N. Cascades Dayhike

I am finally getting around to posting about my long PCT dayhike which happened a couple weeks ago (9/5/06). After going to Mt Adams on Labor day weekend and spending two days fishing with Micah I drove up to the North Cascades and took a long dayhike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I hiked from Rainy Pass to Hart's Pass all along a truly exceptional portion of the PCT. According to the guidebook the distance was 31 miles one-way. I started out at roughly 5:45 AM and ended up at the Ranger Station at Hart's Pass at 3:45 PM (10hrs). I saw only one other hiker and she was a thru-hiker who had just turned around and was beginning to hike south. She was with two dogs and had been hiking for most of the summer.

It was cool how the trail actually followed along several ridges but also ended up dropping into at least one major valley near the center of the hike. The further north I went the smokier it became due to the nearby fires. Of course the smokier it became the more I worried that there wouldn't be anyone at Hart's pass from whom I might be able to hitch a ride. When I actually made it to Hart's Pass I found that not very many people were around. I talked with a hunter for awhile and drank the water stashed at the ranger station before starting the long walk down the road toward Mazama. Fortunately after hiking for a little over a mile I was picked up by the volunteer ranger who was headed down to town to get supplies for another week. She was nice enough to give me a ride all the way to Rainy Pass! Thanks a lot.

The highlight of the day was coming up on a really large bear in the meadows on the way up Grasshopper pass. I was daydreaming at this point and just noticed the bear as she/he turned and saw me. He or she quickly ran down the hill showing off his big furry and bouncing rear-end. I have included a photo of the meadow in which I saw him here. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to get a photo of the bear!