Peggy's Pond, Cathedral Rock — Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022

Peggy's Pond has been on my list for a while.  Because it makes for a long day hike with long arrival and return commutes I had it penciled in as a good spot for backpacking but decided (wisely as it turns out) to check out the area first.  With moderate temps and good reports for the road through Scatter Creek off we went arriving at 9:30 to mostly full parking areas - it's pretty much all backpackers here.  Luckily for us some late day departures from the evening prior had opened some closer in road side spots so we didn't have to hike very far to access the trail head.  As we geared up forest rangers arrived to restock the out house and ticket all the vehicles without passes, or with the wrong kind of pass.  It's not state land folks those Discovery Passes don't work here.

The climb to Squaw Lake (respects to nAIs) was shaded and a fairly gradual, but constant climb with some rocky sections.  Watercourses are all dry in this section and beyond so water can now only be sourced from the lake and trail side ponds.  Bugs were minimal but a yellow jacket took offense and stung my partner on the ankle - we did not notice a nest or anything but a reminder that until that magic first frost we are not out of the buggy woods.  An hour later we arrive at S-Lake, it's a pretty spot but as we had miles to go so we pushed on.  The trail then alternates in and out the sun as you climb higher through the meadow section toward Cathedral Rock now looming in the not far distance.  Flowers are pretty much done but this still one of the nicest sections of the trail.   Temps increased and I started to flag finally breaking for a snack at a point that turned out to be only 100 yards shy of the PCT junction, 4 miles, 2 hours and two thousand feet+ from the trail head.

Once at the junction and onto the PCT you switch gears and it's almost like you're on a different hike.  There is still a short climb to the pass itself but there's so much to look at, open meadows with distant mountains and jaw stopping views as you crest the pass to find Deep Lake sitting thousands of feet below your now tired feet.  The waterfall crashing its way down the mountain side from invisible Circle Lake on the flank of Mount Daniel can simply not be captured. 

Dropping down from the pass we found the side trail to Peggy's Pond (marked with a ominous hikers only warning).  This traverse trail was a huge challenge for me it was only because I really, really wanted to get to the pond that it quelled the feeling that I really did not think I could do this part.  The trail is rocky, narrow with some steep inclines/declines and very exposed.  Knowing that backpackers regularly pass this section without falling off the mountain helped a bit.  We took it slowly with poles and caution.  There are two sections where class two scrambling is required, both are rocky outcroppings with slanted rocks not super high (maybe 8 feetish)  but enough that on the way out I had to ditch my pack to make the grade on one, and ditched my poles to use a large exposed root as a belay on the other (pictured).  My partner was not as phased and on our exit we followed two backpackers who soon disappeared down this section of trail so it's probably more mental than anything.

On our way in toward the pond-end of the traverse there is an obvious branch in the trail where the lower section soon enters into the safety of the trees so "done" with scary stuff we followed this route.  I had the Caltopo maps of the pond basin in detail so knew more or less that we could still gain access this way.  We passed the remnants of the cabin (mentioned in the trip description) and then always taking the most obvious trail worked our way past a lovely "hidden" tarn topping out on a grade above Peggy's Pond.  From this small ridge it was easy to see how to connect to one of the many trails that headed to the pond and we were soon passing tents and then down to the lake side for a very late lunch.  So many backpackers, some of the pot smoking type - yuck.  We did not stay long at the pond as it was a long return trip.  We followed two backpackers and exited the pond basin closer to Cathedral Peak which was the main trail and soon dropped steeply down on very soft dusty tread to rejoin the narrow traverse at the Y we had avoided coming in.

At the end of the traverse safely back on the PCT I sat to take a moment to compose myself.  This less than one mile of trail in and out had taken everything I had.  There I watched an older PCT hiker come past headed to the pass.  Moving slowly and calmly making his way on his own adventure at his own pace, and somehow that reset everything.  Now all that was left to do was cover the long miles back to the car which we did arriving two and a half hours later.

The road is in great shape just some minimal wash-boarding toward the beginning, helpful pie plate mileage markers keep track of the distance and it's plenty wide enough that meeting another vehicle is no issue.  Scatter Creek itself was an easy drive through (we have a Toyota Highlander), so much better than last year's line it up and hope for the best, and the parking was full of lots of smaller SUVs and some sedans.  The drive out was very dusty.