We spent a good part of this hike in our rain gear and actually cut the trip short due to the weather.
Backpackers: Ed Tucker, Brian Lewis, Ann Lewis, Carl Fisher
August 19, 2007 ( XX miles) – Started at Stevens Pass at 2:00 pm which begins with an immediate 1000 foot elevation gain over 3 miles. Weather was overcast and damp to drizzling. We made camp at Mig Lake which had 6-8 decent camp sites. Pumped water, made supper and crawled into our bags at 8 pm due to the chill.
August 20, 2007 (12 miles) – Woke up to rain which lasted all day. There was nothing remarkable today except for the rain. We ended the day about a mile past Deception Creek outlet.
August 21, 2007 (xx miles) We woke to rain AGAIN today. Loaded our packs under the sil-tarp that Carl had carried along. About 10:00 am the rain stopped and the sun came out. We had lunch on a collection of rocks and laid our gear out to dry. We ended the day and camped at Deep Lake. Carl lost his backpack cover and rain pants and ended up backtracking for a mile to find them.
August 22, 2007 (15.5 miles) This was a long day but there was no rain! We stopped at Wapkus Lake for lunch (about 7 miles) and then decided to go on. The next 6-8 miles were all uphill with about 2200 feet elevation gain.
August 23, 2007 (xx miles) A glorious sunny day. We camped tonight at Spectacle Lake which is situated on a penninsula. We hiked fast and got to Spectacle Lake at 2:00 pm with plenty of sun and time to clean up and have a relaxing afternoon. We met several north bound (NOBO) PCT hikers to include “Yogi” who has written a couple of PCT books. First half of the day was serious downhill and the second half uphill. Getting to Spectacle Lake was treacherous but well worth the effort.
August 24, 2007 (12 miles) An immediate climb out of Spectacle Lake and then some up and down as we went through several passes. There were great views of Mt Rainier and, to a limited amount, Mt Adams and Glacier Peak. The stretch from Park Lakes to Huckleberry Mountain was interesting because you could see the trail ahead for a great distance. We camped at Ridge Lake and had dinner with a Forest Service intern. We helped her disburse a couple unauthorized fire rings. No fires are authorized. We also volunteered to carry out the trash and Ed gave her his remaining tea. Trail magic (giving her the tea) has a way of coming back when you most need it. Weather in the 70’s and sunny.