Directions to TH: Google Map directions to Cutthroat Pass TH was accurate. TH is off Hwy 20.  The road to the actual parking lot is full of potholes, but navigable and all types of cars are ok.

Parking  Lot: The actual TH parking lot is small. Probably can fit maybe 10 cars.  You can park on the side of the dirt road that leads to the parking lot, but please park on 1 side of it.  On this day, people were parking on both sides, which made for a narrow lane.  I don’t believe an emergency vehicle can even go through due to the narrow lane given.  I arrived at the lot around 0630a and there were already a lot of cars, but there were also spaces available.  When we arrived back to the car around 330p, the lot was full.  As a matter of fact, the parking lot was full, the dirt road leading to the lot was full. People were already parking on the shoulder of Hwy 20, about maybe ½ mile down Hwy 20.  

Trail: In my opinion the trail is relatively easy.  There are no obstacles to the trail  at all.  There were some hard muddy places that were not hard to walk through.  There were about 2 good water sources you pass.  The ascent up to the pass was gradual.  No steep ascents at all.  The trail was obvious to follow.  Though the trail was narrow and not wide. There were lots of horse poop to dodge on the trail. There were not many switchbacks.

Experience: I had a great time.  The weather was nice and beautiful, clear and blue skies all day.  Though the first 3 - 3.5  miles were pretty boring.  Hiking through green forest, but as soon as you break free to the open portion of the hike, it is better.  If you’re there to see larches, it is already turning colors.  At the moment it's light green to a bright yellow in color.  Probably by next weekend it will be at the fiery orange color that people may want to see.  There were small plants that were really red.  It was beautiful at the pass.  So from TH to the pass was about 5 miles.  I decided to extend my hike further up the PCT trail towards Canada.  This section of the trail was beautiful and you can see a lot of the Cascade ranges.

Holy Mother of Fall Foliage!  Let others travel to New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey; you can see incredible color just 51 miles out Hwy 20 that rivals anything on the eastern seaboard.  Yesterday was the most perfect day to see brilliant red blueberry bushes, larches leaning towards their golden goal, blue mountains upon mountains.  Every color and texture represented yesterday and the crowds were out in force.  Cars lined both sides of the highway for a mile in two directions.  Most of this crowd was headed for Maple Pass, but it was still a busy day with day and thru hikers alike enjoying the wide gentle trail.  Although it is ultimately a climb to Cutthroat Pass, you might not even notice.  I kept recalling a song from my Unitarian days:

Beauty before me,
Beauty behind me,
Beauty above me ,
Beauty below me,
Beauty all around me,
In old age traveling, with it I wander.
On the beautiful trail I am, with it I wander.

Go.  Marvel.  The larches probably have another week until they are in their full glory.

Quick report for the section of PCT from Rainy Pass to Cutthroat Pass.

Road to the TH off Hwy 20 has some pretty good sized potholes but can be driven by any car.  Restroom was clean and well stocked.   We arrived around to the TH around 9:00 AM and there were a couple of parking spaces open.  Temps were at 34 degrees even at that time of the day.  Shoulder season is here!

The trail to the pass is in excellent shape.  In fact, it felt like a freeway after taking the Stilleto Vista Trail the other day.  No blowdowns, no brushy sections and a gradual incline to the pass.  There are water sources in the first two and a half miles of the trail but then it's dry.

But again, the important bit:  fall colors.  Larches are still very green in this area but there are still lots of red, orange and yellow along the trail to take in.  Pictures will explain it better.

We expected to see more people but crossed paths with about ten.  Highlights include meeting Vicki (sp?) and her beautiful pup.  Hope you enjoyed your first trip up!  Also, we got to meet two llamas on our way up.  Such curious creatures!  We learned that when llamas pass, you will want to be on the downhill side of the trail.  Thank you to the gentlemen leading the two for that advice.

As we left, Heather/Maple Pass was quite busy.  Cars parked a few hundred yards down both sides of the highway.

The trail felt more like a freeway at times -- morning rush hour occurring every day. Most commuters were headed north to Canada, and at a blistering pace. It really is amazing how much ground they must cover, but it draws into question how much they actually see. Having the ability to go slower and absorb the surroundings means I covered far less ground, but saw much more as a result.

The trail is in good shape as expected and the journey north to my destination was smooth. The persistent threat of simply walking off the trail and tumbling down the steep hillside due to the constant views of far off places is the only difficulty. Jagged spire like peaks of the north cascades, the brilliant red foliage, and white puffy clouds drifting silently on their journey to evaporation in the east, escorted me along the pleasant trail. 

Water is trickling in the basin beneath Snowy Lakes. The trail to the lakes is now a mixture of the rocky eroded chasm of the older trail and the gentler trail being built. Being a Saturday I expected company, and company I had. I set my tent up on gravel above the upper lake and watched the building clouds until the first refreshing drops of rain became visible on the lower lake, and soon washed across the entire basin.

The next day dawned with clear skies that didn't last long. I went on a walk to Methow Pass en-route to Mount Hardy. As I approached the base of the peak, the mountain enveloped itself in clouds as if embarrassed to be seen so closely. Rain began again forcing my retreat through the meadows and larch to the pass.

Fortunately the rain dissipated and the clouds broke to pieces in the afternoon lending another opportunity to explore. My goal was a view into the core of the Pasayten from a high perch -- the shoulder of Golden Horn would provide this opportunity. High above the lake basin near the base of the "horn" I was greeted with a perfect panorama -- colors and textures abound. The honey, amber, and slate colored rocks contrasted with emerald and wine colored foliage in the meadow basins. Ridge lines and shadows undulated across my field of view and I sat for several hours until my fingers had gone cold. Satisfied, I returned to camp.

On the next morning I was showered with flakes of ice when throwing open my rain fly. A light frost had left the larch trees sparkling gently in the morning sun. I packed my things and joined the morning commute on the PCT luckily headed in the opposite direction. I lingered at Cutthroat Pass watching a pair of mountain bluebirds before diving back into the trees and returning to the Highway.

13Sep2021, ~08:45 - ~15:15, i had a lovely hike of the "Cutthroat Pass via PCT". Sunny ~50s_F during late morning - early afternoon. Lots of shade in the forest.

Very scenic views of the mountains and peaks. And the (total) ~30 people (a few PCT_Thru-Hikers, a few Back-Packers, mostly Day-HIkers, 2x MT_Bikers) and 4x dogs that i encountered during my ~6+ hours on the Trail - they were all beautiful too! Everyone were friendly, cheerful and courteous.

Some small potholes in the ~0.25 mile of FS600 to the Trailhead - though passable. The Trail were maintained and in good condition. And the (Male) Privy was very clean. Thank y'all National Forest!

i was the 7th to arrive (~08:30) at the Trailhead parking. And when i got back ~15:30, there were ~10 vehicles. On the way out from the Parking, i noticed ~10 more vehicles parked along Hwy 20.

During my way out (up) to Cutthroat Pass for ~3 hours, i didn't see any person. It was when i was up at Cutthroat Pass that i started seeing and encountering people; notably:

A pair of hikers - they are from Winthrop_WA - who very kindly pointed/showed to me the Mountains/Peaks: e.g. Silver Star, Liberty Bell, HInkhouse, Cutthroat .. Thank you Two again!

~13:00, as i was descending and returning to the Trailhead, i met two woman as they arrived at Cutthroat Pass. They said that they were bringing food for PCT_Thru-Hikers. And cos they (these 2 women) were late arriving at the Trailhead parking.. they had to hike to Cutthroat Pass - hoping to catch-up with the PCT_Thru-Hikers .. i am guessing: these 2 women are PCT "Trail Angels". They are incredible and amazing. They are so very dedicated and supportive of the PCT-Thru-HIkers! 👍👍👍

Further along, while descending, i encountered a total of 6 hikers and 1 dog who were coming up. And ~1 mile to the Trailhead, i encountered a man who's wandering around with his binoculars .. he's "bird-watching".

Happy Trails Everyone! 😀

My (Gaia) stats: Distance 11.5 mi / Ascent 2010 (-2001) ft / Moving Time 5:34 / Total Time 6:48