 13 miles.

These challenges aside, the hike itself is spectacular. Aside from the zones close to the trailheads, we met only a single pair of other hikers. All the lakes we passed — Chain Lakes, Doelle Lakes, Upper Florence Lake, Lake Edna, Lake Augusta — were beautiful. We met a bold fox at our campsite at Chain Lakes, so bold we had to chase it off. We had great views, especially from Frosty Pass to Cape Horn, where we could see Glacier Peak to the north and Mt. Rainier to the south. We also had great open while descending Icicle Ridge. And right now the huckleberry bushes are turning bright red, producing some gorgeous fall color.

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://www.gaiagps.com/public/YQ4VdTTJ103gMChYSZ8gu4Js