Jackita Ridge Trail, Devil’s Dome and the Three Fools Trail

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One of the most fabulous backpacking loops I have ever done was in the Pasayten Wilderness.

We began at Canyon Creek trailhead, along Highway 20, hiked up the Jackita Ridge Trail, visited Devils Dome, then connected with the Pacific Crest Trail at Holman Pass and headed north. At Castle Pass we took the Three Fools Trail west, to Ross Lake, where we got the water taxi to Ross Dam and hitchhiked back home.

Here are a few pics from the trip.

Sunset atop Devils Dome, Pasayten Wilderness, North Cascades

Sunset atop Devils Dome, Pasayten Wilderness, North Cascades

This first one is a sunset from atop Devils Dome. We spent the night there, (08/08/08) and were observers of a spectacle of lightning storms that swept through that night, starting innumerable fires throughout the park. Like three fools we stayed there, atop the Devils Dome, mouths agape, as the night sky erupted and just watched.

 

Jack Mountain from Devils Dome, Pasayten Wilderness, North Cascades

Jack Mountain from Devils Dome, Pasayten Wilderness, North Cascades

This is Jack Mountain, from Devils Dome.  Hiking in the Pasayten Wilderness is wonderful, lots of views and flowers.

Cascade Crest from Jackita Ridge Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

Cascade Crest from Jackita Ridge Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

This was taken from the Jackita Ridge Trail, looking west – southwest. That long green meadow inviting you is Devils Garden.

Here is another view from the trail.

Jack Mountain, Pasayten Wilderness

Jack Mountain, Pasayten Wilderness

After Devils Dome we made our way to Holman Pass where we intersected the PCT and turned north. The image on the right is from a glorious meadow (with a spring) just before Rock Pass. And the Double Rainbows is at Rock Pass looking north. That’s Lakeview Ridge stretching to the distance.

The wildflowers are all over (assuming you’re there at the right time!)

The Three Fools Trail was a struggle. It hadn’t been maintained in more that a decade, there were more than 200 down trees between Elbow Basin and Three Fools Creek…it was brutal!

The sunsets, however, were magnificent. This is from Elbow Basin.

The Three Fools Trail lived up to its hype: Stunning scenery, no one to be seen anywhere and you’d have to be a fool to try!

 

Big Face Mountain from the Three Fools Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

Big Face Mountain from the Three Fools Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

Here is Big Face Mountain from the trail.

 

Ross Lake from the Lightning Creek Trail, North Cascades National Park

Ross Lake from the Lightning Creek Trail, North Cascades National Park

and lastly, Ross Lake, from the Lightning Creek Trail.

That was my first visit to the section of the PCT from Holman Pass, north to the border with Canada. I have revisited several times, access is not bad, at Slate Peak. You can park at a junction with the PCT, at 7,000 ft elevation to start your hike!

The views along Lakeview Ridge are to die for…that will be the subject of the next post!

Oh, the hitchhiking home part: When we debarked the water taxi and hiked up to Highway 20 we were more than a bit surprised to see hordes of cops. Not just regular ones, Border Patrol, guys in kevlar with nasty weapons, the place was swarming with them!

Eventually one of the cops came over to ID us sketchy looking hitchhikers and being polite and all the cop arranged a ride for us home. It turned out that a Park Employee had stumbled upon a huge marijuana farm, right there, near Ross Lake! So they came up with the swat team and got boats and went to raid the pot farm, but by the time they got there, the farmers had fled to parts unknown…

Goat Rocks Wilderness Under Smoky Skies

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The Goat Rocks Wilderness, located in the Central Cascades of Washington State, is filled with wonder. Goat Lake, Snow Grass Flats and Cispus Basin are but a few on the many splendors. The Pacific Crest Trail bisects the wilderness so it is usually a busy place in the summer. Here are two pics from a trip in 2016.

Depending upon your access point, its not hard to intersect the Pacific Crest Trail, which is what we did, from the Snow Grass Flats Trail. Its about 5 miles to get to the junction, and our goal was to camp as high as we could, making it easier to spend sunset at the main attraction, the Knife’s Edge.

Due to the unusually hot July we had, the south facing slopes we ascended were dry. Looking up, the peaks surrounding were almost naked, only a very few small snow patches remained.

We made our way up, looking for the elusive camping spot, made more difficult due to lack of water.

Our final resting spot for the night was a magnificent camp, just below the last remaining snow fields below Old Snowy.

We hid in the shade until the proper hour and ascended to the “summit” of the PCT. High above the timber line the PCT climbs to a junction. Heading right you’ll climb steeply up Old Snowy to a saddle where the trail makes a turn, here are the views towards the north and south.

This is the highest point along the PCT in the Goat Rocks. If you want to scramble up the rest of the way to the top of Old Snowy, it takes about 15 minutes, one way.

Continuing upon the PCT, (headed north) the trail now descends along what is known as the Knife’s Edge. The long ridge zigs and zags down, and the trail is blasted into the very top of the serrated, sinewy ridge line as it descends into the abyss…

Its a cool place.

A short way down the trail reconnects to the “bypass”.  Back at the trail junction: If you’d gone left the trail skirts along steep slopes to meet the PCT as it descends along the first section of the Knife’s Edge.

And a very smoky abyss as you can see from the images. There are a forest fire nearby, and the horizons were smoggy. During the day, I could not see even a hint of Mount Rainier, or Mt Adams. Only at sunset could you make them out at all.

My plan was to climb up, camp a few days getting images of sunrise and sunset and night sky from that vantage point, but alas, the smoke was there to stay!

Here is my best shot from the trip:

Interested in Photo Tours? Photo Classes? Buying Prints? Visit Andy Porter Images and joy you will find.

The Northern End of the Pacific Crest Trail

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The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,400 mile long foot trail stretching from the US border with Mexico through California, Oregon and Washington State to Canada.

Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

Powder and Shull Mountains, from the Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

Powder and Shull Mountains, from the Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

The northern most part of the PCT follows the Cascade Crest crossing Rock Pass, Woody Pass and then making a long gradual ascent of Lakeview Ridge.

Rock Pass, from Woody Pass

Rock Pass, from Woody Pass

Here a more than 7,000 feet the views are breathtaking. Lining the international border are Hozomeen Mountain, Joker and Freezeout Mtns and Castle Peak. To the west the snowy dome of Mount Baker is clearly visible. Three Fools Peak dominates to the horizon to the south.

Three Fools Peak from the PCT on Lakeview Ridge

Three Fools Peak from the PCT on Lakeview Ridge

The grassy ridgetop is a fine place to camp. Snow lingers here, usually until August, providing water.

Lakeview Ridge at Sunset

Lakeview Ridge at Sunset

Jack Mountain from Lakeview Ridge

Jack Mountain from Lakeview Ridge

The easiest way to get here is to drive to Mazama and take the road towards Harts Pass, up the steep valley and towards Slate Peak. The road (generally suitable for passenger vehicles) bisects the PCT just below the summit of Slate Peak. This it the highest point that can be reached by car in Washington. From here its about a 20 mile hike to the top of Lakeview Ridge.

Thirsty Boots on the Knife’s Edge

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The Knife’s Edge is a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington State. Here the trail has been blasted and carved into the top-most edge of the ridge.
As one heads north on the PCT the trail climbs through the colorful meadows of Snow Grass Flats, through the snow and on to rock and scree to reach a promontory on the side of Old Snowy.

Mount Adams and Snowgrass Flats

Mount Adams and Snowgrass Flats


From here the trail plunges down the Knife’s Edge towards Highway 12 and then on to Mount Rainier.
Knife's Edge, Goat Rocks Wilderness

Knife’s Edge, Goat Rocks Wilderness


Early in the morning we hiked up to capture images and met Thirsty Boots. He was thru-hiking the PCT. I was surprised to see a thru-hiker so far north so early in the season (it was July 29th), but he explained that the snow level in the High Sierra in California was low this year making it possible to make good time.
Thirsty Boots

Thirsty Boots


I asked how long until he reached Manning Park and the end of the PCT in Canada, and he said he figured about 16 days.

We chatted for a few minutes, he seemed ready to go, but I distracted him by having him pose for more pictures while I plied him for info. All hikers going long distances pick up a nick-name, and his seemed to fit very well.

Thirsty Boots

Thirsty Boots


This was his second time thru-hiking the PCT (its 2,400 miles, end to end) and he told us that he’d already completed the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail (3,100 miles) making him a Triple Crown Thru-Hiker.

He was very friendly and certainly didn’t seem tired, stressed or over worked. In fact he looked and acted like someone out for a stroll on a nice Saturday afternoon.

But he did seem a bit antsy to keep walking….

Thirsty Boots along the Knife's Edge

Thirsty Boots along the Knife’s Edge