First off, thank you very much to the gentleman that found my glove and left it at the trailhead! Much appreciated 

This was my first time doing cutthroat pass. It was a lovely day, with sun and clouds. The first 3 or so miles is through shaded forest, which finally opens up to the spectacular fall foliage in the last 1-2 miles. There were many golden larches already, but mostly lime green. In 5-7 days, likely will be at its peak! 

WOWEE WOW

I've put this off for years because I haven't been in shape enough to do it, and finally decided to try on a whim. It was still a challenge (easier than Maple Pass, IMO), but well worth it! This was, by far, my favorite hike in my years of hiking.

I arrived in the Cutthroat Pass lot across from the Rainy Pass lot around 1030am on Saturday, and it was packed. With the number of dayhikers and backpackers I saw on the trail, I can only assume it was being used as an overflow for Maple Pass. Nonetheless, I found a spot off the highway and still in the protection of the lot "area" (beware of potholes). A NW Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required, or a day-use Pass can be purchased at the TH - Discovery Passes for state parks are not valid here (rangers were making their rounds both days). The restrooms were stocked, clean, and smelled good for a trailhead bathroom! There were also receptacles for doggy bags near the restrooms and near the trailhead sign that were being cleaned out both days.

I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the trail was, given its popularity. There were no dog bags or piles on trail (some large poo piles from a recent stock outing), and I only found one tiny piece of foil trash that was easy to pack out. Lots of dogs off leash, which is kind of dangerous given the landscape (and don't even get me started on the, "but he's friendly" stuff, lol).

As others have mentioned, water dries up pretty quickly after the established camp sites about 1.5mi below the Pass. I filtered water from a small streamlet that was flowing through some moss about 0.8mi below the Pass.

Larches are on the verge of popping! I swear some were green yesterday and started turning gold this morning when I left, so over the next week or so they should be nice and bright!

Overnight camping at the Pass was an adventure. When I left yesterday morning, the forecast said I should expect clear skies and a light 5mph wind, with temps dropping close to freezing. No big deal. Nature had other plans, apparently, because the wind picked up and it snowed overnight! I checked my Garmin multiple times throughout the night: it said the Pass was seeing gusts at 25mph+ (I couldn't even start my stove to cook my dinner or breakfast), but it still said to expect no precipitation. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning with snow on my tent and the ground!

There were a few PCT thru-hikers that strolled in late last night and left early this morning, and I ran into another just after Porcupine Creek and chatted with him before continuing on my way out. Good luck to everyone on their way to Canada!

This can be one scary adventure.  Not because of the stream crossings which are picturesque or the trail conditions which were in good shape.   Because the parking lot entrance and exit had pot holes so deep they could swallow your tire.  Driving slowly and swerving all over the road, I still couldn't avoid all of them! If you value your car's suspension, add a little extra distance to this hike and park closer to the highway.  We started hiking at around 0800 and it was a chilly 37 degrees and there was frost in places on are way up.  According to someone who had camped at the pass, it had rained and hailed for a short time the night before but stopped and cleared up around 9 p.m. There were a few muddy spots but the trail was in good condition and not dusty!  Some of the Larch had turned lime green and on their way to their golden beauty, but that will be at least a couple of weeks away.  The trip was free of bugs.  And there were only a few berries left on the bushes.

This is one of our favorite hikes in the area, and current conditions could not be much better!  We did the hike as a 10-mile out-and-back to the pass, with 2,000 feet of elevation gain on this very gently graded trail. Parking even on a weekend is now a breeze, and the trail continues to be in great shape throughout with easy creek crossings. Many through-hikers marching their way to the border who are now only days away from completing their epic journeys.  Huckleberries are near the end of their season, but still delicious over the last 2 miles to Cutthroat Pass. After the recent rains, mushrooms are popping up all over, including Amanita of all colors, hedgehogs, Slippery Jack's and many other boletes, giant sawgills, and more than a dozen others we couldn't identify.   The larches at the pass are still green but just starting to turn - peak gold will likely happen in late September and/or early October.  Time to enjoy this gem!

Disclaimers

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Pacific Crest Trail North @ Rainy Pass
Round Trip: 24.8 miles
Elevation Range: 4880′-7685′
Essential Gear: helmet
Dog-Friendly: with guidance

Our goals took us through Cutthroat Pass, one of Washington State's many scenic high passes.

Rainy Pass Turnoff: Amazingly, the massive pothole-filled .25-mile stretch from the highway to the trailhead hasn't changed since our visits in 2014 and in 2021, the hottest summer in Washington State.

Pacific Crest Trail (PCT Section L): Debris-free and well-maintained for the first eight miles we walked before going cross-country shortly past Granite Pass. 

THE WATER:

• Two streams in the forest between the trailhead and Porcupine Creek
• Several streams between Porcupine Creek and the head of the basin, including the last water (streamlet) .75 miles below the pass
• The next place for water wouldn't be until the outlet of Snowy Lakes, a bone-dry path for 5+ miles
• If skipping the lakes, West Fork Methow River would be the next place for water after walking 7+ miles on an arid trail

THE CAMP: Tower Mountain's southeast saddle, 200 feet above the PCT and closer to Straight Ridge. Most non-thru hikers camp on Cutthroat Pass with a near-panorama from east to west, where Porcupine Peak, Cutthroat Peak, and Silver Star Mountain make up most of the scenery.

Our Route

1. Hike the PCT for eight miles past Granite Pass and leave the path.
2. Walk over Tower Mountain's southeast saddle, drop 500 feet into Pine Creek Basin, and scramble north to the mountain's east saddle at 6401.
3. Drop 600-800 feet into Cataract Creek Basin and traverse north-northwest into the meadow basin, a perfect camp spot viewing Straight Ridge and Tower Mountain's north face.
4. Climb Straight Ridge via the south gully and return to saddle camp.
5. Back on the PCT above Granite Pass, where Tower Mountain first appears, leave the trail and climb Pine Pitch Peak half a mile east via the west ridge.
6. Return to Cutthroat Pass and climb Peak 7552, a little over half a mile northwest overlooking the pass.
7. Hike out.

Highlights

• Gorgeous weather on both days, bluebird on day two
• Views at every turn above the trees from Cutthroat Pass and the stretch of PCT through the top of Swamp Creek
• Seeing Tower Mountain, Golden Horn, and The Needles from the PCT
• The impressive north sides of Tower Mountain, Golden Horn, and Holliway Mountain

Lowlights

• Freezing morning temperatures in the shade, plus the overnight frost
• Short drizzles on the evening of day one