Home - 2004 - Pacific Crest Trail (Snoqualmie to Stevens)


Photographer: Josh Eckels


GPS tracking of the whole trip

Chloe and Colin eating dinner after getting off the trail

Scott relaxing before the adventure

Post-dinner strategizing

John inspecting my food

John and the weight spreadsheet (one of many)

More to-do items

A few of the dozens of resupply items

Time to hit the trail

Pika hording its dried leaf

Pika hording its dried leaf

Fireweed

Mt Rainier in the distance

Valley on the climb to the Katwalk

Pearly Everlasting

Scott and Chloe on the Katwalk

Campsite from a previous trip, no longer flooded

Scott and Chloe at the grassy campsite

Basking in the only sun of the trip

Starting the water purification process

Setting up camp

The wonderous 2.5 lb tent

Trying to hang food on the first night

Cool, non-menacing clouds

Cool, non-menacing clouds

Cool, non-menacing clouds

Ridge Lake in the morning light

Mt Rainier from on the trail

Joe Lake

Joe Lake

Chloe savors the last of the sunlight as clouds start to roll in

One last good view of Rainier

One last good view of Rainier

Snack time

Neat rock formation

Glacier Peak in the distance

Another pika, this time with a pre-dried leaf

The first of the Glacier Lakes

Big rock slide area

One last lunch before the rain begins

Three Queens

Spectacle Lake

Clouds rolling in, wind picking up

Lots of tiny rock shards

Waterfall at Delate Creek

Waterfall at Delate Creek

Chloe snacking on the chocolate bar John made me pack in for her

Water filtration fun

Airing out some stinky feet

Somehow my leg seems to have gotten dirty

Small part of the waterfall

Charging over Lemah Creek just as the rain starts

Charging over Lemah Creek just as the rain starts

Lemah Creek

Lemah Creek

Almost at camp, or so we thought

Wondertent gets its first taste of rain for this section

The first of many dinners in the rain

The first of many dinners in the rain. Note the beautiful windscreen on the stove

Washing out socks, because they're certainly dry quickly in the nice weather

Washing out socks, because they're certainly dry quickly in the nice weather. Note the water level going over the mini-falls

Packing up camp in the drizzle

Clouds on the ridge

Wet pine needles

There's more water in the stream

Sitka Mountain Ash

Big waterfall from glacier melt

Glacier on Lemah Mountain

Some false hope of better weather

Heading into a burn section

Break time on one of the millions of switchbacks

More of the burn section

Tarn in the upper elevations

Lunch time in the chilly rain

Outflow from a tarn

John's favorite, Waptus Pass Trail

Rounding a bend on a misty ridgeline

Waptus Lake

Slanty snack time in the mist

Mossy rock

Water droplets

Rainbow, which means there's sun somewhere

Crashing through the untrimmed growth

Nothing like a sopping wet, filthy tent as a pillow

Filling up Mamma Platty

Giving everything a chance to air out a bit

A quick glimpse of the sun at dinner time

Three tiers of branches

Official hanging tree of night three

Waptus River shoreline

Blue sky, not to be missed

Chloe's oatmeal, not a great way to start the day

Filling up on water at Waptus River

Ready to start another rainy day of hiking

Smallish stream, probably one that didn't exist three days earlier

Break time

Chloe pondering if the rain will ever stop

Rebar holding the trail together

Chloe and her lightweight camera

Fly Amanita

Approaching Deep Lake

Meadow just south of Deep Lake

Lunch in the rain at Deep Lake, Chloe losing faith that the rain will stop

Deep Lake

Deep Lake, not so deep in this section

Deep Lake in front on Mount Daniel

Meadow near Deep Lake

Hippity hop

This will have to pass as clear skies

Cathedral Rock from the switchbacks

Deep Lake from higher up the trail

Checking out the mists

Cathedral Rock

Cathedral Rock

Scott checking if his mixed berry bar contains any folic acid

Mmm mmm, Louck sure makes a tasty sesame snap

Granite Mountain

Look at all that blue

Tired feet take a break

Piles of wet gear

Chloe considers the drainage situation

Tumor tree

Our last false hope of clearing weather

We can still pretend that things are dry at this point

Rocky stream bed

Stream right next to camp, pre-super-rain. Note the water level

Doesn't look like this should purify the water, does it?

Puddles trying to qualify for lake status, inching towards the tents

Puddles trying to qualify for lake status, inching towards the tents

Would you want to put this on your back?

The water level's increased a bit

Treacherous crossing, completely impassible. Detour time.

Treacherous crossing, completely impassible. Detour time.

After a mere five miles of backtracking, time to take the long detour

Breaking for lunch, time for the rain to really start coming down

The treacherous stream we elected not to cross

At last, back on the PCT after the detour

The trail's got some water

Mini stream crossing near Deception Pass

Mini stream crossing near Deception Pass

Very little seems to be holding this lake in

Cooking from inside the tent

Chloe enjoying the weather

Looking forward to some dry clothes

The magic flames of the camp stove

Chloe after a great night's sleep

More gray skies on the way out

After four nights and five days of rain, time to get out of here

Scott thinks about a nice warm shower

The rain just won't stop

Cram food in mouth, keep walking

Power lines, first sight of civilization

Empty chair lifts

Approaching the top at Stevens Pass

The end's in sight

10 seconds of blue sky to celebrate the end

John attempts to stay dry during the hug

No welcome canopy, but the resupply van's ready

Just the essentials

John showing off the deluxe showering facilities

Resupplying Chloe

Chloe takes a well-deserved drink

Bob wonders how he got roped into this

Everyone looking refreshed

The toothpaste I packed out from the second campsite, possibly the cause of all the rain

 

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