Monday August 19, 23.5mi/37.8km

Dry Creek Pass (713.3/6099ft) to Green Point Camp (736.8/1600ft) (WA)

I started quite early today at 6:30am, since I had almost 24 miles to cover to get to Ross Lake Resort, where I had shipped a food package. The surrounding mountaintops were hiding in small clouds in the early morning.

I descended the 5000ft/1500m to the lake, which took a couple of hours. Down at the lake, the clouds were lifting.

I crossed over Devils Creek on a swingbridge, and the water below was a cool aqua color.

Then around the corner, I had a surprise – the trail disappeared for a minute! I proceeded with more confusion than caution.

After a hundred feet, it came back.

The entire day I was in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, but this was the first sign that showed it.

I stopped for a quick lunch (I was almost out of food) at a trailhead, then I headed down the “Happy Panther” trail. Better than the Sad Panda, I suppose…

It was a nice, cool and shady trail. And everything was so green! There were ferns everywhere too.

Towards the end of the day, I came to the dam that creates this man-made lake.

It’s huge! The trail goes right across it, so I took plenty of photos.

I arrived to Ross Lake Resort a mile later, at 3:30pm.

I asked for my food package, and the hiker-box (where hikers put/take extra stuff). I made dinner from some extra ramen, tuna, and beans in the hiker box. I sorted my food package into my backpack, bought some snacks, and charged my devices. Three relaxing hours later, I left and hiked over to my campsite, 10 minutes away.

Sunday August 18, 15.9mi/25.6km

PCT Rock Pass camp (697.4/6214ft) to Dry Creek Pass (713.3/6099ft) (WA)

I got a later start than usual since I have a short day today. I’m limited to about 16 miles, longer than that and I would be entering North Cascades National Park, where camping permits are required. When I left at 8am, all 12 PCT hikers who camped here were already gone! The morning fog was neat to see around the mountaintops.

An hour later, I was at Holman Pass, my exit point from the PCT. It was a small temptation to keep going south to California…

After three miles, I climbed up to another pass, Sky Pilot pass. Which seems redundant, aren’t all pilots in the sky?

A couple hours later, and I was on Devils Pass. I stopped and had lunch, and took way too many photos of all the nearby glaciated peaks.

Just after I left Devils Pass, I met a hiker named Biggi and her dog Keyla. She is from Canada, and is hiking a section of the PNT eastbound, and plans to do the PCT next year. That always makes me happy to hear, and my climb up to Devils Dome flew by as I was lost in PCT thoughts. Devil’s Dome is 6982ft/2128m high, with superb views of the North Cascades.

And especially of nearby Jack Mountain, with the Nohokomeen glacier:

On the descent off the dome, I found some snow!

I stopped for the day at Dry Creek Pass, and there is a shelter nearby called Bear Skull Cabin. It looked dilapidated and dirty.

I refilled my water, and then camped a few hundred meters away, closer to the trail.

Tomorrow, I arrive to Ross Lake and North Cascades National Park!

Saturday August 17, 19.8mi/31.9km

Pasayten Airfield (677.6/4275ft) to PCT Rock Pass camp (697.4/6214ft) (WA)

This day had everything! A lake, stream crossings, a bushwhack, alpine passes, marmots, and even people! I was camped at a trail junction, so I followed the signs, and up the hill I went.

I climbed for an hour in a cold valley, crossing and re-crosssing Soda creek a few times. Having wet feet didn’t help my lack of warmth. At the top, I went by Dead Lake.

After descending back down a different valley, I came to another trail junction. The sign said go left… I guess there’s a trail in there somewhere!

After climbing over a hundred fallen trees, the trail improved after a half mile. I cruised to the top of Frosty Pass, with lots of views along the climb.

The view looking west from the pass:

I had lunch at the top of the pass, since it was a nice windy and sunny spot (to dry out my tent). After descending from the pass, I was on the PCT!

Classic PCT quality trail, it’s so well maintained!

The PNT joins the PCT for 13 miles, and I was walking south on the PCT. Which felt strange, since in 2015 I had hiked it NOBO (northbound). Also, since I was hiking south, I was crossing paths with all the hikers finishing their NOBO hikes. I met more people each hour today, than I met on the entire PNT so far. I talked with 24 hikers today!

I hiked by Hopkins Pass, and then Hopkins Lake:

The scenery today was simply the best.

Hmm, I wonder where the trail goes?

I refilled my water at a tiny trickle, assisted by a homemade leaf-spout.

Looking down from the top of Rock Pass, at all the switchbacks I had just climbed. Hikers Three-Bean and Foxtail are down there, about a mile back!

I arrived to camp early, at 5pm, so I setup my tent and read my book for an hour, and then dinnertime! Tomorrow will be my last day in the Pasayten Wilderness, I can’t believe how big it was!

Friday August 16, 28.0mi/45.1km

Bald Mt. Ridge (649.6/7110ft) to Pasayten Airfield (677.6/4275ft) (WA)

Camping at 7000ft elevation is cold! I hiked with a hat and gloves on for the first hour, since it was only 45F/7C, and I was walking downhill and not working hard to generate heat. But it was a nice sunny morning!

Looking down on the Ashnola River, which I will soon ford across. All the brown trees are burned.

After descending 2000ft/600m and crossing the river, I went right back uphill the same amount. Sheep Mountain was pretty in the morning sunlight.

In the afternoon, the clouds gathered and it wasn’t as warm in the shade. At least they weren’t the rainy type of clouds.

Those are some big mountains in the distance. The Cascades!

On the descent to the Pasayten River, I paused for awhile at a confusing trail junction. There was a sign, but it was badly burned.

I had heard reports of this section of trail being an obstacle course of hundreds of fallen trees. I must have good timing, a trail crew is out here all summer cleaning up the PNT, and I only had to climb over two logs!

I actually got to meet them, they were camped by the Pasayten River. The four of them and I talked for an hour, and they offered me a snack! Mmm… chips and salsa. I had originally planned to camp there, but the area was full of standing dead trees. So I kept hiking. And hiking. Finally at 7pm I came to some green forest, an area known as the Pasayten Airfield. It used to be an active airfield in the 1930s, but now it’s just a large area of perfectly flat ground. Perfect for camping!

Thursday August 15, 22.2mi/35.7km

Fireplace campsite (627.4/6991ft) to Bald Mt Ridge (649.6/7110ft) (WA)

It was a colder morning than usual, probably because I’m camped thousands of feet higher in elevation. After 15 minutes of walking I was comfortable, and it was another nice sunny day in the alpine!

After a few hours of enjoyable hiking, I came across an interesting piece of metal near the trail.

And a few minutes later, some cabins!

They are old miner’s cabins, and now it looks like hikers occasionally stay there. I found a cabinet with goodies!

I ate an early lunch there, and moved on. Up a small climb over Apex Pass, and I had a view of my next pass. Cathedral pass!

The tall pointy peak is Cathedral peak, and the pass is just to the left.

The view from the top of the pass. This is the highest point on the PNT, 7572ft/2308m.

It was very windy up there, so I kept moving down, and stopped at Cathedral lake for a swim. I saw snowfields and marmots, which means the water was “refreshing”.

The last couple hours of the day went by quickly, and I hiked by some more alpine lakes, and thru a short burn section.

I had setup camp on a bare ridge, to avoid any dead burnt trees (which fall over frequently). It’s cold and a little windy, so I cooked dinner in my tent vestibule. My food bag is getting lighter… only four more days until I get more food!

Wednesday August 14, 20.8mi/33.5km

Chopaka Grade Road (606.6/3041ft) to Fireplace campsite (627.4/6991ft) (WA)

It was a great campsite, I slept for 10 straight hours! Then I started up the hill at 7am. It was a nice sunny day, and the early morning air was nice and cool.

After an hour of climbing uphill on old dirt roads, I turned off on an uphill trail. The morning’s objective was to knock out the remaining 3500ft of climbing. I came across an old cabin, which was a nice distraction and rest stop.

The rest of the climb was uneventful, and I stopped to eat first lunch at a campground, which was at the top of the climb. Yay, done with uphill!

Just after this, there was a trailhead where the PNT leaves the dirt road. These carved wooden signs are so neat!

And then… trail! Hello, old friend.

Up in the alpine zone, the views are pretty spectacular.

I stopped at a bridge and ate second lunch. It was nice to have a flat, clean place to sit, with the sounds of the creek nearby.

And right after the bridge, I officially entered the Pasayten Wilderness.

The high ridgelines are my favorite.

And the alpine meadows with the wildflowers too.

Apparently the peak I had just hiked over was called Goodenough Peak. Haha!

I hiked all afternoon in wilderness bliss, stopping frequently to look at all the surrounding mountains.

I stopped at a creek and made dinner, then hiked another mile and setup camp…just in case any large bears are in the neighborhood!

Tuesday August 13, 28.4mi/45.7km

Oroville (578.2/942ft) to Chopaka Grade Road (606.6/3041ft) (WA)

After getting in one last shower, I packed up and headed out at 8:30am. The first mile was on the Similkameen Trail, which followed the river.

The landscape around here is very dry, and there is sagebrush and tumbleweeds everywhere.

The rest of the day was on a paved road, which passed by some irrigated farmland as it followed the river.

I stopped for a late lunch break at Palmer Lake, and took a swim in the strangely warm water.

The walk along the lake was nice, especially as clouds arrived to filter out the hot sun. The deer were everywhere!

At the other (south) end of Palmer Lake is a nice picnic area, so I stopped there too, and get a break from the pavement.

The final hour felt long, but eventually the pavement ended, and I was at the base of a large 5000ft/1500m climb. I meant to camp there, and do the climb tomorrow, but my camping spot was infested with cows. So, I continued another two miles and up 1500ft/450m, and found a camp spot. Long day!

Monday August 12, 0mi/0km

Today was an unintended zero day, as I was originally planning on arriving to town today, not last night. And with the next section requiring a set schedule to comply with my camping permit for the North Cascades NP, there was no point in leaving a day early.

So, I relaxed in the motel room all morning, and watched a movie.

And then another movie…

I walked down to a deli for lunch (not much is open here on Mondays), and then went in the motel’s pool for a bit before it got too hot outside. The motel has hundreds of movies to borrow, so I continued with the Harry Potter theme, haha. After two more movies, I finished my resupply shopping. This is what seven days/six nights of food looks like.

Tomorrow, I start a 155-mile section, which will travel thru the Pasayten Wilderness and North Cascades NP, ending at Ross Lake. Then, I have a resupply box I mailed to myself at Ross Lake resort, which will keep me fed for the next 100-mile section of wilderness. So, I’m not expecting any phone signal for almost two weeks – blog posts will be delayed. 🙂

Sunday August 11, 23.5mi/37.8km

Swanson Creek Road/Church (550.0/3461ft) to Oroville (578.2/942ft) (WA) -4.7mi alt route

I had an amazing breakfast with Diana and Steve, and then we said our goodbyes. I started with the dog, Sirius Black. He is a huge wolfhound!

Steve was even generous enough to drop me off back on the trail. (Thanks!!)

I started walking at 9am, and most of today was on dirt roads. I only saw three cars.

I stopped for lunch, and then 2nd lunch at a nice ledge with some views of the valley below.

There were thunderstorms in the distance, they didn’t seem to be moving closer though. I had a relaxing stroll downhill to the highway to town.

The Okanogan backcountry horsemen had made a fancy sign for the trailhead, it was a beautiful carved wooden one.

And the first PNT highway sign I’ve ever seen!

The walk into town was two miles on a busy highway. The town of Oroville seemed nice.

I walked up to the only motel in town, and it was such a welcoming sight on their sign!

I promptly checked in, showered, and then went across the street to the Pastime Brewery for dinner. Zero day tomorrow!

Saturday August 10, 20.1mi/32.3km

Cow Pond (526.8/4272ft) to Swanson Creek Road/Church (550.0/3461ft) (WA) -3.1mi alt route

I slept in, because I was so tired from all the miles yesterday. I finally got hiking at 7:15am, and I got to Lake Bonaparte just after 8am. It had a restaurant! And I had perfect timing, it had just opened at 8am, time for second breakfast!

There were a few people out on the lake enjoying the day. Ducks, too.

I finished my breakfast (and milkshake) and hiked uphill, starting a long climb up to the summit of Mt. Bonaparte. The lake was 1000ft/300m below at this point.

A couple of hours later, I got to the junction to the summit. I had a choice – the official PNT goes around the mountain, and the trail is 5km longer. The popular alternate route goes over the summit, with an extra 1000ft of climbing. Easy decision…over the summit!

I was on top an hour later. The fire tower is staffed, and I had a fun conversation with the lonely watchman.

Clouds were gathering, so I decided to get down the mountain quickly. I dropped down into the trees, and the trail was a nice gentle downhill, and the miles flew by.

I saw an old abandoned cabin on the way.

And of course I saw cows too. Hi cows!

I was walking along a road on the final mile to my destination, when a guy in a pickup truck stops to ask if I want a ride. I was heading to the church (which lets hikers camp in their yard for free), but he offered a place to stay, and said there was a big storm coming. Yes, please! Steve picked me up, and also his spouse Diana, and along with some grandchildren, we went to town and got pizza!

Back at the house, I setup my sleeping bag on the porch, and watched a huge thunderstorm roll through!