What a beautiful hike! Please note there are two main ways to Cutthroat Pass: 1) via the Rainy Pass trailhead along the PCT (this route) and 2) via the Cutthroat Lake trailhead (which is further east on Highway 20 after Washington Pass); the latter route would pass Cutthroat Lake. If you are not carpooling with your hiking buddies, make sure everyone is on the same page about your meeting spot.

The forest road to the parking lot is very short once off Highway 20. There are potholes but these are navigatable in any type of vehicle when driving slowly. Restrooms at the trailhead are clean and stocked with toilet paper, an air freshener, and a small garbage can. Bugs were an annoyance at the trailhead and at the pass; these were less problematic when actively moving along the trail. 

The trail itself is well maintained and gently graded. It winds through the forest. It looks like there's a western spruce budworm infestation affecting many of the trees. There are multiple small creek crossings and a few small waterfalls to filter water if needed. Once out of the forest, the wildflowers are in full bloom, and there are sweeping views of the surrounding peaks. We even saw the uncommon white paintbrush. There's no snow or major obstacles. Up at the pass there are multiple spots for lunch as well as small campsites higher up. This would be a lovely spot to return to in the fall! 

What a great trail! Elevation gain is spread out over 5 miles so definitely doable. Saw a few thru hikers and a few folks out. Women’s bathroom at trailhead gets 5 out 5 stars-spotless, smelled good, and had toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Got to the trailhead around 9AM on a Thursday morning. Only about a dozen cars when I arrived and maybe 7 when I left. It was a beautiful day for a hike with clear skies. Bugs weren’t too bad. As we got the the pass I did get bit a few times but didn’t notice until I got home. Had to pass a few creeks but nothing my waterproof boots couldn’t handle. As always, the views from the pass were incredible with just a few patches of snow. I clocked 10.85 miles. Spent about 2 hours hiking up, had lunch and enjoyed the scenery for about 45 min and 2 hours down. We only passed a few people heading up and down. A few dogs unleashed but they were all well behaved and my dog had no issues. We will be back for fall 😍

Another beautiful Cutthroat day! This time we staged the cars and did an up and over. We started from the west side and finished at the lake trailhead on the east side. I forgot how lovely the tread is coming from the west side! Snow is all gone on both sides, the bugs weren’t bad at all. No blowdowns or other obstacles and we didn’t see a moose this time :) Water on the west side is still plentiful with lots of regular spots almost all the way to the pass. The east side is a different story - basically dry apart from the two (scary low) water crossings just after the lake/trail junction. Something to keep in mind if you hike with dogs who need a cool off - don’t count on it from the east side! Keep those poochies cool! Happy trails!