Still too early for this one I’m afraid. Snow in the highest elevations, and one very ill advised stream crossing (other crossings required full foot immersion but were not as dangerous). Lots of trees down and muddy trail. Slow going. 

September 2018 two of us drove to the Tucquala Meadow Trailhead with the goal of backpacking to the Cathedral Rock area.  We checked in with the ranger's station in Cle Elum first and then drove the long road to the trailhead.  The road was paved to Salmon la Sac and then washboard and rutted to the trailhead.  It took us over 2 1/2 hours from Seattle to get to the trailhead ignoring the stop in Cle Elum.  

There were only a few cars in the parking lot and it was the last day of hunting season so we knew to be careful walking in and wore bright clothing.  Most hunters were coming out on horses.  

From the trailhead to Squaw Lake it is a good trail but the horses left deep marks and piles which can be walked around.  It is ~2.6 m to the lake.  We camped two nights at the lake at a great spot that had a pit toilet.  It was getting dark so we didn't try to continue on to Cathedral Rock.  The next day we hiked a short distance from Squaw Lake towards Cathedral Rock and noticed several nice campsites along the way but no pit toilet.  We should have continued on to get a campsite closer to the rock and with better views.  In short order our trail intersected with the PCT.  Our goal was to day hike to either Deep Lake or Peggy's Pond.  The trail reports for Peggy's Pond made it sound sketchy but when we saw the trailhead we decided to give Peggy's Pond a try.  About 1/4 m. down the trail it disappeared due to a rockfall.  You could see where hikers had dropped down below the trail and where they had traveled straight ahead and climbed down sections of rock.  We traveled straight ahead and climbed down short sections of rock faces.  The rest of the trail is cut into a steep slope and might not be good for anyone that doesn't like exposed trails but the trail was okay.  GAIA showed us a few ways to climb up to Peggy's Pond so we spend about an hour walking all over the area and ended up looking at Mt. Daniels from a beautiful meadow with several camping spots.  There were signs for a pit toilet and there were a few tents so people had carried backpacks over the exposed trail.  We looked for a trail that would have allowed us to circumnavigate Cathedral Rock but only found dead ends and deep water channels.  We returned to Squaw Lake before dark which was good because the campsites lose sunlight early.  The next day on our way out we looked for a trail to Squitch Lake but couldn't locate it. 

Did a 3 day loop hike of Cathedral Pass trail, PCT to Deception pass, down to Hyas Lake and back to Tuquala Meadow.  The weather was beautiful for the time of year, though evening temps were low.  Snow is beginning to fall around 7,000ft, but the trails were clear.  

The hike to Peggy's pond is not for the faint of heart or those who aren't sure footed. It was a scramble in parts, but worth it for the peaceful lake.  If the sites at Peggy's Pond are full, there's a smaller lake about 5 minutes to the west that has a few great spots at it.

All of the river crossings were easily passable, there are many dry streams along the way.  Lakes were the most reliable source of water along the trail. 

We did the 14 mile Cathedral Pass-Deception Pass-Hyas Lake loop as an easy 2 night family backpack Fri-Sun of Labor Day weekend.

Couple of notes about the road:

Scatter Creek crossing is absolutely no big deal right now. No water at all, and the road across seems to have been smoothed out with a grader into a moderate dip. In general the road is fine. Like any forest road it has potholes and just after Salmon La Sac there are some washboards. We did this no problem at all in our 2WD sedan.

All outhouses past Davis Peal trailhead along Forest Road 4330 are currently closed/boarded up, including all campgrounds and the trailhead. This is apparently because one of the bridges can’t support the weight of a service vehicle. So plan accordingly.

Day 1: Late start, we hiked the 2.5 miles/1500 feet up to Squaw Lake. Saw a few day hikers heading out, and a couple others heading to Peggy’s Pond. We camped at the lake totally alone on a lovely Friday night. Nice note: we saw a peregrine falcon at the lake and also a tiny salamander. No fish.

Day 2: Continued up to Cathedral Pass and then connected with the PCT northbound. In the last ¼ mile before the PCT junction there’s a little pond and assorted possible campsites, with views west across the valley. For the 1/2 mile after Cathedral Pass there are also a few campsites (but not much water right now if any) and a nice view spot where we took a break. Then the trail descends into the forest for a long way as it traverses up the valley.  Met at least a dozen or so people hiking Stevens to Snoqualmie. The notorious stream crossing, which is at the base of rock canyon, was not a problem at this time, we were easily able to cross it rock hopping but I can imagine it would be pretty bad earlier in the season. The trail climbs gently to wooded Deception Pass. We took a break there to pick blueberries near the head of Deception Creek trail, and at the pass encountered half a dozen parties headed to Marmot and Jade Lakes. Dropped down about 2.5 miles to the north end of Hyas Lake. Along the way we must have met 40 people headed to Tuck and Robin, many of whom did not seem to know it would only get steeper after the turnoff. Where will they all camp?

Saw a nice camp or two in the wooded flats above the lake but water sources were a little sketchy (shallow creek we didn’t think we could pump from). Other camps were occupied. Finally beat our way through the bushes to a slightly marshy spot right at the head of Hyas Lake, just dry enough for the tent. Great views across to Cathedral Rock. A few mosquitoes. Total mileage for the day about 9.5.

Day 3: Packed up and completed the loop, back to the car in a little over an hour, just after 11 a.m. Ran into at least another dozen or more people headed to Tuck and Robin, and similar numbers headed to Marmot and Jade. Again, not sure where they will all sleep. Every space at the Hyas Trailhead, Tucquala Meadows, and overflow lot was full, and cars were parked ¾ mile down the road. Rough guess 200 cars.

For us a great little backpack and we pretty much avoided the crowds for camping.