Pacific Crest Trail, Pasayten Wilderness

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The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles long and ends at the Northern Terminus monument about two feet south of Boundary Monument 78 on the US/Canada border.

The northernmost section of the PCT passes through the Pasayten Wilderness, in Washington State. Its one of most magnificent sections of the trail.

One place to access the trail is at Slate Peak. This is the highest place, elevation-wise, that you drive a passenger car in State of Washington topping out at about 7,600 ft. Check the road conditions first, its a white-knuckler for sure.

Starting a hike at its highest point is always a bit strange, but it sure make the first days hiking easy, all down hill! On the first day we hiked from Slate peak and the parking area down to Holman Pass and then started back up.

Heading North from the Slate Peak parking area

Here the trail passes through a glorious section on its way up to Rock Pass. The area is called the Parade Grounds, is a huge area, wide open meadows covered with flowers, interspersed with trees. There is a spring nearby and dispersed camping, and a short way off small Goat Lake.

The crest of Rock Pass is truly stunning. The view below is looking north from Rock Pass. That’s Lakeview Ridge on the left. The PCT makes its way through Woody Pass (snow filled gap, left) crosses to the west side of Lakeview Ridge and continues north.

The PCT in past days traversed along the very top of the ridge here, from Rock Pass over to Woody Pass. But now the trail steeply switch backs down from Rock Pass, makes a creek crossing and then climbs laboriously back up to Woody Pass.

Pacific Crest Trail between Rock Pass and Woody Pass

From Woody Pass the PCT swings along the west side of the Cascade Crest as it makes its way north.

The ridge the trail follows is called Lakeview Ridge, and it offers some of the best views anywhere.

At the northern end of the ridge the trail descends the Devils Staircase to Hopkins Lake and then its only a few short, flat miles to Castle Pass and the Three Fools trail junction. The Canada Border lies just beyond.

Castle Pass
Devils Staircase
Hopkins Lake

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…