Notes; 12 person (8 boys, 4 adults) Boy Scout troop out of Issaquah. GPS & gaiters highly advised as there are long sections of the PCT Tr 2000 are under snow, most north slope/shadowed areas have snow, in some areas the snow was 10'+ ft deep. Plan on snow at elevations above 5000'. Lots of downed trees to scramble under/over from Stevens to almost Waptus Lk. Unless noted, PCT Tr 2000 is what is being reported Day 1; Started at Stevens pass on 7 Aug, trail through far side of ski resort good, (down trees in resort) , lost trail in snow just beyond power lines, found trail intermittently on traverse to Lk Susan Jane, on climb up to junction with Tr 1551 more patches snow. Spent night at Josephine Lk, mosquitoes bad, toilet needs maintenance (still usable), lake water temp cool Day 2; Josephine Lk to Glacier Lk, left Josephine @ 0845, and back on PCT at 0930, was in snow with in 200yds, using GPS, found very short (1 - 100 yds) sections of trail exposed. At pass above Swimming Deer Lk caught up with British ROTC group that was turning back due to trail conditions and inadequate equipment. Snow on trail until Mig Lk. Trail stayed clear except a few spots above Trap Lk, those spots were really bad as they were in avalanche chutes that were hundreds of feet down and stopped in boulder fields. Arrived at 1800hrs, all were really tired, Glacier Lk still had ice floating in it, tent locations were small/scarce due to snow on all flat areas. Mosquitoes bad, very damp location... No toilet Day 3; Glacier Lk to Hyas Lk (Bypassed Deception Pass to Cathedral Rock section due to resupply stop at Tucquala Meadows trailhead) Started on trail @ 0900, lots of snow once out of boulder fields and at base of Pieper pass climb, trail is spotty than just disappears part way up, had to scramble/bushwack for 2/3's of the way up due to steep snow. Once on Pieper pass summit and down to Hyas Lk just patches to cross. Arrived Hyas Lk at 1600hrs. Used camp sites in mid lake, Mosquitoes OK, toilet in good condition Day 4; Hyas Lk to resupply at Tucquala Meadows trailhead, than to Peggys Pond. Left Hyas at 0900, did resupply, started up Tr 1345 at 1100. Passed FS maintenance crew clearing downed trees part way up switch backs, they mentioned that most trails around Waptus Lk were cleared but the PCT into Snoqualmie still had lots of downed trees and snow crossings that needed ice axes and crampons. Did lunch at Squaw Lk, than continued on to Peggys Pond. The trail (Tr 1375) to Peggys Pond is really a mt goat trail... If you follow the well-used trail you will most likely miss where you should start a uphill route going directly to Peggys. If you missed the "Y" and continue you'll find yourself at a small pond. From the looks of the trail, most people think this is Peggys and turn around and head back, if you head uphill from this pond you will find Peggys Pond (really a sm lake), area was mostly covered in snow from lower pond to Peggys. Later in the night the wind really blew through and was clouded/cold/damp in the morning. Figured out that as soon as we got out from between Mt Daniel and Cathedral Rock the clouds cleared... Mosquitoes OK, south toilet has been disassembled(?), found where it had been (hole is filled in), a few boards now lean against nearby tree, north toilet usable Day 5; Peggys Pond to Waptus Lk. Once back on PCT it was a now normal hike with some downed trees to cross. Had a stream fording near Deep Lk that went well, thought the mosquitoes were going to carry off our smallest scout... really bad... Turned off the PCT at Tr 1310.1, had a pleasant night at the south end of Waptus Lk, few mosquitoes, some flies that bite, toilet in good condition. Day 6; Waptus Lk to Salmon La Sac via Tr 1329.1 to Tr 1310. Waptus river ford on Tr 1329.1 was above the knee deep. Hike into Salmon La Sac was uneventful... 5 nights, 5 & 1/2 days, 54 +/- miles

During this wonderful loop hike of 14.5 miles, you encounter beautiful vistas, lakes, and the Pacific Crest Trail. However, July 29th start date was probably a little early in the season due to the fact that the trail requires you to ford Daniel Creek and cross a snow bridge. In addition, since I was hiking with my two teenage sons (which are experienced backpackers) along with my 8 year old son (who was on his 2nd overnight backpacking experience), this was quite a challenging 3 day/2 night hike. We also enjoyed some solitude on the trail since we did not encounter anyone during the entire middle section of our hike (probably due to the creek crossings). To get to Deception Pass trailhead you will need to travel on an unpaved road for 12.5 miles which takes approx. an hour if you don't have a 4WD vehicle. We started our hike at the Deception Pass trailhead late Friday. The meadow surrounding the parking lot was full with wildflowers. We hiked 2.5 easy, forested miles to Hyas Lake which is a beautiful green/blue lake (see picture). Sites are in close proximity to the trail so are not very private, but at least the sites are spread out along the edge of the lake so we did not hear any noise from other backpackers. Next day we hiked 9.5 miles from Hyas Lake to Squaw Lake. Due to the trail conditions, this was a challenging day. After leaving Hyas Lake you hit a series of switchbacks and make your way up to Deception Pass. Just past the junction to Tuck and Robin Lakes, you start to encounter your first snow. However, the trail is easy to follow. You then shortly ascend to Deception Pass where you meet up with the Pacific Crest Trail. This portion of the Pacific Crest Trail was the most beautiful and challenging section of our hike. You encounter at least 3 major creek crossings. The first creek crossing is not bad but you will need to get your boots wet. However, the weather was nice and our boots dried out quickly. The next crossing (Daniel Creek) was the most challenging as I went thigh deep (I am 6'4") in a swift current of water. My sons and I locked arms and forded the creek...what an adventure! I would have loved to have a video of our crossing. The last major "creek crossing" was actually an ice bridge that we were able to safely navigate over. Once you are able to cross these hazards, you start your ascent toward Cathedral Rock and climb to a ridge that opens up to gorgeous views of Mount Daniel and Cathedral Rocks. After crossing the ridge about a mile or so before the Deep Lake junction, the trail traverses through patches of snow and is approximately 60% snow covered. However, we had a GPS so we did not have too much problem following the trail. Once you reach 5600 feet elevation, and reach the Deep Lake junction, you begin your descent so snow on the trail is no longer an issue, but we did encounter some muddy sections of the trail. We did not reach Squaw Lake until around 7pm and found the camp sites pretty full. However, we found a somewhat private site nestled between the trail and the lake with a nice water source, flat area, and fire pit. The bugs were a little bit of a problem, but the campfire helped keep them away as we ate our meal. We awoke early and made the easy, downhill 2.5 miles back to the Cathedral trailhead. This was the more popular route as we met up with many other hikers heading to Mount Daniel. There were several fallen trees over the trail in this section, none that big of a problem. Overall, I would definitely do this trip again (probably not with a young child), but a little later in the season.

If you like hopping over blown-down trees, slogging through streams on the trail, navigating through snowfields, and beating off hoards of mosquitoes, then this hike is for you. Oh, and the 12 miles of extra-bumpy forest service road to the trailhead will challenge your vehicle’s shock absorbers and will remind you know that this is the backcountry. Ok, I’m whining - it wasn’t that bad and it sure beats a day at the office. There are numerous (lost count) trees (some quite large) crossing the trail, mostly on the steep slope below Squaw Lake. Snow patches begin at around 5000 ft near Squaw Lake and are still quite deep in shady sections. It was hard to find the trail at times just above Squaw Lake, so it is important to keep an eye out for previous footsteps in the snow or mud. Near Cathedral Rock, the trail disappears under larger snowfields for long stretches. The views from the ridge of Cathedral Rock, Mt Daniels, and Deep Lake 1000 ft below, as well as the sound of numerous streams cascading into Deep Lake are the rewards for the extra effort required today. Only a few clouds were skirting the top of Mt Daniels. The views of the Wenatchee Mountains to the east and Stuart Range in the distance toward the southeast were also impressive. Wanted to eat lunch at the ridge and soak in the scenery, but the mosquitoes decided we were lunch instead. An occasional breeze provided some respite, but the wind was not strong enough to keep them away for long. So, we cut lunch short and headed back down.

Our group did this as a Cathedral Rock/Deception Pass clockwise loop. We did not meet a soul on this 15 mile hike except for some horseback riders who went up the Hyas Lake Trail when we first arrived at the TH. Best part of this hike was Cathedral Rock and all the small tarns. Squaw Lake was lovely in the early moring sun too. We tried to go to Peggy's Pond, but turned back when the trail became too faint and sketchy. It was still worth the half mile diverson since we got a great view of Deep Lake below and Mt Daniels above. The 2 stream crossings were no problem this late in the season although 2 of us put our watershoes on for the first one anyways. The rocks were very slippery so we didn't feel comfortable skipping across them like the other member of our party. Trails in great condition, but we had to watch out for those "trail apples" on the Hyas Lake Trail because the horses were just recently there.