PNW Trail Guide Book

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL
FROM THE ROCKIES TO THE PACIFIC
Ronald Gibson Strickland

OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL ASSOCIATION
Dedication
DEDICATION
To
LARRY REED (1937-1993)

President, Pacific Northwest Trail Association
To
PARIS WALTERS (1905-1999)

End-To-Ender, Appalachian Trail
And To
MEADOW BLOOM (1977-1995)

Trail Crew Member, Pacific Northwest Trail Association
WORDS FROM THE TRAIL
Dedication
The pure adventure of it! Learning every day! Not knowing what is ahead of you! The most intriguing thing is the magnitude of going that far and how it slows time down. We would say, A day on the trail is like a
month of city life. A day just lasts forever hiking but in the city, a day is gone before you know it. You can live forever hiking. Heath Hibbard, `77 Big Bear City, CA
Every few days I wanted to cry uncle. Help! Stop the beauty. I just can't take so much beauty anymore.
Nick Gelesko, `81 Ft. Myers, Florida
Foreword by Harvey Manning
FOREWORD BY HARVEY MANNING
In one book or another, I forget which, I described a hike west across the Pasayten Wilderness on the Boundary Trail. I dwelt on how the long
walks geography, climate, and vegetation induced the feeling of having traversed a significant portion of the planets circumference. Gazing west from the Cascade Crest, I said, more or less in jest, Tomorrow, the Pacific Ocean! Well, a letter arrived, asking what progress I might have made in that direction! The upshot was that the writer came out from New England in 1970 to walk the Boundary Trail and more. He schemed up a route, the Pacific
Northwest Trail he called it, from the Great Plains to the ocean. The Appalachian Trail of his home hills was his inspiration and model. Each summer he came West to explore other sections of the proposed route. He talked to walkers who knew this stretch or that. In 1977 Ron Strickland (hes the one Ive been talking about) and friends formed a non-profit organization on the lines of the Appalachian Trail Conference. By 1984 they had published their first end-to-end guidebook, Pacific Northwest Trail Guide. Through the 1980's, PNT exploration continued, by now by many more boots than Rons. PNT politicking, in its way far more arduous, aroused opposition for a
Foreword by Harvey Manning
variety of reasons. Luckily there was support as well. The PNTA obtained official sanction for work parties to connect some of the groups existing trails and roads. By 1997 they had completed new sections beginning at the whulge (the Lushootseed word for saltwater) at Samish Bay. Their white blazes snaked east over the westernmost peak of the Cascades (Elephant Mountain, the locals call it though the maps made in Washington City say Blanchard Hill.) The PNTs geographic length is 1100 miles. A greater political distance remains before Congress admits the de facto PNT to the National Trails System. The PNT deserves to join the ranks of the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and other national scenic trails taking shape in Florida, Ohio, Colorado, and golly knows. This revised (mostly new) edition of the trail
guide is an important step. The next step - which is to say, steps, thousands upon thousands of them - are up to your feet.
Harvey Manning, 2000
The Pacific Northwest Trail
Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION......................................................................................................................................1 WORDS FROM THE TRAIL..............................................................................................................1 FOREWORD BY HARVEY MANNING...........................................................................................3 TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................................................................5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................................8 A WORD ABOUT MAPS.................................................................................................................17 MILEAGE LIST.................................................................................................................................22 THE ROMANCE AND CHALLENGE..................................................................................OF THE ..............................................................................................PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL ................................................................................................................................................23 PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL REALITIES.................................................................................31 PLANNING YOUR TRIP..................................................................................................................38 THE RESPONSIBLE TRAIL USER.................................................................................................52 THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS............................................................................................................60 THE PURCELL MOUNTAINS......................................................................................................108 THE INLAND EMPIRE..................................................................................................................133 THE KETTLE RIVER RANGE......................................................................................................164 THE OKANOGAN..........................................................................................................................193 THE PASAYTEN.............................................................................................................................215 NORTH CASCADES TO SALT WATER.....................................................................................243 DIKES AND ISLANDS...................................................................................................................278 THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS......................................................................................................298 PACIFIC OCEAN WILDERNESS BEACH...................................................................................331 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................351 PNT RECIPES..................................................................................................................................360 ABOUT THE AUTHOR..................................................................................................................365
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
Acknowledgments
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In 1984 we published Pacific Northwest Trail Guide. It was the first book length description of the PNTs Practical and Ideal routes from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The book owed its immediate
success to a generation of activists who throughout the 1970's transformed the Trail from one persons dream to a groups nitty-gritty project. Now, in the new century, we are back with an updated version of the 1984 classic. Many old friends contributed to this greatly-improved edition. First among them was our late president Larry Reed. During the mid-1980's he and his wife Carol literally put the PNT on the map. Their construction at Samish Bay made the Trail a blazed reality for the first time. Larry, we miss you! Our next president, Pat Cummins, continued our expansion into the mid-1990's. He was especially clever at inspiring youth groups with his puns and enthusiasm. Ill never forget the kindness he bestowed on our disabled members such as the late Ome Daiber. Pat continues to embody the true PNT spirit of fun, adventure, and camaraderie. In 1992 the late Meadow Bloom helped us complete the initial phase of construction at Blanchard Hill. I have dedicated this edition of the
guidebook to her because her profound disabilities never interfered with the joy she found on the Pacific Northwest Trail.
Acknowledgments
Trapper Robbins is another irrepressible soul.
His trademark gaudy
ties and plastic golf club are the stuff of PNT lore. Thank you, Trapper, for drawing and publishing the first in our series of PNT maps and for creating the PNT mileage spreadsheet. Most of the PNT crosses federal lands. But north of Seattle there is an 80-mile stretch from Mount Baker to the saltchuck that needed state and private easements. We especially wish to thank Russ Paul of Crown Pacific who was so wonderfully helpful with permissions, routes, and gate access. Of course, thanks to the dedicated members of the Skagit/Whatcom Group, we obtained easements, increased our construction and maintenance, created a PNTA endowment fund, and planned for PNT inclusion in the National Trails System. Our work springs from a confederacy of local maintaining clubs whose work is coordinated by the Pacific Northwest Trail Association. For instance, the Yaak Trail Club keeps the Route open on blowdown-prone Bunker Hill. And Eric Heyn and friends develop one of our four rail-trails. His Kootenai Trail from Eureka to Rexford, Montana follows an abandoned grade beside the Tobacco River. Similarly the Trailriders (Oroville) and the Okanogan Backcountry Horsemen (Tonasket) provide leadership on issues such as the Similkameen River railroad grade and the preservation of the Tungsten Mine buildings. We are proud to recognize (1) the Central
Whidbey Trails Council and (2) the Skagit/Whatcom PNT club as official
Acknowledgments
maintaining clubs dedicated to developing and promoting their sections of the Trail. Any guidebook is only as good as its maps. We are lucky in this
second edition to have the same excellent cartographer we had in the first. Ted Hitzroth has always been ready to reconnoiter new locations for the Route through the prickly brush. More important, I know from much
firsthand experience that his skills as a mapmaker have been matched only by his inventiveness with Noodle Roni. For two years I lived upriver in Skagit County to promote our trailbuilding efforts. Karen & Everett Lewis joined the cause from SedroThey and the late Les
Woolleys chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen.
Hilde were true friends of the Trail and of myself. I remember spending a week alone on Mount Josephine to build a new mile to the summit. I was chest high in brush when I heard something shuffle toward me. A bear? I readied myself for the worst. Hello, Dr. Ron, came the cheery cry.
Practical joker Everett Lewis knew that a bear-like approach would have the maximum intended effect on me. We have laughed about that ever since. The Trails good times are an antidote to all that ails us. Good fellowship is second nature to members of the Skagit/Whatcom Group such as: Craig Allen, Wally Cleve; Jim Futrelle; Glenn Harvey, Gene Joy; Bob Keith; Don King; Bob Knowles; Larry Lazzari; Tim McIntosh, Keith Magee; Duane Melcher; Joan Melcher; Art Reinhardt; Ed
Acknowledgments
Rogers, Ken Rosencrantz; Jim Sturdevant, Pat Zitka, and the late Gwyn Triplett. They have turned work of common labor into a creation of The same with so many others like John Frederick in
uncommon fun.
Montana, Mike Peterson in Idaho, and Sherrie and Ken Elliott near Spokane. That goes double for an old Spokane friend named Easy who laid out my first draft in PageMaker. Well, I cant forget my manuscript fieldtesters who
included: Stephanie Hitzroth; Anita & Jonathan Hoyle; John Rasta Johan McLaughlin; Honour Maxwell; Joris Naiman & Lesya Struz; John Ogmundson; Robi Robins; Trapper Robbins & Roxanne Everett; and Nancy Schroeder. 1999s manuscript fieldtesters included Chris Romanski. I am also indebted to many local friends who were ready to help when this writer needed them. Linda & Dick Stehlik of the Yaak. Max Eckenburg & Carol Hull of the Okanogan. Merle Segault of Oak Harbor. I wish to thank Harvard historian Ernest R. May for his unstinting support. The ranks of distinguished past officers in Seattle include: our first president, Randolph W. Urmston; our second president, Kelby Fletcher; our treasurer, Robert Carter Randolph; and our Vice President/secretary Elise Ravenal duPont. The late congressman and Lt. Gov. Joel Pritchard remains in our hearts. Most of all I want to acknowledge my longstanding debt in the creation of the PNT to Jill Babcock Kern. Jill was there before anyone else and is truly an end-to-ender. For most of its 30-year history this project depended on a small coterie
Acknowledgments
of backpackers whose participation was mainly where the boot hits the duff as Harvey Manning would say. However, beginning in the mid-1990's Joan (treasurer/secretary) & Duane (chairman) Melcher led the PNTA into a new era of efficient, streamline organization. This dynamic PNT duo
maintained our office at their Mount Vernon farmstead, organized weekly work trips, and created our endowment fund. Art Reinhardt did yeoman
service as financial advisor and author of our private property agreements. Then in 1998-1999 Keith Magee recruited the Ford Motor Company and the Northwest Ford Dealers to donate $ million. first paid staffer as director of operations. I want to thank all PNT pilgrims for making the trip more joyous. Over the years, the guidebooks sponsors and pro deals have included: Asolo, Feathered Friends, K2, Paradise Farm Organics, P_r filters, Solstice, SmartWool, Starbucks, Suunto, and Vasque. Both Norma Schofield and the Phoebe Haas Trust helped with much needed financial support. Washingtons Interagency Committee For Outdoor Recreation (IAC) provided power tools including a small excavator tractor. Other donors were Jeri Krampetz became our
Northwest Graphics, REI, SAFECO, Crowley Maritime Corporation, Eddie Bauer, and Trillium Corporation. The Ford Motor Company and the
Northwest Ford Dealers were exceptionally generous. Many thanks! Among those who purchased quarter miles and miles of the Trail for the Endowment Fund were: Pat Cummins; Steve Eakin; Duane Melcher;
Acknowledgments
Helen Omdal (for the Helen and Norman Omdal Mile); Norma Schofield (for the Wilhelm Gruber Memorial Mile); and Summersun Greenhouse Company (for the Joan Melcher Mile.) Last but definitely not least, I wish to thank our officers and men (and one woman) of the British Army. In the late 1980's they bivouacked three summers in Mary & Steve Hilliards barn while they constructed a crucial part of the PNT. It happened this way. Lt. Graham Norton happened to
read the first edition of this guidebook while stationed with his signals unit in Germany. The English officer was struck by our challenge to take personal responsibility for part of the PNT. You had thrown down a gauntlet, he said later, and we could do nothing but pick it up. His Chuckanut section was so steep to build that he had to station lads on the road below to watch for falling rocks. Cpl. Andy Ewing was quoted on the front page of the Seattle Times as saying, We're having a great time. Everyone has just
been fabulous. The work has been very hard but it's been worth it. The lads named their Chuckanut section Gauntlet Trail in honor of their regimental crest. The name also symbolized the challenge they had accepted from the Pacific Northwest Trail Association's first guidebook. I
hope that you, too, will accept our invitation to visit, build, and protect the PNT. Although most use of long-distance trails is local, the romantic lure of such routes lies over the horizon. In our case, the lucky few who have
Acknowledgments
become "end-to-enders" have had a unique part to play in the development of the PNT. So far, we have been very fortunate in the dedication, humor, and diplomacy of our thru-hikers. Our long-distance laureates have gone
out of their way to recruit new members and to publicize our work. Janet Garner and future treasurer Rex Bakel, for instance, published a cover article in Backpacker magazine about their historic 1977 Divide-to-Pacific walk. Colonel Pete Langstaff and John Molohon talked up the Trail to local newspapers, and Linnea Carlson wrote a fascinating diary of her travels. Nick Gelesko enthusiastically recruited six end-to-enders after his own trek. PNT END-TO-ENDERS 1977: Rex Bakel, Janet Garner, Heath Hibbard, Scott Shuey, Jerry Smith. 1979: Linnea Carlson, John Molohon, Pete Langstaff, Barb Wesser. 1981: David Brill, Nick Gelesko, Paul Dillon, Jim Koegle. 1983: Leonard Adkins, Jan Collins, Ted Hitzroth, Stu Kane, Laura Messick, Kathie Smyth, John Spiess, Ronald Strickland. 1987: John McLaughlin, Joel Kohn. 1988: Grard van, Dominique Toutain. My 1970 dream of creating America's finest "national scenic trail" has touched and enriched many lives. I am confident about the future. I am happy for those who will enjoy the Trail for the first time, whether on a day trip, an equestrian outing, a circuit hike, or a more extended trek. I am
excited for you who will return to a favorite spot, make lasting friendships,
Acknowledgments
or contribute toward protection of the PNT. Trail travel is a totally absorbing experience that a guidebook can only intimate. So abandon your armchair and head out the door. Backpacking is not a spectator sport. The pleasures of putting one foot in front of the other, of blending into the countryside, and of feeling its rhythms - these must be experienced firsthand. Adventure, the boundless possibilities at daybreak, the satisfactions of full days, the subtle and grand impressions of nature - these will be always the elements of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. And of its links via other trails to the Atlantic Ocean.1
Happy trails, Ron Strickland, Earth Day, 2000
HEADS UP!
(1) For the absolute latest in Pacific Northwest Trail information please check our Website at www.pnt.org. The PNT will continue to evolve each
year. Our Website is the place to find the latest changes. 1. Here is something else to consider. We already have a de facto Sea-to-Sea Trail. If you dont mind some navigational challenges, you can already walk it via the PNT, Continental Divide Trail, Lewis and Clark Trail, North Country Trail, Appalachian Trail, and the International AT. This Route is the worlds premier long distance trail! The only questions are: (1) who will be the ifrst person to thur-hike it and (2) when will the Sea-to-Sea Trail become a congressionally-recognized Northwest Passage from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean?
Acknowledgments
(2) After you have used this guidebook you will know more about its accuracy than we do. You will be the expert on trail conditions. You will notice that our description of this or that could be improved by the addition of your hard-earned information. When this happens, please share
your discovery with us. [Specify the page(s), trail number(s), and road number(s) that relate to your suggestions. plug into the text.] Please mail your suggestions to: Pacific Northwest Trail Association P. O. Box 1817 Mt. Vernon, WA 98273 Or E-mail us at pnt@sos.net. Send us specific language to
A Word About Maps
A WORD ABOUT MAPS

Map and compass skills are essential for PNT travel. Do not
leave home without having learned how to use your compass. Do not put on your pack without having included your compass and your destination's relevant maps. The necessity of orienteering skills in PNT navigation cannot be overemphasized! Most hiking guidebooks spoon feed the user with well-maintained trails where getting lost would actually be difficult. Be warned, however, that you are going to have to work to enjoy the Pacific Northwest Trail. "Bucking the brush, that's my pleasure" may seem like a peculiar motto but it does sum up a lot of our my experiences on the PNT during the last three decades. As explained in River Pigs And Cayuses, the phrase
came from Gaspar Petta, a North Cascades trapper, whose pleasure in cruising the no-trail backcountry was highly infectious. Gaspar lives on in the name Jasper's Pass, a testament to his depth of highly-localized geographical knowledge. You, however, will be as green as a pea from
Portland when you first hit the country. You will have 1100 miles in which to go astray. So cheechako, please study carefully your U. S. G. S. maps. Our route description is closely linked to them. For instance, we might say, "Climb
east on Siwash Trail No. 1 to Map Spot Elevation 2693' where there is a
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A Word About Maps
shady campsite at a reliable spring." The most important thing to remember about using the contour maps is to maintain a running commentary with yourself and/or your partners about your location. Coordinate the information of your map eyes with that of your land eyes. Contour lines are the key to doing this successfully. Each contour represents a hypothetical line which follows the terrain at a specific elevation. elevation. Every fifth contour is a bolder index contour labeled with its The difference in elevation between contours, the contour
interval, can be found by taking the difference between consecutive index contours and dividing by five (i.e., by the number of intermediate intervals between index contours.) "Contour interval 40 feet." To take maximum advantage of the contour lines we recommend that you carry an altimeter! necessary.) The land net is another helpful feature included on many of the maps. These lines represent the surveyed division of the land into townships and/or sections. A township contains 36 one-mile-square sections. Section corners are often physically marked on the ground, enabling an experienced traveler to locate his exact position on his map. Look for a metal map grid on the back of a white post; a nail will indicate your location between the numbered sections. 18 We do. (And be sure to reset it as often as The maps usually say something helpful like,
A Word About Maps
Be sure to learn the vocabulary of USGS maps such as "Section" (a 640 acre, one mile square unit.) Understand the section, township, and
range system (the Public Lands Survey System) and how to coordinate this with your USGS maps. Elevations on some recent maps are given in meters instead of feet. And though we applaud America's conversion to the metric system, for now we will continue listing most elevations in this guidebook in feet and miles. Of course, to get the most out of a topographic map you should understand its visual language. Topographic map symbols are almost never keyed on the map itself but you can easily obtain information about them from: Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver CO 80225. If you wish to obtain this books PNT topos on a CD, you may inquire with a SASE to: PNTA, P. O. Box 1817, Mt. Vernon, WA 98273. Since this book's topographic maps cover only a limited area on each side of the Trail, we suggest that you purchase national forest road maps for a broader view. These can be invaluable if the weather or some other
emergency requires that you take an alternate route back to civilization. The national forests crossed on the PNT are, from east to west are:
Flathead National Forest, P. O. Box 147, Kalispell, MT 59901. 406/755-5401. Kootenai National Forest, RR 3, Box 700, Libby, MT 59923. 406/293-6211. Idaho Panhandle National Forests, 1201 Ironwood Drive, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.
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A Word About Maps
208/765-7223. www.fs.fed.us/r6/ipnf.
Colville National Forest, 695 S. Main St., Colville, WA www.fs.fed.us/cvnf/
99114.
509/684-3711.
Okanogan National Forest, P. O. Box 590, Okanogan, WA 98840. 509/826-3275. www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/ [Okanogan National Forest has been subsumed into the Wenatchee National Forest.]
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 21905 64th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. 206/744-3401. www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/
Olympic National Forest, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW, Olympia, WA 98502. 206/956-2400.
www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/
In the North Cascades and the Olympics, you may wish to carry the Green Trails maps and the Custom Correct maps. individual 15 USGS quads. regions at the 15 scale. The National Park Service manages three national parks along our Route: Glacier National Park; North Cascades National Park; and Olympic National Park. For park maps and for up to date conditions contact:
Glacier National Park, West Glacier, Montana 59936. 406/888-5441. www.nps.gov/glac/ North Cascades National Park, 728 Ranger Station Road, Marblemount, WA 98267. 360/873-4500. www.nps.gov/noca/ Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362. 360/452-0330.
The former annotate
The latter concentrate on certain multi-quad
www.nps.gov/olym/
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources publishes a
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A Word About Maps
map series that is often more up to date than the U.S.G.S. maps. DNR maps can be obtained from DNR Photo & Map Sales, 1065 S. Capitol Way; M.S. AW11, Olympia, WA 98504. 253/902-1234 FAX 253/586-0388. For information
about road closures because of fire hazzard call 800/562-6010.
Canadian maps (concerning the Waterton area) are available at these addresses: Geological Survey of Canada, Information Service, 100 West Pender St., 6th floor, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 1R8. Canada Map Office, 615 Booth St., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E9. Waterton Lakes National Parks web site at
http://parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/waterton/
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A Word About Maps
MILEAGE LIST
Chpt. 1: Continental Divide to the Tobacco Plains Chpt.2: Lake Koocanusa, MT to Copeland, ID Chpt. 3: Kootenai River, ID to the Columbia River, WA Chpt. 4: Columbia River to Sweat Creek Chpt. 5: Sweat Creek Campground to Coldsprings Campground Chpt. 6: Chopaka Mountain to Ross Lake Chpt. 7: The Upper Skagit to Samish Bay Chpt. 8: Samish Bay to Admiralty Head Chpt. 9: The Olympic Mountains Chpt. 10: Pacific Ocean Wilderness Beach TOTAL
112.25
107.60
142.20
135.40
88.05
125.40
159.78
53.90
132.25 68.05
1124.88
The Romance And Challenge Of The Pacific Northwest Trail
THE ROMANCE AND CHALLENGE OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL
Walking is beautifully simple. Long-distance walking has the purity and economy of well-lived days. Trekking is both esthetically pleasing and physically fulfilling. For many of us, walking is a must, a passion. Trail riding is a partnership of horse and rider. And there is something enticingly Old West about exploring our Trail on horseback. The quality of every romance is colored by its circumstances. In
walking, too, the finest experience will be found in the most inspiring surroundings. The places described in this book are for passionate pilgrims. The Pacific Northwest Trail offers more than a thousand miles of the most varied, most magnificent country in North America: subtle deserts, grand Rockies, tide pools, alpine gardens, rain forests, and salt water coasts. How to explain the lure of the Pacific Northwest Trail? The word
"recreation" suggests the beginning of an answer, but "freedom" is closer to the mystique and romance that motivate our hikers, horsemen, and local volunteers. How many armchair adventurers have said, "Someday I'm going to do that PNT." Even just saying it makes us feel better.
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The frontier shaped American character in ways that we have forgotten. Our old safety valve of "lighting out for the territory" has largely disappeared. In its place is a more static, highly developed, bureaucratized society. The lesson of personal independence is less easy to learn. The
Trail is in a real way a counterbalance to all that. The non-romantic 21st century is, we hear, a time to concentrate on "the bottom line." But we believe that much of the population hungers for something more. Long-distance pilgrimages are an exciting alternative to the expected, settled, practical life. On the PNT, every day is an adventure, every camp a triumph, and every mountain crossed an inspiration. No matter how challenging the trip, it is easy compared with planning and building the PNT. The philosophy of the Pacific Northwest Trail
Association is that volunteers, especially local volunteers, can do the best job for the least money. For 30 years the goal of the PNT stalwarts has been to create such a fabulous trail that Congress will add it to the National Trails System. 1970-1976 Initial exploration of alternative routes for a Divideto-Pacific pathway using existing trails, cattle driveways, Indian tracks, and primitive roads. 1977 Incorporation of the non-profit Pacific Northwest Trail Association in Seattle. 1977 First PNT trail sign erected by local volunteers (Copeland,
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Idaho.) 1977 Five thru-hikers became the first to travel the entire PNT in one season. 1979 Publication of our first guidebook. 1980 Publication of a revised edition of the Guide. 1980 Maintenance and reconstruction of the Long Canyon Trail. 1981 Data about current Trail conditions gathered by a four-man PNTA expedition. 1982 Unanimous resolution by Washington state's House and Senate in favor of the Pacific Northwest Trail. 1982 Blazing with the PNTA's standardized 6-by-2-inch white paint blaze begun in every county. 1983 Location and construction of the first new, volunteer-built link in the PNT. 1984 Publication of the first book-length guidebook by our
Association. 1987 and 1988 British Army volunteers constructed the
Blanchard Hill section. 1989 Dedication of the newly-constructed South Chuckanut
Mountain section. 1992 Extensive Skagit and Whatcom County relocations
(including, for the first time, private lands). Completion of the

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Blanchard Hill construction. 1993 The resolution of long-standing routing problems in Ferry and Okanogan counties. 1994 Extensive fieldtesting of our guidebook manuscript
(including our first GPS mapping.) 1996 reincorporation of the PNTA. Mountain. 1997 Re-dedication of the Samish Bay section. Construction on Anderson Mountain. 1997 Development of the Kootenai Trail section. 1998 The Skagit Regulars rebuilt Blanchard Hill and resurrected the Swift Creek Trail. 1999 [INTRODUCTION OF THE PNT BILL IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ??] Long-distance trails are as old as the seasonal migrations of herders and their livestock. America's emigrant routes, such as the Oregon Trail, But long-distance recreational trails are a Construction on Anderson
populated our vast West.
distinctly twentieth-century phenomenon. Vermont's Long Trail dates from 1910, the Appalachian Trail from 1921. The Pacific Northwest Trail is designed both to link wilderness areas across the old Oregon Territory and to be a showcase of land use throughout the Northwest. This east-west route from the Continental Divide to the
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Pacific Ocean has enormous variety: desert and rain forest, glaciers and seastacks. This Pacific Northwest Trail is not only a path through
backcountry paradises but also a journey through fascinating human environments.2 The PNT is being developed in the volunteer tradition of the Appalachian Trail. About eighty years ago an architect and land-use planner named Benton MacKaye worried about the frightening pace of development of the Appalachian Mountains. He proposed creation of a Maine-to-Georgia trail that would provide both Nature and a method of backcountry zoning. He envisioned a 20-mile-wide corridor of preserved rural land that he called his Appalachian greenway." In the 1930s MacKaye further refined his
preservation ideas in co-founding the Wilderness Society. From its inception, the Appalachian Trail was a non-governmental effort. In addition to the work of visionaries like MacKaye and Myron Avery, the Appalachian Trail became a reality through the grass roots dedication of thousands of enthusiasts over many decades. developing the Pacific Northwest Trail. The bedrock of our philosophy is that local volunteers are the key to developing and maintaining the Trail. Only they have the grass roots contacts and knowledge to do the job right. Take Max Eckenburg, for That is our model in
example. His grandfather was a timber cruiser in Whatcom County where 2. Sample the old-timey culture of the PNT in my River Pigs And Cayuses (San Francisco: Lexikos, 1984) and Whistlepunks And Geoducks (New York: Paragon House, 1990.)
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Max himself was successful decades later in designing our Chuckanut section. In the mid-1980's, Max married Carol Hull, another of our
volunteers. They built a homestead on Pontiac Ridge near Mount Bonaparte where Max continued to develop our northeast Okanogan County route. I hope that this guide will be not only a where-to-go book but also an inspiration to potential trailbuilders. Come join us to improve and link
existing sections of the PNT. Consider volunteering for a work trip. (No, you don't have to be a muscleman.) personal project. Work trips are not work at all in the usual sense. They are fun shared with your new friends. And at a time when many people's employment is unrewarding, the personal satisfaction on the Trail is immediate. You know right away that you have done something good when you install a water bar, repair washed-out tread, and open up a brush-choked path. How do trails get built? First and most important, we must have the permission of whomever owns the land. After our Trail corridor has been decided upon, our local clubs and volunteers carefully work out easement agreements with the landowner. Next we must go over every square foot of ground in the area where the Trail is to be built. This time-consuming reconnaissance is essential if we are to pick out the key points that will add up to the best possible route. We must squeeze the area like a sponge for its outstanding features and
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Or adopt a section of the route as your
scenic vistas. We must build in south exposures wherever possible because they are the last spots to be snowed in, and, in spring, the first to open. Also, they have fewer bugs, are more open, and require fewer trail-building hours. Reconnaissance is the most time-consuming and important part of Trail location. After we select the route, we ribbon it with marking tapes at regular intervals and at eye level. This allows us to design in a grade of ten percent or less (with only occasional steeper exceptions). A grade allows greater daily travel distances, and ten percent-or-less it reduces tread
deterioration from feet and hooves.
Ribboning the route also involves
brushing out a line-of-sight right-of-way, the visible beginning of the new trail. We also cut small trees in the right-of-way but leave large trees and roots. In each area the new PNT tread is a compromise between esthetics, design standards, and erosion control. In 1997 we used tracked excavators to mechanize some of the digging. We next won a matching grant from the state of Washington to buy a trackhoe, trailer, and motorized wheelbarrow. In 1998 Ford Motor
Company gave us a $125,000 grant. At the dawn of the new century we are on a roll. Building and maintaining the Trail is a fascinating process. welcome your help. There are as many ways to enjoy the Pacific Northwest Trail as there
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We
are people traveling it. You, for instance, may have studied geology and may have a special feeling for the glacial record that everywhere begs to be read. Or you may decide to keep lists of the wildflowers and birds you encounter. The romance and challenge of the PNT are ultimately very personal. Experience the Trail for yourself. The first pleasure comes from the country - the mountains, rivers, coasts. But another delight is the feeling of personal accomplishment you get from navigating the unknown or helping with some aspect of the Association's work. Probably the richest experience of all is that of making lasting friendships among people with whom you have shared this special love.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL ASSOCIATION

STUDENT/RETIRED, $15 REGULAR MEMBERSHIP, $25 FAMILY MEMBERSHIP, $35 CONTRIBUTING, $100
[GUIDEBOOK, $25 (HARD COPY) POSTPAID] P. O. Box 1817, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 360/424-0407 FAX: 360/424-3087 pnt@sos.net www.pnt.org
30
Pacific Northwest Trail Realities
PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL REALITIES
When you opened this book, you probably asked yourself, What is this trail really like? The answer is that it has so many types of terrain and maintenance that you must always be prepared for the worst. As of this writing, the PNT is an informally-bound skein of existing trails, backcountry roads, Indian routes, stock driveways, and cross-country travel. These thousand miles have been chosen to offer the best
combination of scenic beauty, environmental protection, educational value, and practical movement. Often features already in place, such as a bridge, have dictated our choice. Sometimes we follow the old Forest Service trails. Often we are concerned with environmental factors such as fragile alpine areas or grizzly bear denning sites. Amenities are important, too; we try to design natural campsites and water sources and viewpoints into the PNT. And, as much as possible, we try to keep to the high country and its far horizons. Stay high for the view, we say. The conditions you will encounter range from the luxurious (perfectly built and groomed routes) to the masochistic (hellish jungles.) The most
difficult sections of the PNT are in Montana and Idaho but the Forest Services neglect of the its trail network is universally disheartening. Why, you ask, are so many trails abandoned by the U. S. Forest Service? The answer is a matter of both changing needs and changing
congressional appropriations.
The Northwest's original trails were Indian, After the great fires of the Teens and
trapper, game, and mining routes.
Twenties, the Forest Service built a very impressive web of pack trails, lookouts, primitive airstrips, guard stations, and roads in all of our backcountry areas. During the Great Depression, the CCC, the WPA, and the other "make work" projects provided a needed source of manpower. However, when the technology of fighting fire shifted to airplanes after World War II, the old trail and fire-lookout systems became obsolete. Beginning in the late Sixties, the backcountry experienced an explosion of recreational walking for pleasure. The government's changing backcountry management priorities and the new backcountry recreation movement met head on. The result was increased pressure on the relatively few popular trails maintained for outdoor recreation. Maintenance budgets have declined so precipitously that we need Sherlock Holmes's skills to follow some of the abandoned trails. There are two kinds of route-finding challenges on the PNT: (1) how to follow overgrown trail sections and (2) how to navigate cross-country where the PNT follows no existing trail at all. (We offer alternate routes for
horsemen or hikers who wish to avoid bucking the brush.) Following abandoned trails is actually more difficult than going crosscountry because it is so much more frustrating. Although parts of our route appear as fine trails on the USGS and Forest Service maps, you may be the
first person (other than PNT hikers) to go that way in years. So PNT pilgrims must develop an intuitive sense for arcane clues. But even so, you can go astray easily and quickly. The best advice is always to remain very sure of your last, certain reference point before proceeding. If you are at all unsure, go back to it. Dont worry about lost time or pride. What to look for? First, the most obvious indication that you are on an old Forest Service trail is a blaze. In the Northwest, the agency's standard trail blaze was, and is, a long, vertical chop mark topped by a much smaller cut (as in an upside-down exclamation mark). Because this blaze was
almost always hatcheted into both sides of a tree, an indication that a tree scar is really a blaze is that it appears going and coming. Old blazes are excellent indicators that you are on a trail. But such blazes only indicate that you are on a trail. Maybe it is not the one you want. And the blazed tree may have died and fallen to the ground where you will overlook it. Or the blaze may be so old that heavy layers of pitch and bark obscure it. In that case, look carefully for little cuts typical of hatchet work and for a similar mark on the other side of the tree. easily mistaken for old blazes. The most obvious sign that you are on a former trail is that you can make out the tread, often a distinct rut in the earth, where generations of mule and horse strings have passed. Be certain that you are not following a game trail; those canny deer and elk sometimes make a better path than Some natural tree scars are
the men who were paid to do the job. (A game trail is likely to be steep, inconsistent, and, of course, unblazed.) A reassuring indicator of the trail crew's long-ago passage is one or more cut logs. These may be hoary with age, yet they are a sign of man in otherwise untouched country. Sometimes you can follow the trail by these alone, reconstructing the route from the places where the crew cleared away deadfalls. Lettered signs are a valuable resource, but do not expect too much from them. Often they have fallen to the ground, have been partly
devoured by porcupines, or have been mutilated by bears or vandals. Or they may be so old that their wood and paint have weathered away. And sometimes even if you can read them, their directions are ambiguous. A variety of other clues may help you, such as a rusty nail on a tree where once there was an old sign. Cairns in open stretches are invaluable, especially in fogs or storms. (In some places vertical stakes or poles
substitute for cairns.) In cattle country there may be so many "trails" that you would be better off following Chinese tea leaves. Whatever kind of country you travel, you can have fun by learning the style of the local, long-ago trail locator. Guess which way he was likely to turn next. Did he prefer direct, straight-line approaches? Was he a
contour-around-it man or a straight-up-and-over-it man? The key to following old trails also applies to cross-country navigation.
Know the general lay of the land and the direction of your march and of the major landmarks. Trust your compass; it never lies. This is not the place to give a complete course on orienteering but if you want to become a PNT hiker, especially in Montana and Idaho, be sure to carry an excellent compass and the correct topographic maps. Practice map-and-compass Each year the PNT
direction finding before you begin your PNT trek.
Association gives this advice to would-be end-to-enders, even to people who have hiked the entire 2400 miles of the Appalachian Trail. And each autumn we hear reports about how difficult certain PNT sections were because of the traveler's unfamiliarity with map and compass.3 Good compasses and maps are not cheap. But do not skimp on them any more than you would
economize by carrying too little food. And what, you ask, about GPS? Satellite navigation. If you travel only well-marked trails, forget it. Carry a pound of baked goods instead. But if backcountry navigation is your game, GPS belongs in your pack with the maps, compass, and altimeter. (Of course, dont bother carrying the weight on your back if you dont have the GPS skill in your head.) Here are some things to remember about GPS. First, as of now [May 2000] it gives you numerical coordinates, not a quad with your location marked.4 You will have to plot the coordinates onto your paper quad. 3.
For free information about compass navigation consult the Suunto WEB site at www.suuntousa.com.
4. You could quickly achieve that, however, by connecting your GPS to a subnotebook computer equipped with the right software and with rasterized quads. The Pacific Northwest Trail Association hopes soon to be able to sell on CD the complete set of the PNTs USGS quads.
prefer to use UTM coordinates and a UTM grid reader. (Note that you will probably have to draw the UTM grid lines on your old quads before you leave home!) Second, dont assume that your maps datum (NAD 1927) and your GPSs default datum are the same. Make adjustments if necessary. And dont forget that the government builds a small degree of error into GPS for national security reasons. But when you are lost in a pea soup fog, GPS could be the mother of all lifesavers. Do not be deceived by the hiking experts who tell you that GPS is just a toy. Todays GPS is cheap, lightweight, accurate, easy, and reliable. Cross-country travel is not for all hikers; and it is often not a good idea for pack stock. So wherever the PNT involves bushwhacking, this guidebook offers an easier alternate route. Consider carefully whether you really want to cross those stormy ridges or buck that jungle brush. Chances are that if you get lost, you will have only yourself to get you unlost. But do not become unduly fearful of cross-country. That part of the PNT challenge is one of the Trail's greatest rewards. One of our primary goals as a volunteer trail club is to preserve that frontier challenge. So although we have begun blazing the PNT, we are
trying to do it lightly. We do not want to have a blaze every ten feet as they sometimes do back East. Nor do we want to create a freeway. We plan the PNT to be a low-impact, high-enjoyment, primitive path through a great
variety of natural and human habitats. Because its development is largely up to local volunteers and because it uses quite a hodgepodge of existing routes, the PNT will not be totally standardized from one end to the other. But the Trail will be recognizable in one crucial respect: our six-by-two-inch white paint blaze. When you see one, you will know that
you are home. Unfortunately, as of this writing our white paint blazes are few and far between. For several more years you will not be able to guide yourself over the PNT solely by following the white blazes. Why a white paint blaze? Long experience elsewhere has shown that metal markers are too attractive to souvenir hunters and vandals. Wooden signs suffer the same fate and are also attractive to chewing, gnawing, and scratching critters. Traditional hatchet blazes in our part of the world could easily be confused with the standard Forest Service markings. white paint is cheap, easily visible, and highly distinctive. One further note: where the PNT changes direction, we place two white blazes, one over the other. A double white paint blaze means, And, the
Caution, slow down and look for the new bearing. That is good advice for life in general. Caution! Slow down, you are living too fast. Adjust to the pace of the bears and the wolves. Look and listen for the wonders ahead.
Planning Your Trip
PLANNING YOUR TRIP

What kind of trek you really want? Probably you cannot get away for the three months necessary to thru-hike the entire PNT. Luckily day trips or short overnighters can sample each of our regions. Consider some of the PNTs many outstanding loop trips. After you have hit highlights of the PNT over a number of years you may wish to complete the Trail. Doing the PNT as a section hiker makes good sense. (As of this writing no equestrians have attempted to end-to-end the PNT.) A tiny minority of PNT enthusiasts - people of all ages, by the way, and not just twenty-year-olds - will arrange their lives to end-to-end the trail in one season. A thousand mile summer accentuates all of the PNT's feelings of freedom and adventure. But it has two disadvantages. (1) The trip is so long that there may not be enough time to appreciate the country; it all begins to go by in a blur. And (2) if the trip is not extremely well planned, its burdens may be too much even for the strongest backs and legs. That brings up the important subject of your purpose in undertaking a difficult, extended march across wild country. If slogging away at it is all you're after, stay home. Long-distance hikers too easily fall prey to
"mileage mentality. "If I don't make my twenty miles today..." Think about how crazy that is. It's far better to get to know one trail or area well -
perhaps over a period of years - than to sacrifice seeing for speed. Don't
Planning Your Trip
hike so fast that you are oblivious to the daily miracles around you. The most important preparation for a successful distance hike is psychological. We are attracted to trekking (foot or horse) because of its
frontier adventure, the satisfactions of full days, and the subtle and grand impressions of nature. But interspersed with those memorable times will be severe trials. Storms, for instance, may make your way a path of sorrows. Long-distance hiking can be lonely and stressful. Meeting its psychological challenges may mean the difference between your trip's success or failure. Beyond that, proper equipment is a must! For instance, your choice of clothing can make an enormous difference in your comfort and safety. Many fine new fabrics and designs have appeared during the last ten years. But the best approach is still the layer method. something off and if you get cold, add a layer. Be sure to carry your first aid information around in your head - not in a book or pamphlet deep in your pack. Take care of your feet; check them regularly for blisters, overheating, and infection. Many hikes have come to a screeching halt because of foot problems. break in your boots before your expedition?) By all means carry extra food, sunglasses, knife, fire starter, matches, first aid kit, canteen, flashlight, map, compass, soap, insect repellent, signaling device, cook kit, and a pack large enough for all of these. Not too large, however, or you will lug along more stuff than you really need. If (Need I add that you should If you get hot, take
Planning Your Trip
there is extra room in your pack, you will fill it with something. Go lightly! One or more companions can be a help or a hindrance, depending upon your relationship. The solo hiker is his or her own boss and can often see wildlife that a noisy group will miss. accident and loneliness victim. Another precaution concerns grub. Be prepared to eat ravenously and nutritiously; otherwise your body may not be able to withstand the grueling challenge of day-in, day-out backpacking. And don't forget to eat an ample amount of fats, especially in cold weather (of which you will encounter plenty during an end-to-end trip). PNT thousand-milers usually begin at Waterton-Glacier because the ocean is such a definite end point. But whether you journey toward the He or she is also a potential
setting sun or toward the Rockies, you will encounter snow somewhere during your 100 days on the Trail. At Glacier National Park, areas such as Boulder Pass may not melt out until midsummer. snowpack (e.g., 1982, In years of heavy
1997, & 1999) even Olympic National Park's Low
Divide is snowbound well into July. If you seek the extra solitude of the off season, beware of April, May, June, September, and October snowstorms. Indeed, in a place like the Pasayten Wilderness, you can encounter snow and hail any day of the summer! Yet August temperatures in the Okanogan regularly exceed 100F. Be prepared to alter your gear as conditions change. For instance, after leaving
Planning Your Trip
Glacier National Park, send home your ice axe. Okanogan, break out your bathing suit.
When you approach the
Unlike the Appalachian Trail, the PNT is not equipped with shelters. Hikers must carry their own tarps or tents, preferably very lightweight ones with good insect protection. [A few decades ago our Trail had more shelters than it does now; all past and present shelters are noted in this guidebook.] I hesitate to advise you about brand names of camping gear or horse tack. That information changes very quickly and, anyway, a serious pilgrim is likely to be only slightly less loyal to a wife or husband than to long-held opinions on equipment. My only advice is: (1) don't become a slave to the mystique of gadgetry; (2) reduce the weight of your full pack; (3) and then, just before you leave, cut back even more. Take care of the ounces, say the thru-hikers, and the pounds will take care of themselves.
CHECKLIST OF GEAR
[* Denotes items needed for snow travel only]
GENERAL EQUIPMENT
Accessory straps Altimeter Backpack Binoculars Camera, film, filters, & tripod Cloth tape Compass First-aid medications) Headlamp/batteries, bulbs GPS Ice axe* Insect repellent Lightweight tent or bivvy Litterbag Maps Matches/lighter/fire starter kit (including
Needle, thread Nylon cord, 50 ft. Pack cover Patches, buttons Paper/stamps Pen/pencil/notebook PNT brochures (with which to recruit new members) PNT guidebook (cut into sections) Pocketknife Repair kit Safety pins Screwdriver Sleeping bag Sleeping pad Small towel Snowshoes* Stove parts Sunglasses (mountain goggles)
Sunscreen/sunglasses
Toilet paper (though some people
save
this
weight
by
using
Vest Watch cap or balaclava
smooth sticks and stones or mullein leaves and moss) Toothbrush/tooth paste UTM grid reader Water purifier/filter Whistle/signaling device
COOKING
Cook pot & lid Cup Fuel bottle & fuel Spoon/knife
CLOTHING
Bandana Boots Broad-brimmed, waterproof hat Condoms Field guides Flipflops/Tevas/tennis shoes Gaiters Gloves Long pants (not cotton) Parka (water & windproof) Rain pants Shorts Socks (3 or 4 changes)
Stove & stove parts Water bottle
BEARS
Bears are a part of Pacific Northwest Trail life. They are a constant topic of conversation and interest in the backcountry. The main thing to
remember is that the bears are not Walt Disney characters; they are wild animals. Since campers' food is attractive to bears, and all too easily available, certain animals regularly patrol areas such as Appleton Pass. As bears have become more knowledgeable and persistent, backpackers have escalated their food-protecting methods. A frequent gambit is to hang the food over a tree branch. But bears can climb trees and they can chew through the nylon line you tie around a tree trunk. When they sever the line, the food hanging from the other end of the line becomes their gain and your loss. Now, are you smarter than these rascals or not? To avoid food loss due to severance, you should use the counterbalance method of
bearbagging. First, put all your food in a stuff sack or other bag. Then tie two pots or metal cups to the bag that will rattle and alert you if a bear should disturb them. Then tie a small stone to the end of a thirty foot length of nylon line (one eighth inch or so in diameter) as a weight to hurl up and over a likely branch. The branch should be at least sixteen feet up and long enough that the line can rest securely at a point at least six feet from the tree trunk. When you have the line over the branch, tie a rock that weighs about the same as your food bag to one end of the line. (Instead of a rock
you could tie a bag containing half the food, if you have two appropriate bags.) Now pull the rock up to the branch that the lines passes over. Then tie your food bag to the other end of the line, as high as you can conveniently reach, and stuff any extra line into the mouth of the food bag. Now push up on the food bag with just enough force - you hope - that the system will come to rest with the rock and the bag equally high. If they
aren't equally high, take a long enough stick, preferably forked, and push up the lower of the two until they are even. If a six foot person could reach them standing on tiptoes, they are too low. Try again. In some popular camping areas along the PNTA, bearproof cables or poles have been installed between trees. hang your food. If Ole Smokey gets your food, do not be foolish enough to grab it back. In many areas along our Trail, local land managers distribute pamphlets about how campers should act in bear country. publications and take their advice to heart. You will probably find that bears are the number-one concern of hikers along the Pacific Northwest Trail. However, if you take the standard Read these Take the hint and use them to
precautions, you are unlikely to become bruin bait. Hypothermia is a much more serious concern because it can creep up on you more silently than any bear. Hypothermia is a killer. And all backpackers and horsemen are
potential victims.
HYPOTHERMIA
Every year we read accounts of hikers freezing to death in the mountains. Hypothermia is the #1 killer of outdoor recreationists. In fact, it is so easy to die from hypothermia that I include the following information to remind you how to prevent or treat this insidious danger. There is no mystery about hypothermia. It is subnormal body
temperature caused by exposure to cold, usually aggravated by wind, damp, and fatigue. The moment you begin to lose heat faster than you
produce it, your body makes involuntary temperature adjustments to preserve its vital organs. Uncontrolled shivering is one way your body If you've begun uncontrolled
attempts to maintain its vital temperature.
shivering, you must consider yourself a prime candidate for hypothermia and act accordingly. Shivering will eventually consume your energy
reserves until they are exhausted. When this happens, cold reaches your brain, depriving you of judgment and reasoning power. You will not realize this is happening. You will lose control of your hands as your internal body temperature slides downward. Without treatment, this slide leads to stupor, collapse, and death! Learn the four lines of defense against hypothermia: Avoid exposure! 1. Stay dry. When clothes get wet, they lose about ninety percent of
their insulating value. Wool loses less; cotton, down, and most synthetics lose more. 2. Beware of the wind. Even a slight breeze carries heat away from bare skin much faster than still air does. through clothing. from the surface. 3. Understand cold. Most hypothermia cases develop in air Most outdoorsmen simply dangerous. They fatally Wind drives cold air under and
Wind refrigerates wet clothes by evaporating moisture
temperatures between thirty and fifty degrees. can't believe such temperatures can be
underestimate the danger of being wet at such temperatures. Terminate exposure. If you cannot stay dry and warm under existing weather conditions, using the clothes you have with you, terminate exposure. 1. Be brave enough to give up reaching your destination or whatever you had in mind. That one extra mile might be your last. 2. Get out of the wind and rain. Build a fire. Concentrate on making your camp or bivouac as secure and comfortable as possible. 3. Never ignore shivering. Persistent or violent shivering is clear
warning that you are on the verge of hypothermia. Make camp. 4. Forestall exhaustion. Make camp while you still have a reserve of energy. Allow for the fact that exposure greatly reduces your normal
endurance. You may think you are doing fine though exercise is the only
thing preventing your going into hypothermia. If exhaustion forces you to stop, however briefly, your bodys rate of heat production instantly drops by fifty percent or more. Violent, incapacitating shivering may begin
immediately. You may slip into hypothermia in a matter of minutes. 5. Appoint a foul weather leader. Make the best-protected member of your party responsible for calling a halt before the least protected member becomes exhausted or goes into violent shivering. Detect hypothermia: If your party is exposed to wind, cold, and wetness, think
hypothermia! Watch yourself and others for hypothermia's symptoms: 1. Uncontrollable fits of shivering. 2. Vague, slow, slurred speech. 3. Memory lapses; incoherence. 4. Immobile, fumbling hands. 5. Frequent stumbling; lurching gait. 6. Drowsiness - to sleep is to die. 7. Apparent exhaustion, such as inability to get up after a rest. Treatment: The victim may deny he is in trouble. Believe the symptoms, not the patient. Even mild symptoms demand immediate, drastic treatment. 1. Get the victim out of the wind and rain.
2. Strip off all wet clothes. 3. If the patient is only mildly impaired: a. Give him/her warm drinks. b. Get him/her into dry clothes and a warm sleeping bag. Wellwrapped, warm (not hot) rocks or canteens will hasten recovery. 4. If the patient is semiconscious or worse, strip him/her and put
him/her in a sleeping bag with another person (also stripped.) If you have a double bag or can zip two together, put the victim between two warmth donors. Skin to skin contact is the most effective treatment. Never leave the victim as long as he/she is alive. To do so is to kill the patient - it's just that simple! 5. Build a fire to warm the camp. Other notes on avoiding hypothermia: 1. Choose rain clothes that are effective against wind-driven rain and which cover head, neck, body, and legs. 2. Use woolen or possibly fleece underwear, pants, sweater, or shirt. Cotton clothes are worse than useless when wet! 3. Carry a stormproof tent and set it up before you need it. 4. Carry trail food rich in calories such as nuts, jerky, and candy and keep nibbling during hypothermia weather. 5. Take a gas stove or a plumber's candle, flammable paste, or other reliable fire starter.
6.
Never abandon survival gear under any circumstances.
If you
didn't bring along the above items, stay put and make the best of it. An all-to-common fatal mistake is for victims to abandon everything so that, unburdened, they can run for help. 7. Remember that you can be a victim even if you are in fantastic shape and are carrying the proper equipment. hypothermia conditions and hypothermia symptoms. Be alert for
HEAD TRIPS
We invite you to use the PNT as a basis for lifelong learning about our natural and human environments. The bibliography at the end of this
guidebook is a good place to begin your PNT reading fun. And once you are out along the Trail, local libraries and museums are very enjoyable places to visit. They will keep you warm and dry as well as entertained.
Museum of the Plains Indian, Browning, MT The Peoples Center and Native Ed-Venture, Pablo, MT Tobacco Valley Historic Village, Eureka, MT Historical Society Museum (in basement of public library), Bonners Ferry, ID Ferry County Museum, Republic, WA Oroville Public Library, Oroville, WA Okanogan County Historical Society, Okanogan, WA Seattle City Light Museum at Gorge Power Plant (near Newhalem, WA) Skagit County Historical Museum, La Conner WA Breazeale-Padilla Bay Interpretive Center, Bay View, WA
Port Townsend Museum (in city hall), Port Townsend, WA Makah Museum, Neah Bay, WA
The Responsible Trail User
THE RESPONSIBLE TRAIL USER
As a PNT visitor you are our temporary ambassador. At the possible risk of sounding preachy, we want to share our perspective on how you can both enjoy the Trail as much as possible and protect it for the future. The most important issue concerns private land. One bad incident
could lead to the PNTs eviction. Follow any regulations posted by owners. Build no fires on private land without the owner's written permission. Leave no sign of your passage. Because you will meet very few people along most of the PNT, stop to palaver with folks out there. Take time to talk about the weather, trail
conditions, wildlife, and food. PNT distance hikers always say, "The people make the Trail." Contrary to popular opinion, there is no room for
misanthropes in the mountains. And if you see someone in trouble, go out of your way to help. Next time the boot could be on the other foot. Or the horseshoe. Some city backpackers do not know how to behave around stock when they meet horsemen or cattlemen in the backcountry. Riders have the right of way! Hikers should stand off the trail (on the
downhill side) to let a rider and/or pack string pass. Horses may spook at the strange sight of a backpacker's hunchbacked form, so take off your pack and speak reassuringly to calm the animal(s). All too common among hikers is a wish that the barnyard set (pack
strings and herds of cattle and sheep) be eliminated from the national forests. We don't like to step in their manure, say the dainty walkers. Or, We don't think cows are compatible with wilderness, say the sophisticates over their steak dinners. Naturally, horsemen respond with distrust of
backpackers. This division is extremely unfortunate. The Pacific Northwest Trail Association is an alliance of non-motorized users to develop the PNT. So whichever boots you wear, pointy or Vibram, try to understand the other person's point of view. Especially if you are a backpacker! Almost all of the Forest Service trails used by the PNT were developed originally for pack stock. Until about 1940 much of the region's logging was ox and horse
logging. East of the Cascades much of the route has been sheep and cattle country for a century. Read Owen Wister's The Virginian (written about
Winthrop, Washington) for a bit of this atmosphere. Part of the pleasure of experiencing the PNT is the chance to dwell in the rawhide West of legend. Please consider this book your appointment from us to be a Pacific Northwest Trail ambassador. Our traveling ambassadors are courteous, discreet, and cooperative. They follow rules, obtain necessary permits, and always reflect credit upon the Pacific Northwest Trail Association. Plenty of misconceptions already
exist out there about backpackers. One rural county commissioner we knew opposed the Trail because he believed that all hikers were hippies and that as soon as the PNT hippies saw how beautiful his county was, they would
immediately settle there to go on welfare. Be sensitive to such stereotypes, however silly. If you come from a distant city, you may not realize how Believe me, each of them will probably
locals are reacting to you.
remember your visit for a long time to come. He and she may judge the entire PNT by the impression that you personally made. What about our responsibility to the natural environment? No doubt as the PNT becomes more widely known, more people will be attracted to the beauty, isolation, and challenge it offers. And rightly so, for only as
more people discover how wilderness heals body and soul, will these places and these trails be preserved from irreparable exploitation. This increase in use puts an increasing responsibility on each trail user to travel lightly and respectfully, leaving no trace of his or her passing. Obviously, this is most critical in areas of heavy use such as our three national parks. In other places, northwestern Montana, for example, where brush is eye-level, dense and deadly, one may be less concerned with minimizing impact on the land and more concerned with reducing impacts on one's own body. In regard to no-trace camping, the two crucial concerns of the PNT hiker are the use of fire and the preservation of pure drinking water. During the summer and early fall, most areas along the route are extremely prone to forest fires. In many areas campfires will be prohibited until the danger has passed. But if you are well-prepared, that should not inconvenience
you. White gas and propane burners eliminate the need for time-consuming wood gathering and fire building. Stoves wont blacken your pots or leave ugly fire rings. If a campfire becomes necessary, consider these guidelines. Use only dead wood lying on the ground. If no fire ring is available, don't create one. Simply scoop out a fire hole in mineral soil, away from burnable vegetation. Keep the fire small and never leave it unattended. To put the fire out, drown it thoroughly with water, mixing the water, soil and ashes. Be sure it is cold to the touch before leaving. natural appearance. When selecting a campsite, choose a spot away from the trail and at least one hundred feet away from sensitive lakeshores, streams, and other water sources. (Regulations in some parks and wilderness areas along the PNT may require that this distance be increased to two hundred feet.) This common-sense rule protects essential water sources and minimizes visual pollution. The use of tents, packs, and clothing in earth-tone colors is Make every effort to return the area to its
another way to lessen impact. Soap, even biodegradable soap, pollutes lakes and streams. If you
must use soap to wash yourself, put some water in a container and bathe well away from the water source. To clean clothes, eschew soap in favor of a soak and a rinse. (One of our soap-free thru-hikers, Mr. Ted, calls town folks Oxydol people because their clothes are so bright and new going into
the washing machines.) Likewise, dirty dishes can soak overnight until you scrub them with sand or a pine cone. Keep in mind that clean, drinkable water is a necessity to the distance traveler. uncontaminated. Proper sanitation protects both water sources and the visual It's up to us to keep it
appearance of wild areas.
Few things are more disgusting than seeing
human waste behind every tree and bush. To dispose of human waste, dig a hole six to eight inches deep, away from the trail and at least a hundred feet from water. After use, cover the hole with loose soil and tamp it down.
Nature will take care of the rest. Toilet paper may be buried or carefully burned. Tampons and sanitary napkins should be burned or packed out.
Always burn them in grizzly bear country, however, for their odors may attract bears. When traveling the Trail, don't cut switchbacks. Such shortcuts cause erosion. Also, you may miss important signs or trail junctions. Always pack out what you packed in. Nobody wants to look at trails littered with cigarette butts and candy wrappers. Ditto for fire pits filled with cans and aluminum foil. Pack out everything that won't burn, including the foil packaging often used on freeze-dried foods. further and carry out the litter left by others. Riders have an added responsibility toward the environment since their saddle horses and pack animals can cause severe damage if not well Then, maybe go a step
supervised.
Pack in a good supply of feed pellets, especially in the more
heavily used wilderness areas and where forage is scarce. Don't tie animals to live trees; rather, use hobbles or string a line between two trees. Never tether an animal in wet, easily-damaged meadows or within two hundred feet of a water source. No-trace hiking is really just common sense combined with caring. Most people who choose to travel a long trail already have a deep respect for the natural environment. They realize that to mar the land would take away the very qualities that drew them to the PNT in the first place. After weeks of PNT travel, the contrast between man's creation and Nature sharpens. We realize the pricelessness of an alpine stream, an old growth grove, and a free-winding trail.
NOTE: This book gives no one the right to cross private property without permission. Landowners have legitimate concerns about unwelcome outside use of their property. Our Trail must not add to their problems of fire,
vandalism, and insecure fences and gates. Dear PNT ambassadors: Please remember that this book is only a guide, not a passport.
FINAL NOTE: The lands and waters of a region are not easily divided into chapters
for a guidebook.
The ten geographic headings that we have chosen
represent a compromise between the landscape's natural breaks and the traveler's needs. Each chapter provides useful information about the highlights, supply points, problems, mileages, and elevations that you will encounter. We have described both our Practical Route (which can be traveled on foot or horseback now) and, in endnotes, our Ideal Route (which volunteers have been slowly developing.) Thus, this book is not only a map of present PNT opportunities but also a blueprint for our future progress. Actually the Ideal Route is sometimes feasible to hike now, too, if you do not mind some serious bushwhacking. Both the Practical and the Ideal route descriptions will give you an idea of the relative difficulty to expect. In general, horse riders should keep to the Practical Route or to the Stock Route. (We apologize that as of 2000 there are gaps in the latter.) Because most PNT travelers will be out for only short periods of time, I have tried to suggest some attractive loop trips. I believe that you will enjoy the PNT more if you customize it for yourself. years. Acquaint yourself with our mountains and valleys over many
Don't be content with one Pacific Northwest Trail when you can
create many versions of your own. The Pacific Northwest, the historic 1840's Oregon Territory of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, and west-of-the-Divide Montana, was
late to be explored and exploited. Much of its interior was not settled until the second half of the nineteenth century and even the beginning of the twentieth. Within living memory the search for ore, timber, and forage Would-be
stimulated the growth of towns, roads, mills, and mines.
Northwesterners flooded in from everywhere, almost wiping out the highlydeveloped Indian cultures. Civilization spread farther and farther, but much of the Northwest somehow escaped development. The great mountain
ranges, especially, have remained wilderness sanctuaries to this day. The PNT's alpine tundra, violent storms, wild animals, and free-flowing streams all evoke a time not so many years ago when all of the region was pristine and mysterious. That is why our Trail is so special. The following chapters explain how you, too, can experience this amazing heritage.
Chapter 1: The Rocky Mountains
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS (Waterton Lake to the Kootenai Rivers Koocanusa Bridge)
Introduction
Glacier National Park backcountry is a superb introduction to the Lower 48's most scenic region. The PNTs Glacier section begins with an
international fiord, exciting wildlife, and currents of prehistoric, pioneer, and contemporary history. At Brown Pass, Cape Alava is 1100 miles into the
sunset via the Pacific Northwest Trail. The following hikes sample the best of this scenery and are referenced by number to the maps and text. In 1895 Canada created Kootenay Lakes Forest Reserve, which became Waterton Lakes National Park in 1911. Waterton Park village
(4196), located at the head of Waterton Lake, is the headquarters town for this unit of Parks Canada. For information about Waterton Lakes National Park and the August Beargrass Festival contact: 403/859-2224; 403/3823068 (weather updates); or www.worldweb.com/ParksCanada-Waterton/. America's Glacier National Park was created by Congress in 1910. For general information about the park contact: Superintendent, Glacier
National Park, West Glacier, MT 59936; 406/888-7800; 406/888-5441; or
60
www.nps.gov/glc. In 1932 Glacier National Park and its Canadian neighbor became the world's first International Peace Park, a symbol of the amazing record of friendship and cooperation between Canada and the United States. This
peace park is a Mecca for long distance trail enthusiasts because two major routes begin here: the Pacific Northwest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. [For more information about the CDT write to the Continental Divide Trail Society, c/o Jim Wolf, 3704 N. Charles St., #601, Baltimore, MD 21218. (410/235-9610.) http://www.gorp.com/cdts/ E-mail: cdtsociety@aol.com.] Also, contact the Continental Divide Trail Alliance, P. O. Box 628, Pine, CO 80470. 303/838-3760. Http://www.cdtrail.org E-mail:
cdnst@aol.com This country, seen from the top of Boulder Peak (8528), looks newlyhatched from the primordial soup. Round patterns (stromatolites) inhabit
the red argillite rocks. This airy heaven was once a sea bottom where large algal masses grew in the sunny warmth of shallow waters. Those extremely early life forms are now some of the world's oldest fossils. They have risen to have a grandstand seat from which Brown Pass and all the rest of the nearby Continental Divide are visible. Glacier National Park received its name from the lingering evidence of the great ice ages. Boulder Pass is an excellent place to observe this
phenomenon - both in the primeval, flat valley north of the campsite and at 61
Boulder Glacier. These mountains and valleys look the way they do partly because of the irresistible sculpting power of slowly flowing ice. At rugged Boulder Pass, the position of the trail gives a hint of this landscape's impermanence and malleability. Notice that 1.2 miles beyond the Hole-inthe-Wall camp, a side trail (actually the original trail) crosses a moraine on its way up to Boulder Pass. This moraine was actually at the edge of the Boulder Glacier when the trail was built a few decades ago. Since then the glacier has shrunk, permitting construction of a new, mile-shorter, cairnmarked route across the ice-scoured, pond-dotted former glacier floor and up to the pass at 7470'. Notice, too, Agassiz Glacier as you continue west. In 1910 it was one of the new park's largest glaciers; since then it has receded at least mile. Waterton Townsite, Alberta, is the usual jumping off point for the Pacific Northwest Trail. (Quarantine regulations make horseback crossings of the international border impractical.) For information about red bus
transportation to Waterton Townsite contact Glacier Park, Inc, Viad Corp. Center, Mail Station 0928, Phoenix, AZ 85077-0928; 602/207-6000. Their
summer address is: E. Glacier, MT 59434-0147. Their shuttles meet Amtrak trains at West Glacier (Belton) for transport to the Village Inn or Lake McDonald Lodge. And they run a coach between, for instance, the Prince of Wales Hotel and Many Glacier Hotel and Glacier Park Lodge. In summer, daily Empire Builder Amtrak trains (800/USA-RAIL) are 62
available to three Glacier National Park stations: (1) West Glacier (Apgar); (2) Essex (Izaak Walton Inn); and (3) Glacier Park Station (East Glacier.) Be sure to specify your destination. Currently the only other public transportation is Rocky Mountain Transportation's shuttle service from West Glacier to St. Mary. RMT, 1410 East Edgewood, Whitefish, MT 59937; 406/862-2539. Glacier Wilderness Guides provides guided backpacking trips in the park. Call 800/521-RAFT. Box 535GP, West Glacier, MT 59936. Waterton Park is a miniature city with a full range of services. Visit the information center on the main road at the beginning of the Townsite. If you are beginning an end-to-end PNT adventure, you may wish to inaugurate your journey with appropriate ceremony at the Prince of Wales Hotel. That would, we hope, include a toast to the many PNT volunteers who have made your trip possible. There are two ways to access the Practical Route from Waterton Townsite. First, you could take the excursion boat down Upper Waterton Second, you Contact
Lake across the frontier to the Goat Haunt Ranger Station. could hike the scenic, well-maintained 11.7 mile lakeshore trail.
Either way is an excellent introduction to this 7-mile-long, 317-feetdeep jewel of a lake. The spectacular mile-high face of 10,448' Mt.
Cleveland is the parks most prominent and highest natural landmark. This trip also includes the avalanche chutes on Mt. Bertha and the narrow gash of 63
the international border.
Issues
Routefinding skills are an essential part of the Pacific Northwest Trail. Trust your (1) map, (2) compass, (3) altimeter, and (4) GPS-generated UTM coordinates. Develop your ability to work out every route-finding problem. Never be afraid to ask questions but always take the answers with a grain of salt. If you are in a great rush, don't be. The purpose of having come to the Rockies is to enjoy each day for its own pleasures. Slow down and let these wonders sink in. If this is the beginning of a long trip (especially a Divide-toOcean trip), get into a daily rhythm that suits you. And adjust your
expectations to the demands of today's part of the trail. Your pace will vary greatly as conditions change. David Brill of Knoxville, Tennessee had this to say about his 1981 endto-end hike (across a section that we subsequently relocated): Back at home before we began the hike, it was impossible to imagine the adventure in other than purely logistical terms. We all
walked by the route maps pasted on our refrigerators and saw only cumulative mileage joining one supply point to the next. There was no way to accurately anticipate the real quality of each section or the difficulty it would pose. We learned early in the trip just how deluded 64
our pre-trip projections had been; mileage as the sole means of charting our progress was simply inadequate. It took us three days to hike the 35 miles through Glacier and over the Divide on clean trail. It took us two days to bushwhack only ten miles in the exhausting section that followed. Snow is a factor that can easily slow your pace. For early season (June and July) visits to Glacier Park's high country, take an ice axe (then mail it home at Polebridge). A pair of snowshoes, however, is unlikely to be worth carrying because the June/July snow is usually compact enough to hold your weight. For more information about current conditions contact the following. Waterton Lakes National Park, Waterton Park, Alberta T0K 2M0 (403/8592262. Glacier National Park, West Glacier, MT 59936 (406/888-5441.)
However, at the beginning of the PNT thru-hike season in mid-June, you, as the first person across the Divide, will soon become the expert on conditions at Brown and Boulder passes. Most park employees will know much less
than you do about the PNTs most remote locations. The most important thing is to be realistic about your mountaineering skills. If the Boulder Pass route is blocked by snow or storms, take one of the other routes. Dont become a statistic. Whether your PNT trek is long
or short, repeat to yourself this mantra, Use common sense. If the Park Service has exhausted its quota of campsite permits, 65
consider an alternate route. If the Kintla Lakes trail is closed for any reason such as snow or bear activity, take an alternate west from the Continental Divide via Bowman Lake. And lastly don't become a bear incident. Read the description in this book and in Canadian and U.S. government brochures about how to conduct yourself in bear country. One last point. The Goat Haunt trailhead is a crucial link in the oceanto-ocean, transcontinental hiking route of the National Trails System. From here the PNT connects east to the Atlantic Ocean via the Continental Divide Trail, Lewis and Clark Trail, North Country Trail, Appalachian Trail, and the International AT. In this way the National Trails System connects the Pacific Ocean (at Cape Alava) with the Atlantic Ocean (at the Bay of Fundy.)
Permits and Reservations

You must clear customs each time you cross the international border. You must pay a $4 daily fee to be in Waterton Lakes National Park plus a $6/night backcountry camping fee. There is also a $10 reservation fee. Http://parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/waterton/. Glacier National Parks entrance fee is $5.00. Mandatory backcountry use permits and campground reservations are available at: park offices; the Goat Haunt Ranger Station (0.2 mile from the excursion boat dock); and at 66
the Waterton Townsite information office. [Goat Haunt itself - in addition to its nature trail, exhibits, and ranger's talks - has overnight shelter facilities for hikers. Of course, a reservation permit is required.] Normally its a first come first served system but a $20 payment buys you permits and reservations for up to a year in advance! Write to: Backcountry Permits, Or, better yet, log on at
Glacier National Park, West Glacier, MT 59936.
www.nps.gov/glac/activities/bcguide3.htm#reservations. Backcountry campsites along the PNT's Brown Pass/Boulder Pass route include: Goat Haunt; Lake Janet; Lake Francis; Hawksbill; Brown Pass; Holein-the-Wall; Boulder Pass (west side); Upper Kintla Lake (head); and Kintla Lake (head.) There is also camping (water pump, drive-in, $10) at the foot of Kintla Lake. At the height of the July/August season, permits to camp at these few sites are often difficult to obtain on short notice. Lack of permits for the Boulder Pass/Kintla lakes route may necessitate your taking one of the PNTs Continental Divide alternates.
Equestrian Information
Contact the following for equestrian information about this area: Flathead Backcountry Horsemen, P. O. Box 1112, Columbia Falls, MT 59912. Erv McLaury, Tobacco Valley Backcountry Horsemen, 2200 Graves Creek Road, Eureka, MT 59917.
67
Supplies
Resupply is not difficult in this chapter. Waterton Townsite, Alberta has a full range of supplies, restaurants, lodging, and camping. There is an excellent visitors center opposite the Ernest Tessier's Shuttleton
access road to the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Services provides shuttle service to and from Waterton. (Box 2678, Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0. 403/627-2157; 24-hour pager 403/671-4026.) A round trip on the International or other ferry costs $18 CN and a one-way is $10 CN. For schedules contact: Waterton Inter-Nation Shoreline Cruise
Company, Box 126, Waterton, AB TOK 2MO (403/859-2362, FAX 403/9385019). Boats run from Waterton south to Goat haunt from mid-May to late September. At the height of the season, departures from Waterton are at 9:00, 10:00, 1:00, 4:00, and 7:00. Note that hikers are not permitted to
disembark at Goat Haunt on the 7:00 PM run because U.S. customs are closed at that time. The longest hop between supply points is from Polebridge to Eureka. Year-round the 1914-era Polebridge Mercantile sells an adequate selection of groceries and camping supplies. [Deborah & Daniel Kaufman, Polebridge Mercantile, P. O. Box 280042, Polebridge, MT 59928. 406/888-5105.] Owner Dan Kaufman bakes pastries and bread daily. But to guarantee having what you want send your cache drop box to yourself, c/o General Delivery, Polebridge, MT 59928. Mark it, "Hold For PNT Hiker." 68 (Mail arrives and
departs the Mercantile post office Tuesdays and Fridays only. Next door the Northern Lights Saloon offers home-cooked suppers from mid-June to mid-September. They are closed Mondays. And John 800/775-2938; Fredericks nearby North Fork Hostel (406/888-5241; sells $5 hot
nfhostel@nfhostel.com;
www.nfhostel.com)
showers and $12 accommodations.
Ask John about his mountain man
paraphernalia and about the hostels near destruction by the Red Bench fire of 1988 and the epic flood of 1995. The North Fork Valley has fewer permanent residents than it did in 1924 at the end of the open-entry homesteading era. But whether you are a chechako or an old-timer you will certainly gather for conversation at the Mercantile or the Northern Lights Saloon or up the river at the Sondreson Memorial Hall. A perennial local subject is whether or not the county should complete the paving of the valley road and whether Polebridge should be hooked up to the regional power grid. If you take the Ideal Routes Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park alternate route, assistance is available from Windwalker outfitters, P. O. Box 1390, Eureka, MT 59917. 406/250-0247. In addition to providing shuttle
service, they will also hold packages for PNT pilgrims and help you with pack stock. [Note that special regulations apply if you wish to bring horses from the US into Canada. And remember that overnight horse use in AkaminaKishinena Provincial Park requires a letter of permission from BC Parks, East 69
Kootenay District; this requires at least five working days to obtain.] Once you cross the Whitefish Divide into Lincoln County, the Grave Creek Road is a potential route out of the mountains for supplies. In any case, after the Ten Lakes Scenic Area the PNT visits downtown Eureka, MT (ZIP 59917) where most services are available. At the corner of West Road and Sinclair Creek Road, Mary Ellen Campbells Willow Fire Lodge offers $15 hostel accommodations with a hot tub and an all-you-can eat breakfast included; contact Eileen or Walt Galer at 1866 West Road, Eureka, MT 59917 or telephone locally 406/889-3344 or toll free 888/406-3344. Sandy Schumacher's Caf Jax (207 Dewey Ave. - 406/296-9084) offers thru-hiking PNT pilgrims all-you-can-eat pricing on any entre. Stop in at the Tobacco Valley News up the street to tell editor Steve Newman about your PNT plans. There is a Laundromat near the Montana Market on Main Street. Farther out, visit the USFS to arrange an overnight stay at the refurbished Webb Mountain lookout ($20/night.) available at the Creekside Inn. The Pacific Northwest Trail Association wishes to create in Eureka a festival called Trail Days. Modeled on the annual Appalachian Trail event in Damascus, Virginia, this will be a weekend to celebrate the three nearby national trails: the Continental Divide Trail; the Pacific Crest Trail; and the Pacific Northwest Trail. The many bicycle tourers that pass through Eureka 70 Near the USFS, pay showers are
will also be welcome. Trail Days could be scheduled for the third weekend in September at the height of the fall colors. potential of PNT Trail Days see [To understand the future the ATs site at
http://www.damascus.org/traildays/.] Tiny Rexford has no facilities for PNT pilgrims except for a Forest Service RV campground ($8), the Frontier Bar (pay showers, Laundromat, & camping), and a post office (ZIP 59930). A mile down the lake, Mariners Haven has pay showers, camping, and a store. Contact managers Richard & Rae Runyon at 101 Mariners Drive,
Rexford, MT 59930; 406/296-3252, FAX: 406/296-3311.
DECLINATION 17.1 E to 17.6 E
Canadian Maps Waterton Lakes Park map, Sage Creek, 82G/1, 1:50,000. [This map is available in Waterton at the visitor center or directly from: Map Production Division, British Columbia Lands Service; Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.]
US Forest Service Maps Flathead National Forest
USGS TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS 71
Porcupine Ridge Mount Carter Kintla Peak Kintla Lake Trailcreek Mount Hefty Tuchuck Mountain Stahl Peak
Ksanka Peak Fortine Eureka North Eureka South Rexford Beartrap Mountain Webb Mountain
72
Glacier National Park Waterton Lake to the Kintla Lake Road

Montana Section One
Distance: 32.2 miles Brief Description of Section

This section traverses Glacier National Park from the foot of Waterton Lake to the Polebridge access road. There is superb lake scenery on both the east and west ends. And at the Continental Divide itself the mammoth scale of the heavily-stratified Rocky Mountains is apparent everywhere in the great gulfs, hanging valleys, and permanent icefields. This is one of the PNTs Ten Best sections.
Difficulty: moderate Route Finding: moderate Visitation: high Access:

At the east send of this section, the Goat Haunt campground is easily reached by trail or, several times a day, by the International boat from Albertas Waterton Townsite, the administrative center of Waterton Lakes National park. Goat Haunt is also the northern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail from Logan Passs Going To The Sun Highway.
At the west end of this section, the car campground at Kintla Lake is a very convenient access point from the town of Polebridge. Though barely more than a store and a restaurant, Polebridge is the commercial center for the vast wildlands of the North Fork Valley north of Columbia Falls, Montana. To reach Kintla Lake, drive north from the Polebridge ranger station on the Glacier Route Seven Road.
Trail Description:
From the Goat Haunt Ranger Station (4196) go 0.5 mile on Waterton Lake Trail No. 135 southwest across Cleveland Creek and across the Waterton River to a campground. Here leave Trail No. 135 for Trail No. 6, switchbacking up through spruce-fir forest for 2.0 miles to Lake Janet (4950.) This trail roughly parallels Olson Creek. The PNT ambles west across forest and brush 2.8 miles to Lake Frances (5255), hemmed in by Shaheeya Peak to the north and pricklylooking Porcupine Ridge to the south. This lake is dominated by the rock walls of the Sentinel (8835) (Dixon Glacier) and the Hawksbill. A mile later, Thunderbird Pond is great for a hot day swim in the instant refreshment of Thunderbird Glaciers ice water. Brown Pass (6255) is 2.3 miles beyond Lake Frances across mostly open, brushy, wildflower-sprinkled terrain. (The tall, spiky blooms are bear grass.) This col hangs almost suspended between Chapman Peak (9406)
and Thunderbird Mountain (8790.) Seen from farther west, it appears as the
top of a great drop-off down to Bowman Creek. The Brown Pass campsite is 0.3 mile down the Bowman Lake trail. The name Brown Pass commemorates one of the most notable trailsmen who ever lived along the PNTs route. John George "Kootenai" Brown (19391916) was probably the first white man to cross this pass. He initially
entered the Waterton area in 1865 and ended his frontiersmans life as superintendent of the new Waterton Lakes National Park. Bowman Lake, visible soon along the trail, is 5400' lower than Chapman Peak. But the up-and-down variation is not the only thing that
makes this Ten Best spot on the Continental Divide so stunning. Everywhere you look you see the layer-cake geological record of sediments and overthrusts. Geology also speaks to us in colors - the reds, greens,
grays and purples of the different epochs. It is 5.6 glorious miles from Brown Pass to Boulder Pass (7470.)A The trail has been dug into steep slopes on its way to the great cirque called Hole-in-the-Wall. (This basin is named for the way Bowman Creek's The Hole-in-the-Wall
headwaters spurt out of Hole-in-the-Wall Falls.)
campsite is located on the flat bottom of the mammoth cirque's upper basin. It is likely to be quite snowy early in the season. That should not discourage you from camping there; it certainly will not discourage the mule deer, who will chew any salty gear you drop, including your boots and pack. Beyond Hole-in-the-Wall Camp trailhead (6400), the PNT rounds the
basin to a series of ledges that lead us up to the last basin below Boulder Pass. [Here
is where the name Glacier National Park becomes so significant. Moving water and
ice sculpted these vast voids in the sedimentary strata. As you follow the PNTs tread and cairns, you cross basins where the ice sheets seem to have departed only yesterday. This is indeed scenery on the grandest scale. (From Boulder Pass the next official campsite is 0.5 mile west.)]
From Boulder Pass the PNT follows a glacial trough westward to the North Fork of the Flathead River. The highlight of the first part are the
impressive views of the Agassiz Glacier between Kintla Peak and Mount Peabody. You will lose 3100' in elevation in 5.6 miles to the next official campsite. Unfortunately for your knees or your horse's knees, most of that drop occurs on the long switchbacks down the slopes of Gardner Point to Upper Kintla Lake (4371.) At first the lake appears impossibly distant and small in the rugged landscape of the Boundary Mountains and Kinnerly Peak (9944.) Finally, after a long descent on good trail across open slopes, lush summer brush, and fir/spruce copses, you reach the campsite at the east end of the lake (4371) beyond Kintla Creek. It is 5.3 miles to the next of the permitted campsites. A pleasant 2.3 mile shoreline trail brings us to the lower end of the lake. Then a woods trail parallel to Kintla Creek takes you to a campsite beyond a ranger cabin at the east end of the lower lake. A third of the way across this trail, there is water available at the avalanche clearing known as Bear Alley. Where the 6.1-mile Kintla Lake section follows the shore, listen for
loons and other hints of wilderness magic. [The 6.1 mile trail to the west end of Kintla
Lake should be relocated to avoid the viewless ups and downs in its middle section. (Along the way you will pass the Starvation Creek trail that connects across Starvation Ridge Pass (4822') to the Kishenehn Trail, a potential alternate route to Abbotts Flats.)]
Near the foot of Kintla Lake (4008), the Boulder Pass Trail diverts southwest away from the campground (shoreline) trail shown on the USGS map. At a junction 0.18-mile uplake from the car campground, the PNT
follows the Boulder Pass Trail 0.5 mile west over a swampy, mosquitoinfested height of land to a horse loading ramp at the Kintla Lake Road. [Nearby
but off the PNT, the Kintla Lake car campground (4008) at the foot of the lake is scenic,
costs $10, and provides treated, pump-it-yourself water. There is a summer ranger on duty.]
From the horse loading ramp just beyond the southwest end of Kintla Lake, follow the Glacier Route Seven Road out 1.5 miles (the sign says 2.0) to the Kishenehn horse loading ramp.
through the even-aged, spindly lodgepole forest. ] [This auto road has spotty views to the west
This Kishenehn trailhead is about 0.2
mile before the Glacier Route Seven Road crosses the little gorge of Kintla Creek (close to the North Fork.)
North Fork, Flathead River Abbotts Flats trailhead to the Thoma Trailhead Montana Section Two Distance: 9.2 miles Brief Description of Section
The adventure highlight of this section is the historic pioneer ford at Abbotts Flats. However, the crossing should not be attempted in anything but the low water conditions of late summer. Of course, whether you ford or not this section does provide beautiful riverside views from the east bank of the North Fork. That trail makes an excellent day hike its trailhead north of Kintla Creek (on the Glacier Route Seven Road.)
Difficulty: easy Route Finding: easy to moderate Visitation: light Access:

Polebridge, Montana is the access center for this section. To reach the Abbotts Flats ford trailhead, you can drive north on either the east or the west bank of the North Fork of the Flathead River. For the east banks
Glacier Route Seven Road, cross the concrete bridge and drive north 14 miles via Round Prairie toward Kintla Lake. For the west banks North Fork Road, go west from Polebridge 0.1 mile, then north about 15 miles. (The
PNTs access on the west side of the river has not yet been developed.) West of the North Fork, all of this section is on fair or good gravel roads. The Thoma trailhead is 3 miles west of the North Fork Road on the Trail Creek Road.
Trail Description:
Begin at the trail junction (4000) that is marked on the Kintla Lake topographic map north of BR 3844' on the Glacier Route Seven Road. [The North Forks early season high water levels necessitate a 32-mile round trip detour to Polebridge.] From this Kishenehn trailhead, the mainline PNT goes northwest along the rim of a steep escarpment above the North Fork. The clover-covered tread of this old jeep trail (the original homesteader route to and from Canada) is an inviting trek through open mixed stands of lodgepole, Engelmann spruce, and Doug fir. Openings along the bluff provide superb views across the valley into the northern Whitefish Range. The track descends to Starvation Creek via a lush side canyon. Starvation Creeks bridge is long gone but downed logs usually are available for crossings. Immediately after the creek, the trail reaches the North Fork and continues across a small backwater on a puncheon bridge. Soon you reach the remains of a cable tower that had lifted supplies across the river in homesteader times. (The far side of the river has been completely changed
by the floods of 1964 and 1995.) From the Kintla Road junction to the cable car site totals 2.5 miles. Continue upriver and inland (passing MSE 3853') on the old jeep road cum trail 1.0 mile to Kishenehn Creek. The easiest place to ford wide Kishenehn Creek is about a quarter of a mile upstream where there is a large tributary creek. Then make your way through the brush back downstream on the north shore of Kishenehn Creek. Soon you will hit a good trail. But note on the quad that your destination is a bit upriver from MSE 3869'. If you follow the good trail you are likely to end up farther north at the Kishenehn Patrol Cabin at MSE 3894'. This good trail skirts the east rim of a long, northwestrunning swamp. So be careful to keep close to the river once you have
forded Kishenehn Creek. Go 0.5 mile from Kishenehn Creek to a bit beyond MSE 3869'. (If you end up at the Patrol Cabin, there is a good trail that departs left from the front porch to return to the river.) Abbott's Flats is the historic site of Paul Abbott's 1920's ranch and pioneer ford. The crossing in August is likely to be comfortably shallow. But use common sense and plenty of caution. Assuming that you do ford the North Fork at Abbott's Flats, you need to work your way west 2.0 miles to the North Fork Road. The Pacific
Northwest Trail Association has not yet worked out the details of using this
historic ford and its undeveloped 2.0 mile connecting route west to the North Fork Road. The PNTA has chosen this route to obviate the 29-mile round trip slog south to Polebridge. However, early season high water will always
necessitate use of the Polebridge detour unless a suspension cable or bridge is built near Abbotts Flats. (The North Fork can be deadly to ford in the wrong season. And each year and each spot can be different. So if the
situation seems at all questionable, go south to Polebridge and cross at the bridge. And if you do decide to ford on foot, use a stick for additional
security. If you ford on horseback, make sure that your mount is capable of a safe crossing.) To go west from Abbott's Flats, you might follow the dirt road that reaches the North Fork Road at MSE 3991'. private land in Sections 35 and 26. [But Much of this track crosses
notice on the Forest Service map that the
Forest Service already owns a corridor from Abbott's Flats to Thoma Trail No. 15. The PNTA will try ASAP to locate a new trail west through this FS lodgepole pine corridor.]
Anyway, assuming you follow the track to MSE 3991' (and a mailbox that says ABC), go northwest 0.2 mile to the junction with the Trail Creek (Yakinikak) Road (4000).
[Though the mainline PNT crosses the North fork at Abbotts Flats, the High Water Alternate Route swings south a days march to the bridge at Polebridge and a days march north again to the Trail Creek Road. (At Abbots Flats an alternative to walking across the perhaps toodifficult river is to hitch a ride over with passing rafters.) The High Water Alternate measures 14.0 miles south to Polebridge through forest interspersed with extensive natural meadows such as Round Prairie (6 miles) and Big Prairie (7.5
miles.) Along this road you will enjoy fine views of the meandering, Dolly Varden-filled waters, picturesque gravel bars, and sharply-cut riverbanks of the North Fork. (Just before the ranger station, you will meet the Bowman Lake Road, the PNTs Alternate Route from the high country.) From the ranger station at the North Fork bridge, go 1.0 mile downstream on the west side of the river to the village of Polebridge. Polebridge is the supply, communication, and gossip
center for the North Fork on the American side. Amenities include the North Fork Hostel, Northern Lights Saloon (dinner most evenings), and the Polebridge mercantile (mail, supplies, and fresh baked goods.) To return to the mainline PNT from Polebridge, go west 0.1 mile to a junction (3532) with the North Fork Road. Go north on the North Fork Road 15.0 miles to a junction (4000) beyond MSE 3991 with the Trail Creek (Yakinikak) Road #114. (The first eight miles of this road offer panoramic views of the North Fork Valley and the parks mountains thanks to the Red Bench fire of 1988.) At Trail Creek Road #114, there are many mailboxes and a sign that says Tuchuck Campground 10 Miles.]
From the mailboxes, go west on Trail Creek (Yakinikak) Road #114 for 3.0 miles to a junction at MSE 4187 where there is a hiker logo sign. Trail Creek Roads viewless lodgepole forest is interspersed with private
driveways.
Thoma! Trail Creek Road to Tuchuck Pass Montana Section Three Distance: 13.6 miles Brief Description of Section
This excellent backcountry section includes some of the ridge travel for which the PNT is so famous. Eastern views of Glacier National park vie with western panoramas of the Whitefish Divide. Furthermore, the Trails
grade is pleasantly moderate as you climb to the sites of two long-gone lookouts at Thoma and Tuchuck.
Difficulty: moderate Route Finding: moderate Visitation: light Access:

The two access centers for this section are Polebridge and Eureka, Montana. The eastern trailhead is 15 miles north of Polebridge on the North Fork Road, then three miles west on the Trail Creek Road. The western end is accessed from Tuchuck Campground a few miles west on the Trail Creek Road. At the campground, the Tuchuck Creek Trail is your entry to the
Tuchuck Pass country. If you drive to this section from the west, you can access the Trail
Creek Road from the Grave Creek Road which is south of Eureka, Montana on US Highway #93. East of the Grave Creek Road on the Trail Creek Road, you will drop down from the Whitefish Divide to the clearly marked Tuchuck Campground. However, instead of going in at Tuchuck Campground, if you do not mind some bushwhacking, a longer, better trip would combine this Thoma Section with Section Four, the West Tuchuck Traverse. (In other words, you would go all the way from the Thoma trail to the Frozen lake Road.)
Trail Description:
From Trail Creek Road, turn right into the trailhead parking area (which has no loading ramp.) Head north with little elevation gain up Thoma Trail No. 15 on an old jeep road through lodgepole forest. In about a quarter mile, head west uphill on a well-maintained trail. It follows the forested
ridge to the Thoma Lookout cabin (7104 ft; 2363 m.) and some excellent views east to Glacier National Park. (From the trailhead to the lookout cabin totals 4.0 miles.) [Please encourage the Forest Service to make the Thoma cabin part of the
agencys cabin rental program.]
Continue north 2.0 miles on Thoma Ridge Trail No. 15 to a junction with Trail No. 18 at about MSE 6985'. This is a roundabout route to arrive west from Thoma to the Tuchuck Trail.) Follow well-maintained, forested Thoma-Colts Creek Trail No. 18 2.0 miles southwest to a junction with MSE 5422' in a clearcut at Forest Service
Road #114A. The view north is of Mt. Hefty. [This
junction is incorrectly drawn on
the 1966 USGS map; there is no late season water at this junction.]
Follow the decommissioned road downhill for 1.0 mile to sharp elbow (5120.) Go west on a spur road for 0.05-mile downhill to a clearing (MSE 5102) at Thoma Creek (dry in August.) Go 4.6 miles on Thoma-Tuchuck Trail No. 19 to Tuchuck Pass (just before Tuchuck Mountain.) This excellent trail climbs steadily through After about 3 miles you will reach
lodgepole forest, following a ridge.
whitebark pine/larch meadows and views of Glacier, Thoma, several lakes, and the Whitefish Divide. Pass a junction with Tuchuck Ridge Trail No. 114 ( that connects to the Tuchuck Campground.) Continue around the north side of Knob 7185'.
Views of pyramidal Tuchuck Mountain suddenly come into view and you will see far into Canadas ranges (beginning with the cut-out international boundary.) [Except for lingering snow patches this whole route is waterless.] The reconstructed, well-graded trail drops to Tuchuck Pass (MSE 6562') just before Tuchuck Mountain. This is a good place to decide if you wish to continue northwest on the mainline PNT over Tuchucks summit or to follow the Stock Route west across the southern slopes of Tuchuck Mountain. (Do not mistakenly take the enticingly well-built Tuchuck Creek Trail down into the valley unless you wish to return to the Trail Creek Road at the
Tuchuck Campground.) [The

Tuchuck Creek Trail is the PNT Stock Route . Follow it out to Tuchuck Campground,
an excellent access to this high country. Then go west on the Trail Creek Road to a right turn onto the Grave Creek Road to rejoin the Practical Route.]
West Tuchuck Traverse Tuchuck Pass to Camp Creek Trailhead on the Therriault Lakes Road Montana Section Four Distance: 6.9 miles Brief Description of Section
The highlight of this section is the 7751 summit of Tuchuck Mountain, the highest point anywhere on the entire PNT. (Though the old lookout
switchbacks take you to the summit, there is no built trail from there west to the Frozen Lake Road.)
Difficulty: moderate to easy Route Finding: moderate (some navigation is required west of Tuchuck
Mountain)
Visitation: very light Access:

The shortest, most direct access to the east end of Section Four is via the 5.5 mile Tuchuck Creek Trail from Tuchuck Campground. [For day
hikers, Tuchuck Mountain is a feasible-if-long 14-miler that begins and ends at Tuchuck Campground on the Trail Creek Road. (As mentioned in the
previous sections, the campground is accessible by road from both Polebridge and Eureka, Montana.)]
Access to the western part of this section is easy because west of the Frozen Lake Roads junction you will be on the Therriault Lakes Road or its side roads. And the Therriault Lakes Road connects directly via the Grave Creek Road to south of Eureka, Montana.
Trail Description:
Just above Tuchuck Pass there is an early season snowmelt pond at immediately northwest of MSE 6562'. Climb above the pond, keeping to the right (northeast) side of the ridge. If you wish to follow the 1.5 mile mainline PNT to Tuchucks summit, walk up the ridge until you reach the first switchback. (The unmaintained, half dozen, long switchbacks may take you over some lingering, early-season snow cornices.) This Ten Best summit (7751; 2363 m) is the highest point on the entire 1100 miles of the PNT. From it you will not only see the parks big peaks but also the fabulous mountains of the Whitefish Divide, Ten Lakes, and British Columbia. This
peak epitomizes one of the sayings of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, Stay high for the views. And it is the perfect spot to
conceptualize your route west to the Ten Lakes Scenic Area and to the Tobacco Plains. The mainline PNT descends the southwest ridge from the summit. The USGS Tuchuck Mountain quad describes this route as a trail but in reality it is only the location of the telephone cable for the former lookout. In any case, descend the sharp ridge across broken rocks, then grassy slopes, and
finally hit the old trail at 6720' (which is higher than the actual pass.) [Do not attempt to go this way with stock!] [Though
the PNTs bad weather route misses the summits delights, it is a scenic, early-
season alternative. From the pond at Pass 6562' ascend the ridge northwest toward Tuchuck Mountain. Keep to the right (northeast) side of the ridge following the old trails faint tread. After about 0.3 mile, you will reach a grassy, round section. A bench-like corridor heads off to the left (on the Tuchuck Creek Valley side of the ridge crest. Follow this bench toward Knob 7110'. After 0.1 mile, look for a crease that rises toward a rocky notch ahead of us. You will hit a hint of tread that takes you across the meadow to the notch. Just before you reach the little, dirt-floored defile youll pass the stump of a spar tree which retains original blazes! From the west end of this notch an unmaintained but well-defined trail leads down rightward into a timbered gully. From here it is about 0.8 mile west to the pass between the Tuchuck and Otter Creek drainages. For convenience lets call that area Otter Creek Pass. Because much of this country burned in the Frozen Lake fire during the 1950's, the PNTs bad weather route to Otter Creek Pass has probably not been actively used in almost a half century. But follow the definite tread as it maintains a very gradual descent toward the valley just below the pass. The USGS quad does not show this trail but it does indicate one coming up the valley bottom from Tuchuck Creek. No trace of the valley bottom trail exists except briefly at Otter Creek Pass itself. And the meadows bad weather trail disappears where it reaches the subalpine fir forest below the pass. The bad weather trail is marked by old blazes, cut logs, and an excellent tread. Where the bad weather trail ends, there is a natural esplanade up toward the margin of the trees and the sloping meadow. Contour up to the pass between the trees and the flowers.]
Though traces of the old trail can be found north above (6880') Otter Creek Pass, the Otter Creek route shown on the quad does not exist. The trail should be relocated westward. In the meantime follow a
map/compass/altimeter contour 2.3 miles west from the pass.
The future
relocation of the old trail should contour the slopes of Knob 7215', an intermediate knob, and Knob 7125'. This is a superb westward connection from Tuchuck Mountain to the Weasel Meadow country. Follow this route (or the ridge top itself.) The first half is open country before the ridge hits the forest. [This
2.3-mile West Tuchuck Ridge route to Frozen Lake Road #114Y (5240) is the
border between Flathead and Lincoln counties. Follow the Trail Creek and Grave Creek roads if you are not comfortable with siwashing along this ridge!]
Follow the Frozen Lake Road south and west 2.5 miles into and through the largely clearcut Otter and Weasel drainages. (Weasel Cabin is an unmanned Forest Service facility on the way; it is a convenient campsite on Weasel Creek.) Via Weasel Meadow you will reach Therriault Lake Road #319 at MSE 5113. In Section 8, go west 0.3 mile on forested Therriault Lakes Road #319 to Camp Creek Trail No. 77 (5040') The trailhead, a gated road, is immediately after the bridge across Camp Creek. A grassy area beside the creek is a potential camping spot.
Mount Wam Therriault Lakes Road to Therriault Lakes Road via Mt. Wam Montana Section Five Distance: 9.0 miles Brief Description of Section
From its summit ridge and cabin, Mount Wam provides excellent views of the Ten Lakes Scenic Area. This PNT backcountry gem is little known
outside northwest Montana. Yet its panoramas and solitude make up for its lack of name recognition.
Difficulty: moderate Route Finding: moderate Visitation: very light Access:

Eureka, Montana is the nearest town to this section. About seven
miles south of town on US Highway#93 turn northeast up Grave Creek Road #114. North of the junction near Drip Creek, continue on Therriault Lakes Road #319. Access to both ends of this section is from the Therriault Lakes Road. Along that road the distance between the two trailheads is 5.3 miles.
Trail Description:
Follow Camp Creek Trail No. 77 southwest 6.0 miles to a junction (6360) with Highline Trail No. 339. This route B uses the gated logging road
for 3.5 miles before switching to the old trail. (In 1997 this road was still alder-free and easy to follow; keep to the more obvious way whenever there is a question.) In 1997 there was no sign where the trail diverges uphill from the switchbacking road. At this point you are finally out of the clearcuts and into the untouched upper basin of tamaracks and sub-alpine firs. The trail climbs quickly to a scenic pass where you cross into the drainage of Divide Creek. The lovely basin where you round the headwaters area of Divide Creek includes a pond and a potential respite from storms on the heights ahead. The trail continues east around an arm of Mount Wam until you are in the headwaters basin of Foundation Creek. This, too, is a well-watered, pretty area. There you will reach a junction (6360) for Highline Trail No. 339, an
obvious, steep right turn uphill. Go northwest 1.0 mile on Trail No. 339 to the Mt. Wam summit ridge. This Highline Trail begins very steeply as it quickly gains elevation to the summit ridge. Views open up to the southeast of the Whitefish Divide. Go right at the summit ridge if you wish to make a half mile side trip to the lookout cabin (7203; 2196 m.) This is another cabin that should be But the
renovated for inclusion in the Forest Services rental program.
views, not the sad state of the historic structure are the prime focus of this
7203' peak.
From Mt. Wam the entire circle of the greater Ten Lakes Note especially the 6,000' elevation road across the
country is at hand.
ridge to your northwest. The end of that road at bearing 144 is your next destination. But you will have to drop more than 2,000' into the Wigwam River Valley to begin to climb again to reach it. Return down from the summit to the place where the Highline Trail hit the summit ridge. Then follow Highline Trail No. 339 south and west 1.6
miles to a junction (6200) with Clarence/Rich Creek Trail No. 76 (immediately past No. 78.) (Incorrectly drawn on the quad, this junction is at the
northwest side of the pass.) This is a lovely route that introduces you to the marvelous massif that is topped by the cupola-like Stahl lookout cabin. This is hiking at its best, contouring, staying high for the views. Follow Clarence/Rich Creek Trail No. 76 north 1.6 miles to a crossover its closest proximity to Rich Creek Road #7103. The quad shows the
excellent, view-rich trail making such a crossing to the road. But in reality as soon as No. 78 debouches into a recent clearcut, it follows a grassed-over logging road that runs north parallel (east of Rich Creek) to #7103. Your crossing is at a grassy spot where a skid road slips down to the creek. This is a good potential camp spot. Bushwhack 0.1 mile west from No. 78 to Road #7103. Follow Rich Creek Road #7103 north out of the clearcut and through forest 1.3 miles to Therriault Lakes Road #319 (MSE 4950.)
The Ten Lakes Scenic Area Therriault Lakes Road to Sinclair Creek Road Montana Section Six Distance: 20.2 miles Brief Description of Section
Though the horseshoe-shaped Ten Lakes Scenic Area permits noisy motorized uses in its valley core, the backcountrys mountains and wildlife will help you overlook the occasional noise. Luckily the Pacific Northwest
Trail stays high for the views to sample a westward curve of the wilds between Tuchuck and the Tobacco Plains.
Difficulty: moderate Route Finding: moderate Visitation: light to moderate Access:

Eureka, Montana is the nearest town. About seven miles south of town on US Highway#93 turn northeast up Grave Creek Road #114. North of the junction near Drip Creek, continue on Therriault Lakes Road #319. Within the center of the Ten Lakes Scenic Area this section begins at the Therriault Lakes Road and follows Forest Service roads for 4.4 miles to the beginning of Rainbow Trail No. 89. The western end of this section (at Road #7124) is accessible from the
Sinclair Creek Road off US Highway #93 just a bit southeast of Eureka.
Trail Description:
Therriault Lakes Road #319 is popular with ORVs and RVs. southwest on it 0.9 mile to a junction (MSE 4992) with Road #7086. Drop down Road #7086 to the river (where there is a good campsite just before the bridge) and climb on Road #7086. 5532.C Go 2.0 miles to MSE Go
As we rise out of the Wigwam River Valley, views open up of the
surrounding mountains. Turn right (northeast) at the junction (MSE 5532) with Road #7091. Go 1.5 miles to Rainbow Trail No. 89's trailhead at or near MSE 5988. This steady, easy
grade offers excellent southeast views of Mt. Wam and the Whitefish Divide. Rainbow Trail No. 89 begins by switchbacking higher onto the spectacular ridge that defines the southern end of the Ten Lakes Basin. [Highline Trail No. 339 should be extended to include this Rainbow Trail. No. 89 and its link to Mt.
Wam. No. 339 thus reconstituted, will be a scenic loop around the entire greater Ten Lakes
region.]
The sparse whitebark pine/subalpine fir forest provides constantly
changing views south of rugged Stahl Peak and other scenic treats. At about the 6700' level the forest opens up into mixed forest/alpine meadows. About 2.8 miles from the trailhead and west of knob 7464' we reach a notch above Rainbow Lake (7160'.) (There is no official trail down to the lake.) From
here we can look north from the Dalton Range far into Canada across the
Ten Lakes Basin. No. 89 crosses more of these scenic notches where the wind blows freely across the border from British Columbia. We contour below the ridge only to come upon another peekaboo view of a northern lake. As we approach the pass (7355') before Poorman Mountain, we have an excellent view of the Wolverine Lakes. This area at the heart of the Ten Lakes Scenic Area is another PNT feast of superlatives. Though the Scenic Area was oddly truncated to accommodate logging and ORVs, your view of Poorman, Green, and the related ridges of the Dalton Range is one of the most memorable sights of the PNT. continuous traverses above 7,000'. Slightly before Poorman Mountain where the views are among the most superlative, we encounter a trail junction (7456') with US/Canada Border Highline Tr. No. 339. Continue to contour below Poorman Mountain to reach a pass that takes you between a prominent knob and Green Mountain. The lava-like This is also one of the PNTs longest
rocks in this larch hideaway give an unexpected, otherworldly aspect to the country. And, best of all, the trail opens out into a superb view onto the
meadows and forests that we will cross to reach the enticing Bluebird Basin. Bluebird Lake (6840'), just to the right of the trail, is a magnificent high country refuge ringed on one side by talus slopes and on the other by forest and scenery.
Not far beyond, we reach a new junction (6840 for Bluebird Trail No. 83 (that differs from its depiction on the USGS quad.) This trail is one of the many loop trail opportunities available in the Ten Lakes area. (There is an excellent campsite below here in a copse at the upper end of aptly-named Paradise Lake.) [The
Indian Creek Trail via Lemonade Springs has been abandoned by the
Forest Service because of private land at its lower end.]
Highline Trail No. 339 continues south from the Bluebird junction. Go 1.5 miles up and over an arm of Knob 7253'. There are some excellent This area
views along this stretch, especially at a large talus slope.
completes the PNTs semi-circuit of the Greater Ten Lakes region. If you are a section hiker, you may wish to combine this part of the Highline Trail with a Little Therriault Lake loop; there are two side trails down to the car campground. At a little wooded pass (6600), we drop down Sinclair Creek Trail No. 88. Very soon we reach an open area where two trails, branches of No. 88, depart separately at either end of the clearing. Follow the rightmost trail down. Trail No. 88 is a well-used horse trail, and what it lacks in views it makes up for in good maintenance. appreciate the Tobacco Plains ahead. A water source is 3/4 mile below the initial clearing. After 4.2 miles from the Highline Trail, Trail No. 88 comes out at Road #7077 and a stone trailhead marker (3920)D. If you camp at the waterless Through the trees you can begin to
parking turnout, you will be able to see Glen Lake and the lights of Eureka. Cross this road at the gate and descend the embankment to continue on an unmaintained portion of Trail No. 88. Follow this much less-traveled, trail section down to a lower road, #7124 [3360], for a total of 4.2 miles on No. 88. This disused section begins by switchbacking down through a stand of tall ponderosa pines to a new (in1997) skidway. No. 88 has been
obscured by the skidding. But cross the skidway and continue in the same direction. Soon youll follow the USFS boundary south along the eastern Go south along the margin of forest and
edge of a meadow/clearcut.
meadow to where the track becomes more definite-looking. Follow it south through the trees to Road #7124 at a small creek. (There is a 1982-vintage, white PNT blaze on a tree at this junction beside the creek.) Follow unpaved Road #7124 west 1.1 miles to paved Sinclair Creek Road #864 at MSE 3039'.
Eureka! Sinclair Creek Road to the Eureka City Park Montana Section Seven Distance: 5.8 miles Brief Description of Section
This section follows paved roads to connect the PNTs Ten Lakes route to downtown Eureka. Though there is usually not much traffic through these rolling pastures, the route would be better if it could be transferred to a newly-built trail. Downtown Eureka is a classic trail Mecca. It is the PNTs largest town west of Waterton Townsite.
Difficulty: easy Route Finding: easy Visitation: high (on paved roads before and in town) Access: The PNT runs along downtown Eurekas main drag, Dewey Avenue.
Side streets and the Sinclair Creek Road extend the Route eastward out of town a few miles to the old logging roads and trails that access the Ten Lakes Scenic Area.
Trail Description:
From Road #7124, turn right and follow Sinclair Creek Road #864 for 4.0 miles through woods and rolling farm country toward Eureka, Montana.
This forested road climbs to Sinclair Lane, a private drive.
Then #864
makes a long descent past homes into the Sinclair Creek Valley. We pass West Road and Willow Wind Lodge. Road #864 keeps to Sinclair Creeks
bottomland until at last it tops out on a ridge, then drops to Purdy Drive at MSE 2804'. Turn right (west) in the midst of pastures toward a lone ponderosa pine. Follow Purdy Drive 0.5 mile as it drops down to, parallels Sinclair
Creek, crosses to the north side of the creek, and reaches a junction opposite a white ranch house (2700.) Go straight uphill on Lundeen Road and then make an immediate jog rightward by a ranch house with lots of poplar trees. Follow Lundeen 0.4 mile through meadows to Spring Street (2720.) Go left downhill on Spring Street 0.2 mile and soon pass a red garage decorated with two animal figure bas reliefs. Go right on Central Avenue at a yellow house (2680) and go 0.1 mile past houses to Third Street (2660.) Go left on Third Street at a red and yellow mobile home. Follow Third Street a total of 0.4 mile. Climb to the crest of the hill on Third past trailer homes; descend Third (called suicide hill by youthful sledders) to the heart of downtown Eureka. Third hits the main drag (Dewey Avenue) just past the post office at the 1st National Bank and at Browns Pottery (2580.) (Nearby to the right uphill there is a Laundromat, pharmacy, bakery, library,
Montana market, health stores, bookstore, and newspaper office.) Go left downhill on Dewey Avenue 0.2 mile to the Town Park. [Sandy
Schumacher's Caf Jax at 207 Dewey Avenue offers thru-hiking PNT pilgrims all-you-can-eat pricing on any entre.]
Town Park (2566) on the Tobacco River offers $5 camping that includes picnic tables, water, and spots along the Tobacco River. The sign says that a $5 key deposit gains you entrance to the restroom at the back of the Animal House but there is a more convenient restroom behind the Historic Village. (Note that the Animal Houses restroom shower uses water piped in directly from the Arctic Ocean.)
Koocanusa Country Eurekas City Park to the Koocanusa Bridge Montana Section Eight Distance: 14.2 miles Brief Description of Section
This section uses an old railroad grade to parallel the Tobacco River to Lake Koocanusa. Then it follows the reservoir south via the paved road to the Koocanusa Bridge. The first half makes a good day trip but the second half will not be as desirable as it could be until a new lakeshore PNT section is built.
Difficulty: easy Route Finding: easy Visitation: light to heavy Access:

Eureka, Montana is the focal point of this section. At the east end you begin downtown at the City Park. Half way through this section the hamlet of Rexford is reached via State Highway #37. The Koocanusa Bridge crosses the Kootenai River between State Highway #37 and Forest Service Road #228. The bridge is 41 miles north of Libby Dam.
Trail Description:
The town of Rexford is seven miles from Eureka via the railroad grade that local visionaries have converted into the Kootenai Trail. To reach
Rexford begin with the in-use 1-mile railroad track that goes northwest from Eurekas Historic Village. Walk past the one room schoolhouse and
immediately cross the Tobacco River Bridge. Turn right (before the tracks) and go behind the Peltier Union 76 oil facility. The gravel route continues through cottonwoods to where it climbs to run northwest beside the railroad tracks. river.) Continue on or along the railroad tracks a mile to the derail. [The trains
use this remnant stretch of tracks only to park freight cars involved in the reloading of timber imports from Canada.]
(This little area offers informal, out-of-sight camping beside the
The Kootenai Trail continues northwest 6.0 miles beside the Tobacco River. It passes scenic bluffs, lazy meanders, and pools suitable for hot day dips. (As of 1997 a few private property problems remained to be solved but basically the Corps of Engineers-owned Kootenai Trail was ready for use.) This rail line was abandoned because its Rexford end was flooded by the Koocanusa reservoir thirty years ago. The railroad portion of the Kootenai Trail ends at some Forest Service dispersed camping about a mile before the Rexford Bench Campground. After the grade ends, follow the dirt road northwest to Rexford Bench
(2520.)
(Along the way there is
a worthwhile side trail to a view of the
Hoodoos, erosion minarets on the far side of the Tobacco River estuary/bay.) This road reaches the campground a few sites in from the campground hosts site. (Restrooms, water, and $8 camping are usually available at this large, RV-oriented facility.) From there a 1.0 mile piece of excellent trail takes you to Mariners Haven Campground. (2460.) This route winds along the edge of the bench to reveal changing views of bays, coasts, and mountains. The private
Mariners Haven campground offers a store, camping (primarily catering to RVs and fishermen), water, and showers. Travel the road from Mariners Haven 6 miles to the bridge. Though this is a wide-shoulder, paved road, the views of Lake Koocanusa and the mountains will distract you from the pavement. And there are numerous
getaways where you can slip away from the traffic to the seclusion of the forest below the road. For instance, at Pinkham gorge, try the side trail on the south side of the bridge down to the cove. (There is an osprey nest at
the outlet of the creek.) Or a bit farther along at the squiggly arrow sign, there is a meadow on the lake side of the road with space for one tent out of sight of the traffic. We hope to extend the Kootenai Trail south to the Koocanusa Bridge. The route will contour along the coast between the high water mark and Highway #37. This will be a superbly scenic Ten Best section of the Pacific
Northwest Trail. Lake Koocanusa is one of the most scenic sections of the PNT. It is a remarkable combination of lakeshore vistas and mountain highs. And its
bays and peaks are readily accessible for day hikes, loops, and longer journeys. The Koocanusa Bridge, highest and longest in Montana, is a fitting terminus to this extraordinary chapter. Cross the 0.4-mile-long bridge (reconstructed in 1997) and reach the west shore (2600) of the Kootenai River. [The
name "Koocanusa" was lobbied into The first
official acceptance by Rexford residents (including the late Bill and Clara Fewkes.)
syllable stands for Kootenai, the second for Canada, and the third for U.S.A. See the chapter about Bill and Clara Fewkes in River Pigs And Cayuses, pp. 61-64. The museum at Eurekas Historical Village was Bills general store in Rexford before the creation of Lake Koocanusa.]
The Koocanusa Bridges steel girders span a reservoir that backs up 90 miles - well into Canada - from the Libby Dam (420' high) near Libby, Montana. A museum and summertime guided tours of the otherworldly dam interior are available at the well-designed Libby Dam visitors center.
APPENDIX
Chapter 2: The Purcell Mountains
THE PURCELL MOUNTAINS Lake Koocanusa, Montana to Copeland, Idaho
Introduction
The Kootenai River marks the beginning and the end of this section of the Pacific Northwest Trail. The Kootenai arises in British Columbia, then
loops deeply into Montana and Idaho. Finally it returns to B. C. to join the Columbia Rivers long journey to the Pacific Ocean. Kootenai country is a fabled land of glaciers, giant sturgeon, gold stampedes, canal-building schemes, hot springs, pioneer fortitude, and hydroelectric development. And the PNT is the way to sample this region at its best. Northwestern Montana's few major towns (Eureka, Libby, and Troy) and Idaho's (Moyie Springs and Bonners Ferry) are all on or near the Kootenai River. The most prominent peaks along the PNT are: Mount Henry (7243); Northwest Peak (7705); and Bussard Mountain (5968.) The Purcell Mountains, around which the Kootenai loops, are rich in wildlife, including everything from the big bruins to occasional woodland caribou. Fish, too. The Kootenai River's 9-foot sturgeon really do exist though overfishing has threatened their survival. This section is one of the finest on the entire Pacific Northwest Trail but it requires cross-country navigation skills for its fullest enjoyment. 108
Issues
This section will test your map-and-compass skills and your ability to deal with the uncertainties of primitive backcountry travel. Some of the
trails have been neglected for so long that you will have to be very careful not to lose your way. Perhaps the experience will transform you from a
cheechako into a seasoned sourdough who cherishes our motto, "Bucking the brush, that's my pleasure." (To learn about the inventor of this motto, see the Gaspar Petta chapter of River Pigs And Cayuses, pp. 122-127.) Navigation is also important in order to plan your water supply carefully. For instance, the Northwest Peak trailhead in an old clearcut is a good place to fill your canteens because, except for a nearby, hard-to-find lookout spring, there are no water sources (other than seasonal snowbanks) until beyond Ewing Peak. You will need to carry water to the Northwest Peak Lookout, a deteriorated frame hut that sits atop a mammoth summit of granite scree. On a very clear day you can see all the way from the Rockies to the Selkirks. [This is one of the roughest ridges on the entire PNT. What makes the Northwest Peak traverse difficult is not only its elevation but also its exposure. Glacial cirques drop away sharply on either side. There is no trail, only a long scramble. So in bad weather consider our Stock Route along the Spread Creek Road instead.] Here is another hint about navigation. As you will notice, the disused pack trails near Mount Henry were long ago red-blazed by the Forest Service as fire trails. So red paint is sometimes a good trail identification clue. Look 109
also for old tread, axe blazes, and chopped logs. And promise to sign up for a PNT Association volunteer work trip. Trail No. 91 has long been a "national recreation trail" but in some years it is very difficult to follow because of menziesia brush, nasty bogs, and extensive blowdowns. Rain or shine, you will need good rain pants and/or gaiters to get you through any wet menziesia. Water is not readily available on some of this chapter's ridges. Plan your supply in advance and carry enough for all your needs on Webb Mountain, Bunker Hill, Davis Mountain, and Ruby Ridge. Bears are not likely to be a problem here if you follow the standard procedures listed elsewhere in this book. grizzly inhabit this section. Every autumn hunters invade these mountain roads. At that season wear bright colors and make lots of noise. If fired upon, don't return the fire until you can see the whites of their eyes (or the brand of their booze.) Both blacks and the occasional

No permits and reservations are currently (1997) required to use this section of the Pacific Northwest Trail. However, a reservation and a $20
nightly fee are necessary to use the Webb Mountain Lookout tower. [Kootenai National Forest, RR 3, Box 700, Libby, MT 59923. 406/293-6211.]
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Contact the following for equestrian information about this area: Jim Luscher, Cabinet Backcountry Horsemen, P. O. Box Libby, MT 59927. Stan Sweet, Moyie River Outfitters, HCR 85 Box 54, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805. 208/267-2108. Tamarack Lodge (Yaak), 32855 South Fork Road, Troy, MT 59935. 888/2951822. 406/295-4880. FAX: 406/295-1022. 949,
Supplies
Two excellent supply points - Eureka, MT 59917 (on-Route) and Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 (off-Route) - anchor the ends of this section. services are available at each. Yaak, Montana (no post office) has two commercial establishments. A bar called the Dirty Shame Saloon boasts an adjoining Laundromat called the Dirt-T-Shame (where hot showers cost $3.) Across the street, the smoky Yaak Mercantile sells food staples and, in its attached restaurant, fried fare and pizza. Pay phones are available on the porch. Owners Keith & Suzanne Haggerty will hold PNT supply cache packages for you if you call to arrange it. (Yaak Mercantile & Tavern, 29462 Yaak River Road, Troy, MT 59935; All
406/295-5159 and 295-4706.) Other post offices are located at Rexford, MT 59930 (on-Route), 111
Porthill, ID 83853 (off-Route), and Eastport, ID 83826 (off-route).
Rexford
and the nearby Mariners Haven offer useful services; they are the best places to send cache packages at the eastern end of this chapter. Eastport has no services. Porthill, though it has two bars, has no store. Neither does
it have a bridge or a ferry. Boundary Countys Kootenai River bridges are located at Bonners Ferry and at Copeland. There is also one 3 miles north of Creston, a B. C. town with a full range of supplies and services. Groceries, sandwiches, and drinks may be purchased at the Round Prairie Mercantile, HCR 61 Box 156, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805. 208/267-9816. Probably the most convenient place to which to send your PNT supply cache packages at the west end of this chapter is The Mission Creek Tavern (on-Route) 0.1 mile south of the Copeland Bridge road junction on Highway #95. Though primarily a tavern, this folksy establishment also sells food
staples. (Tia & T. J. Roy, P. O. Box 152, Naples, ID 83847; 208/267-9915; call ahead to arrange for them to hold your package.) Empire Trailways Spokane (509/624-4116) has bus service to Creston, Rykerts, Porthill, and Bonners Ferry.
Declination 17.6 E to 18.0 E

US Forest Service Maps Kootenai National Forest Idaho Panhandle National Forest 112
USGS Topographic Maps
Webb Mountain Boulder Lakes Lost Horse Mountain Mount Henry Bonnet Top
Garver Mountain Northwest Peak Canuck Peak, Idaho/Montana Eastport, Idaho Hall Mountain
Koocanusa Country Eurekas City Park to the Koocanusa Bridge Montana Section Eight Distance: 14.2 miles Brief Description of Section
This section uses an old railroad grade to parallel the Tobacco River to Lake Koocanusa. Then it follows the reservoir south via the paved road to the Koocanusa Bridge. The first half makes a good day trip but the second half will not be as desirable as it could be until a new lakeshore PNT section is built.
Difficulty: easy Route Finding: easy

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Visitation: light to heavy Access:

Eureka, Montana is the focal point of this section. At the east end you begin downtown at the City Park. Half way through this section the hamlet of Rexford is reached via State Highway #37. The Koocanusa Bridge crosses the Kootenai River between State Highway #37 and Forest Service Road #228. The bridge is 41 miles north of Libby Dam.
Trail Description:
From the northwest end of the Koocanusa Bridge (2520), go 1.3 miles southwest along the highway blasted into the mountainside. Boulder
Creek's noisy torrent at Road Milepost 44 is immediately before the Webb Mountain trailhead (2600). Pilgrims must supply themselves with water here for the upcoming dry ascent of Webb Mountain. Wooded Webb Mountain Trail No. 435 switchbacks relentlessly up about 3600 feet in only 2.5 crow's-flight miles. The 5-mile-long trail is
usually in reasonable condition as it snakes through a 1994 burn. (Do not miss the first right turn about 200 feet from the roadhead.) The dry, steady grind of this trail is a killer on hot days. But from the lookout tower at the summit (5988; 1825m) you will be rewarded with a comprehensive view of
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the Ten Lakes Scenic Area, the Tobacco Plains, Hold-Up Gulch, the Koocanusa Bridge, and the long, curving ribbon of the reservoir. E This 1959era lookout is available for $20.00/night rent through the Forest Services Eureka Ranger Station (406/296-2536.) 1299 Hwy 93N, Eureka, MT 59917. Water is available 1.9 miles down the lookout access road toward Boulder Creek. If you approach the Webb tower from the east, water can also usually be found about 1/3 mile short of the summit, at the end of a 900-foot side trail marked by a red sign. Descend northwest from Webb Mountain 3.6 miles on Lookout Access Road #7179 to a junction (MSE 4859') in the middle of Section 31 with Boulder Creek Road #337. Go left (southwest) along Boulder Creek on Road #337 0.4 mile to a junction (5000) with Road #7183. Continue in the same direction. Go 1.3 miles on Road #7183 to Road #7229 (5440). Go west 1.3 miles on Road #7229 to almost its end. Follow Boulder Lakes Trail No. 62 1.5 miles westward, eventually rising to a junction (6600) with the Boulder Mountain Trail. (A side trail leads to North Boulder Lake where there is a nice campsite.) Where the Boulder Lakes Trail No. 62 and the Boulder Mountain Trail No. 248 meet at the lip (6600) above the lake, turn northwest at a red blaze. (Do not fail to turn at this confusing junction or you may end up following the Ideal Route to the lookout ruin cabin atop Boulder Mountain.) The USGS 115
7' Boulder Lakes map incorrectly portrays this junction, which is actually an H, not a cross. This whole heavily-wooded locality is called the Purcell Summit. Imagine the Boulder Lakes Trail curving up around from the lakes onto the high ground and continuing toward Boulder Mountain. Imagine a pack trail coming from the north, nearly touching the former trail, and swinging westward. These two separate trails are linked by a 50-foot way trail to form a kind of H. Cross over to the new trail; there a right (north) turn would bring you to Boulder Pass in 1.5 miles. However, turn left (west) on Trail No. 91. Trail No. 91 descends in 0.5 mile to a wet area where you turn sharply right uphill. Continue uphill away from the wet area, probably through
brush. This enclosed, uphill course is broken in 1.2 miles by the welcome openness of a partly grassed-in pond at the head of a drainage. A very
small site called Gypsy Meadows (5640) is available at the outlet of this pond. (In cold, wet weather this is hypothermia country.) Trail No. 91 climbs west 1.2 more miles to a ridge, near beautiful Knob 6903'. At the top of this uphill section look for a double red-blazed tree. To your left is red-blazed Trail No. 251 going south to Bunker Hill. Don't take that fine-looking path! Instead, stay to your right on Trail No. 91 even
though its tread here may be very difficult to discern. [Note that this Bunker Hill is
south of the Purcell Summit whereas the PNTs Montana Bunker Hill is several miles west of Mount Henry. And do not confuse either of these with the PNTs Pasayten Wilderness Bunker Hill.]
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After 1.3 wooded miles on Trail No. 91, initially uphill, then downhill, we reach the Lost Horse Mountain Lookout Trail junction (6540). There will probably be a sign which says, "Purcell Summit Trail No. 7." Continue north across a large, flat, wooded col where there are good views of Mount Henry and its lookout tower. If you have brought adequate water, you may wish to consider this high, forested plain as your campsite (especially if you anticipate a storm atop rocky Mount Henry.) Follow Trail No. 7 north 2.7 miles to a scree junction (6360) about a thousand feet lower than Mt. Henrys summit. At this junction, No. 7 swings north around the east side of the summit; Trail No. 9 swings around the west side. Climb northwest 0.2 mile on Vinal Creek Trail No. 9. Watch carefully for the Lookout Spring Trail junction. (Actually the Lookout Spring Trail is more obvious than the faint northern extension of Trail No. 9.) The spring is only a short climb from the junction (6620.) Remove the wire mesh and the board from the tree root crevice and enjoy some of the best and most welcome water on the entire PNT. Climb 0.4 mile on the Lookout Spring Trail to a scenic junction (6990) with Summit Trail No. 17. Climb Summit Trail No. 17 0.1 mile to the lookout tower (7243.) This is one of the PNTs Ten Best. From the often accessible, manned tower you can see the PNT from Tuchuck to the Selkirk Crest. 117
Descend Lookout Trail No. 17 0.5 mile to Vinal Creek Trail No. 9 (6726.) Descend Vinal Creek Trail No. 9 1.0 mile. At a flat there is a junction (5800) with a 400'-long side trail north to a clearcut at the high point of Solo Joe Road #6035. The east side of this ridge burned a few years ago.
Openings in the black snags offer good views of the lookout and of the eastern forests. Vinal Creek Trail No. 9 descends 5.0 miles to a narrow, picturesque valley near the confluence of Turner Creek and Vinal Creek. (Along the way, water is available at the Kettle Spring, 100 yards off the trail.) Eventually, descend steeply to a sharp-cut little valley and a major trail junction (3560.)F [Make
a short side trip to fill your canteen nearby at Turner Creek Falls. From there the
Vinal-Mt. Henry-Boulder National Recreation Trail follows Vinal Creek out the the Yaak River Valley.]
Go north 0.1 mile from this junction to the intersection of No. 51 and No. 397. Go left. Follow Bunker Hill Trail No. 51 for 8 miles, northwest
across Bunker Hill (5368) and into the Yaak River valley (3000.) This route is usually in fair condition up and over Bunker Hill and down to the first clearcut on the other side. From there Trail No. 51 becomes progressively more difficult to follow because the Forest Service has replaced it with Road #6047. However, this old trail can be followed down to the paved Vinal
Road. At the first clearcut, go left downhill along the margin of the trees 118
until you reach this road, and follow it along its first loop and back to where it crosses the faint trail again (thus skipping a small section of the old Bunker Hill Trail.) From here on, follow the trail despite terrible blowdowns and many tempting road crossings. [There is a good campsite where the trail intersects Bunker Hill Creek; at that point do not
cross the creek but turn left to follow the trail downstream. (The only other reliable water on this trail is one third of the way up from the Fish Lakes junction.) This Bunker Hill Trail is maintained by volunteers of the Yaak Trail Club (36200 South Fork Road, Troy, MT 59935.) There is nice side trip available to Hoskins Lake at the junction of Trail No. 162.]
At paved Vinal Lake Road #746, walk north 0.6 mile to a left junction (3200) onto the Vinal Access Road. Descend the latter 0.7-mile west to a point (3000) north of the Upper Ford G. Go south 1.0 mile, crossing the low bridge over the Yaak River, passing the inactive Upper Ford Guard Station, and reach the Road #92 junction (2980.) Along the way there are excellent views of forested Waper Ridge and the Ideal Route. Go north up the paved Yaak River Valley 2.5 miles to the Road #276 junction (3080.) The next major PNT destination is the Garver Mountain trailhead. The PNTs all-road route to Garver begins as Road #276 (along the West Fork Yaak River Road)H and ends as Road #5857, the limited access French Creek Road. Go 2.5 miles west on the easy, direct grade of Road #276 to a
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junction (3400) with Road #5857.
Continue 7.3 miles through forest and
clearcuts on Road #5857 to a junction (5320) with the Garver Ridge Trail No. 8. The Ten Best lookout tower is a good place to camp if you have carried water up from French Creek. To reach the Garver summit, make a 0.5 mile side trip by turning left at the far end of the uppermost clearcut and walking a short skid road to the lookout trail and thence to the lookout. From 5874' Garver Mountain you will have a very good view of your direction of travel to the northwest. In the foreground beyond Pete Creek is the 5500' ridge of Mushroom Mountain. Beyond is the West Fork Yaak River valley and then the roadless, jagged 7000'+ ridge that includes Northwest Peak (7705), Davis Mountain (7583), and Ewing Peak (7540.) To reach Northwest PeakI, descend the waterless, moderately scenic, good-condition Garver Ridge Trail No. 8 for 4.5 miles northwest to Pete Creek Road #338 at Pete Creek Meadows (4301.) The trail will curve around Mushroom Mountain and go through the Pete Creek Meadows. [From
the
trailhead, walk north on the paved Road #338 100 feet to access a campsite on the left (with a stock ramp and a creek.)]
Follow Pete Creek Road #338 north and then west, up and down, 1.9 miles to a junction (near milepost 12) with the blocked-off Jungle Creek Road #5900. Continue 1.4 miles southwest on #338 to a junction (4653) with
Road #5902, where we stay to the right on Road #338. In 0.6 mile we cross 120
the West Fork of the Yaak River (MSE 4603) at its junction with Winkum Creek. (A sign identifies this crossing; there is a good campsite on the left side of the road.) Climb Road #338 out of the West Fork Yaak River Valley up the Winkum Creek drainage. We switchback 6.1 miles up the Winkum Creek
drainage on heavy duty Road #338 to the trailhead (6280) of the Northwest Peak Trail No. 169. Follow this trail 2.5 miles to the lookout cabin of Northwest Peak (7705; 2348m.) No. 169 begins in sub-alpine firs and tamaracks and ends on the slates that pave this summit. The distance from near the Garver
Mountain Lookout to the Northwest Peak Lookout totals 17 miles.) The West Fork Yaak River basin has seasonal water and potential campsites. If you are careful, you will be able to traverse the 7 glorious, mostly cross-country miles between Northwest Peak and Canuck Peak. If you are carrying water and a windproof tent, you may wish to camp at one of several outstanding spots along this world bridge. About 2 miles along the Northwest-to-Canuck ridge, the bald bulk of Davis Mountain (7583; 2311m) rises from the rest of the wall to obstruct your passage. But the climb over it is not difficult. Beyond Davis is a 2-mile traverse around Ewing Peak (7540; 2298m) down and across the West Fork Yaak River's high, rocky headwaters basin to a saddle between Ewing Peak 121
and Rock Candy Mountain. At the saddle, you will find good-condition Trail No. 174. Follow Trail No. 174 west 3 miles to Canuck Peak (6934;2113m.) Montana is almost all behind us. At Canuck Peak the cliffs of the long ridge that we have just walked stand out bold and rugged against the horizon. New western ridges and mountains welcome us to the Idaho
Panhandle. From Canuck Peak, the Alpine Ridge Trail No. 42 drops down 1.0 mile of huckleberry switchbacks to the Spread Creek Road #435 (6160).J The Alpine Ridge Trail No. 42 crosses the Spread Creek Road at the col we have named Kounkel Pass (in honor of PNT pioneer and Park Service ranger Chris Kounkel.) Expect no reliable water at this pass. From Kounkel Pass, Alpine Ridge Trail No. 42 climbs and then contours around an arm of Knob 6567' and slides southwest below Knobs 6614' and 6491'. Here we are following the divide between the Moyie and Yaak rivers. Much of the country from here south burned in 1931, and the evidence is visible everywhere in the age of the trees. But what is more interesting is the view north of the Northwest Peak Scenic Area. Everything from the
lookout cabin to craggy Canuck decorates the horizon. And, even better, as soon as we top the initial ridge we are able to see west across all of the Idaho Panhandle. Beyond where the Deer Creek Road snakes up to Canuck Pass is the hump we will follow west. Both the Forest Service and the USGS 122
maps fail to portray the Route from Kounkel Pass to Canuck Pass and to the Copper Ridge Road. What happens is that Alpine Ridge Trail No. 42 goes 2.0 miles southwest to a meadow under the walls of the Moyie/Yaak Divide ridge. In 1997 this trail was in good, easily followable condition. It kept to the north end of the meadow; do not go astray on prospectors overgrown bulldozer routes. The meadow - lets call it Big Boy Meadow after the local bears - is at the V of two ridges. And we climb 0.2 mile west to reach what should be called Ruby Ridge (because it is an extension of the formation farther west of that name.) Just before you top this ridge, your Alpine Ridge Trail No. 42 reaches an old jeep trail on which it veers right. (As you climb from the
meadow to reach this lip, you might not even notice this junction.) The top of the ridge is only 200 feet farther. At this point the jeep trail contours left around to the south. But we turn right onto Ruby Ridge Trail No. 35. No. 35 is not identified as such. In fact, there is no sign. And it is a brushier route than we have been following. (It is in fair to good condition overall.) Anyway follow Trail No. 35 northwest, right, along Ruby Ridge 0.9 mile to Canuck Pass at MSE 5810. Viewpoints in the sub-alpine fir forest
showcase the country ahead from our Purcells to the crest of the Selkirk Mountains. Note especially the rounded, forested ridge beyond Canuck Pass because that is the PNTs next destination. From Kounkel Pass to Canuck Pass (and to the Moyie River) is dry 123
country except for a couple of brooks at the outlet of Big Boy Meadow. Adequate campsites are few; there is one beside the trail at the meadow. This section is a fine, wild place to enter the Gem State; we will exit Idaho in even wilder country. Canuck Pass is an attractive viewpoint for the Canuck Creek Valley. Its paved Deer Creek Road #435 connects 20 miles south with U. S. #2; north is a connection to Eastport, Idaho. There is no water available at
Canuck Pass, nor is there any until near the bottom of the coming 8-mile descent of Ruby Ridge. Canuck Pass is a marginal place to camp. From Canuck Pass (MSE 5810; 1770m) on Ruby Ridge Trail No. 35, contour easily west 1.0 mile along the wooded trail to the Copper Ridge Road. The unsigned trail is brushy but otherwise in excellent condition. It contours along the south end of the north-running ridge north of the headwaters of Deer Creek. In its sub-alpine fir groves we pass attractive
ledges, pretty openings, and glacier-scoured bedrock. The only potentially confusing spot is a sharp left turn in a little defile below a meadow slope. A sign (5840) on the Copper Ridge Road marks the beginning of the official Ruby Ridge Trail No. 35 Ruby Ridge is a pleasant, easy-to-follow 9.6 mile trail with many fine views in its upper section. [Note especially the Deer Ridge Lookout due
south. To the west are the sharply eroded cliffs of Bussard Mountain, which we will not reach until after a strenuous crossing of the Moyie River Valley.] 124
From the slopes of the upper meadows, you finally drop into dense forest for your final run near Orser Creek (your first water) to the river. At the bottom of this long knee-tester, the PNT formerly angled to the right in a poplar forest along the flat margin of valley and mountain. Then the PNT shot
straight out on what looked like a ranch road to the train tracks and the paved Moyie River Valley Road where you could see the entrance of the inoperative Snyder Guard Station to your left. [The
old Snyder Guard Station (with
electric heat and hot showers) is available to rent for $25/night. Contact the Bonners Ferry Ranger Station (208/267-5561.)]
However, a new owner of the private property at the low end of that route evicted Trail No. 35. In 1998 Donn Dennis and his motorcycle buddies and others relocated it as follows. Go right (northwest) 2.6 miles at the
junction (3000) of Snyder Creek Trail No. 205. We begin in Orser Creeks wooded defile. The pretty Snyder Trail contours the side of the Moyie River Valley northwest to a clearcut beside Road #34 (2560.) [This attractive, well-made
relocation replaces the 1965 Hall Mountain quads depiction of the lower Ruby Creek Trail. (An improved trailhead complete with a stock loading ramp should be available at the new trailhead by summer 2000.) Kreist Creek is 0.2 mile north of the Snyder trailhead on Road #34.]
Turn right onto Road #34. Go 0.5 mile north, passing first Kreist Creek and then a quarry. We parallel the railway up the valley of the Moyie River. Just prior to Milepost 17, turn left at the Road 34B junction (MSE 2508.) Cross the railroad tracks and wooden bridge. Go straight toward the base of
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Bussard Mountain 0.2 mile. Turn right at the farm gate and go 0.35 mile north past pastures. Turn left at Bussard Mountain Trail No. 32 (2520.) The trail follows a fence line directly west toward Bussard Mountain. (The trailhead is north of where it appears on the 1965 USGS Eastport map.) Look for a sign pointing up a narrow corridor between two barbed-wire-fenced pastures. At the end of this corridor go left. The trail switchbacks 4.5 miles up through thick forest to Bussard Mountain (5968; 1819m.) (Obtain water at the first and only stream you cross, not far above the pastures. According to the late Bill Tilly, there is also water 500 feet before you reach his jeep trail off to the left.) [See the chapter on Bill Tilly in River Pigs And Cayuses, pp. 113-117.] After you have begun to fear that you will never break out of the trees, the long climb finally peaks out at a rock outcrop (3240.) From this great picnic site you get a fascinating new perspective on Bussard Lake, the Moyie River, the long eastern ridge, and even Keno Mountain. Above this lookout ledge is a jeep road, which comes down from Bussard Mountain to the late Bill Tilly's Tilly Mine. Turn left on the Tilly Mine jeep road (that has replaced Trail No. 32) and follow it to a signed road junction on heavily-wooded Bussard Mountain. Be careful to stay on the
main way; dont go north toward the Queen Mine. Do not go astray on one of the many bulldozed prospecting tracks. Continue southwest along the flat, forested ridge. Climb a very small 126
rise. The serpentine trail descends a tiny draw. An unsigned major dirt road comes in from the right at an island of two tall firs in the middle of this Tjunction (5640.) From here, if you wish to take the easiest, most direct way to the Kootenai River Valley, follow this scenic road #2500. It is an excellent choice in fog or storms. [There
is no water in this tiny draw but you could find some There are no views at this forested T-
approximately two switchbacks down Road #2500. junctions campsite (5680.)]
However, this gravel Route continues southwest up Bussard Mountain on the ridges jeep road toward a microwave relay tower. We ascend,
sometimes in meadows with excellent views back to Northwest Peak, Ruby Ridge, etc.K From the jeep road (Trail No. 32), you will reach a Y junction (5880.) To the left (south) there is the well-driven dirt road that the Forest Service map lists as Trail No. 152. However, you must go straight ahead on a lesstraveled dirt road that is marked by a plastic diamond. In 100' farther there is a junction (5840) where a hiker logo sign indicates the blazed Danquist Trail straight ahead. (If you were to go left here, you would follow the microwave access road along the ridge.) We follow the Danquist Trail No. 225 west 2.3 miles to Tungsten Mountain. The trail is generally in at least fair condition except where it
drops into a wet, brushy area. (That, by the way, is your only water source on this high, rocky ridge between Bussard Mountain and Tungsten 127
Mountain.)
Before it drops too low we enjoy peekaboo views north.
And
then views west of the Selkirk high peaks and of the farms of the Kootenai River Valley. As we drop down the sub-alpine fir ridge from Bussard, we get enticing views of Bethlehem Mountains rocky meadows. Turn left at the unsigned junction of Trail No. 23 (5280) on the south side of Tungsten Mountain. Descend Trail No. 23 down the wooded draw
into a large, grassy opening where there is a superb view south down the Kootenai River Valley to Bonners Ferry and beyond. This trail is very
indistinct in the clearing. So work your way down to the left to regain the tread. Discover the overgrown mine road near the bottom of the scenic Follow it down to an overgrown glory hole that is part of the Trail No. 23 is obscure in its southwest
opening.
abandoned Tungsten Hill Mine.
course the next little bit to the Rock Creek Road; if you miss it, follow a southwest compass bearing until you reach the road. The distance from the Danquist junction to the Rock Creek Road junction totals 0.6 mile. (The
Forest Service map lists this road as Trail No. 23.) Descend this rough-butdrivable jeep road 1.9 miles to the Camp Nine Road #397 junction (3800.) Go 1.8 miles northwest on Camp Nine Road #397. (There is water at Rock Creek 0.1 mile northwest.) This is an easy, forested downhill on a
rutted gravel road. There is one good view of Hall Mountains impressive cliffs and of north along the Kootenai River Valley into Canada. We reach the access road (that comes in from the right) to the defunct 128
Bethlehem Mines pits and tunnels. From the Bethlehem Mine Road junction (MSE 3443), follow a compass bearing west cross-country 0.9 mile through the woods to the north end of Brush Lake (2998.) The young forest is open enough for easy travel; this bushwhack is more direct than the Camp Nine Road and it offers the welcome campsites, swimming, and water of Brush lake. (Note that the
campsites are at the south end of the lake and are accessible by a west shore trail; camping is not permitted at the boat launch midway along the western shore.) [If you want to avoid this bushwhack, you can stay on #397 and go 4.1 miles
to the Brush Lake Road.]
Follow unremarkable Brush Lake Road #1004 down 2.0 miles to Highway #95 (MSE 2487.) Go left south 1.3 miles on paved Highway #95 to the Mt. Hall Grade School at the junction (MSE 2194) of State Highway #1. Turn right on paved State Highway #1 and go 1.0 mile northwest to the Wallen Road (MSE 2114.) Turn left at the horse pasture and follow the Copeland Bridge Road 1.7 miles to the Kootenai River. You will pass several houses, the Copeland grain elevator, and a crop duster airplane hangar as you head out across the scenic Purcell Trench. Continue to the Copeland Bridge (1763.) [Camping
is apparently not forbidden at the boat launch at the old ferry site.
The Copeland Bridge is famous in PNTA history as the site of the first PNT sign. Pointing grandly east to the Continental Divide and west to the Pacific Ocean, it was erected by PNT volunteers in
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1977 (and stolen by evildoers in 1983.)]
We have crossed the Purcell Mountains, beginning and ending at the Kootenai River.
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THE INLAND EMPIRE From the Kootenai River at Northern Idahos Copeland Bridge to the Columbia River at
Northport, Washington
Introduction
The Inland Empire is that area of northern Idaho and northeast Washington that looks to Spokane as its shire city - despite the existence of two official capitals hundreds of miles away. This remote section of the PNT is anchored at both ends by major river corridors. It begins with the
Columbia-bound Kootenai River and end at the Columbia itself. You cross the spectacular Selkirk Crest, a very long range of granite summits and ridges that snakes northwesterly far into Canada. Since there is as yet no trail that follows the Crest, the Practical Routes temporary substitute is to parallel it on the west via Lookout Mountain, Upper Priest Lake, and forest roads. This country is rich in views, peaks, lakes, and horizons. The Kootenai River marks the beginning and the end of this section of the Pacific Northwest Trail. The Kootenai arises in British Columbia, then
loops deeply into Montana and Idaho. Finally it returns to B. C. to join the
Columbia Rivers long journey to the Pacific Ocean. Kootenai country is a fabled land of glaciers, giant sturgeon, gold stampedes, canal-building schemes, hot springs, pioneer fortitude, and hydroelectric development. And the PNT is the way to sample this region at its best. Don't expect much social or cultural continuity from one valley to the next. The Kootenai River, Upper Priest River, Pend Oreille River, North Fork Deep Creek, and Columbia River valleys are all north-south corridors with little east-west spillover. In fact, the PNT is usually the most direct way to move from one of these drainages to the next. From the settled precincts of one valley you will climb into wild backcountry, descend to another isolated settlement, and repeat the process again and again. Washington states treats include the Salmo-Priest Wilderness, Crowell Ridge, Z-Canyon, Hooknose/Abercrombie, and one of Americas greatest rivers. Did you know that one third of all Lower 48 water flows seaward
down the Columbia River? Its mighty tributaries include: the Kootenai; the Pend Oreille; the Kettle; the Okanogan; the Similkameen; the Pasayten; and the Sanpoil. Listen for the magic of loons at dawn and wolves at dusk. Along the Upper Priest River Trail, giant cedars and hemlocks evoke damp, mossy Puget Sound far to the west. The PNTs Inland Empire section is one of its richest treasures. travel. Though little known, it typifies the best in backcountry
Issues
Water will probably not be a problem in this rainy section because there are so many lakes and creeks. We visit some of the Selkirk Crests 24 glacial cirque lakes. If your hook is unlucky with their cutthroat, golden,
rainbow, and Eastern brook trout, try for whoppers at Upper Priest Lake. And whether you fish or not be sure to have good raingear in case you find yourself swimming along the Trail. The PNTs Inland Empire route utilizes some Sherlock Holmes trails that require navigation skills. We also do enough "bucking the brush" in the upper Lion Creek country to separate the compass-ready from the ready-toget-lost. them. The PNT beyond Ball Lakes includes a 6.5 mile bushwhack. For those who wish to avoid it Bonners Ferry outfitter Stan Sweet recommends a Stock Route that includes the West Side Road to the Smith Creek Road to Saddle Pass. Then go northwest from Saddle Pass via #1009 to the Boundary Creek Road to Grass Creek Road #636. Follow Blue Joe Mountain Road #1011. Don't attempt these parts unless you are sure you can handle
Follow the Bog Creek and Malcolm Creek roads to Upper Priest Falls. If you are not sure of your route-finding abilities or if there is the chance of bad weather, heed Stans advice. This sections piece of the Practical Route is not labeled wilderness on any map. But it is wilder than almost any other
place on the PNT. We chose this Ten Best route to give you one of the longest, continuous experiences of wildness in the Lower 48. Of course,
there is always the upper Long Canyon Trail as a brush-choked but lessexposed way to reach North Fork Lion Creek Pass. One way to sample the Selkirks without this bushwhack would be to bail out onto the 8-mile Trout Creek Road. It would take you back to the West Side Road, 6 miles south of the Copeland Bridge. The Trout Creek
Road trailhead has water, a stock ramp, and three horse campsites. Parking at the trailhead is limited to the few designated spots. The trail is located at the right of the signboard. Note that camping with stock is prohibited at
Pyramid, Ball, and Trout lakes. Another angle on the PNTs Selkirk Crest country is available along the Practical Route a bit farther west. Lookout Mountain (6727, 2050 m) is a
dramatic ridge with a sheer, ice-sculpted basin on its north side. A PNT Ten Best destination, the rocky summit boasts a 1929 lookout cabin that lookout maven Ray Kresek is restoring with his friends. From it and from the
modern, stilt-supported fire lookout tower you will have a panoramic view from the PNTs Ball Lakes/Myrtle Ridge route west to the Shedroof Divide.

No permits are required to travel this section. [Idaho Panhandle National Forests, 1201 Ironwood Drive, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814. 208/7657223. www.fs.fed.us/r6/ipnf.]
Contact the following for equestrian information about this area: Stan Sweet, Moyie River Outfitters, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805. 208/267-2108. Marcie Ott, North Idaho BCH, P. O. Box 233, Sandpoint, ID 83864. 208/265-5779. Bob Lynch, Priest River BCH, 208/448-4848. Ken & Sherrie Elliott, Inland Empire BCHW, 10612 N. Moffat Rd., Mead, WA 99021. H: 509/467-3725.
Supplies
Be sure to plan your supplies carefully. Supply points are few and
your progress may be slow. Choose lightweight food that needs little fuel to prepare. Several hours off-Route, Spokane is the shire city of the Inland Empire. Every imaginable backpacker and equine service is available there, including year round, downtown lodging at the Brown Squirrel AYH Hostel, 930 South Lincoln, Spokane, WA 99204-3656, 509/838-5968. Bonners Ferry, Idaho (ZIP 83805) , near the beginning of this section, is an excellent supply point. Northport, Washington, at the western end, is only slightly less comprehensive. From Bonners Ferry, Empire Trailways
(509/624-4116) is available to Spokane. If you are an end-to-ender, drop in
at the two Bonners Ferry newspapers to tell them about your trip. Though there are no campsites in or near town, we have sometimes camped at the fairgrounds. Copeland has no post office and no facilities for travelers (except a cinder block outhouse at the boat launch.). Porthill (83853), on State Highway 1 at the Canadian border, does have a post office. There is no longer a Kootenai River crossing at Porthill. Creston, B.C. - famous for fresh fruit - is only 7 miles north of the border. Creston has a full range of facilities. Distance hikers will appreciate Creston's three bakeries: Creston Valley Bakery (604/428-2661); Olde Country Bakery (604/428-2525); and the Garden Bakery. Bus transportation is available from Empire Trailways Spokane (509/624-4116.) Coolin (ZIP 83821) is a resort village at the south end of Priest Lake; basic supplies are available at the Leonard Paul Store (P. O. Box 93; 4432463.) There is also the Indian Creek Resort at the entrance to Priest Lake State Park's Indian Creek Unit. (208/443-2292.) Near Sullivan Lake, the Sullivan Lake Trading Post sells general supplies. They are open 10-6, Wednesday to Sunday. Public transportation is available in the form of the Selkirk Shuttle between Metaline Falls and Ione. (Call Gloria Coppock at 509/446-3505.) It is a combination store/restaurant/resort
No, the Selkirk Shuttle does not connect to other bus systems.
But Ione
does have a bank, cash machine, post office, and two grocery stores. The Neo-Nazis ammunition store is no longer in business. Former cement factory town Metaline Falls, Washington (ZIP 99153) has a good variety of facilities. George and Herb Kubota can usually find things such as seam sealer in their jampacked Metaline Falls Trading
Company at 208 E. 5th Ave. (509/446-2301.) You can buy groceries at the Falls Market or take in a movie at the Showhouse movie theater. On the main street, Katie & Drew Parker operate Katie's Oven Bakery (509/4464806.) (Ask Katie about her "cheaper by the dozen" prices.) The nearby sewing shop doubles as a liquor store! Note also that ex-mayor Lee "Teen" McGowan rents rooms for $35 at her historic Washington Hotel at 225 E. 5th Street. While doing your wash you can browse through her art gallery or eat at Katies Oven Bakery downstairs. (Washington Hotel, P. O. Box 2, Metaline Falls, WA 99153; 509/446-4415.) A mile south (upstream) the separate town of Metaline (ZIP 99152) has an attractive town park. As the highway descends into Metaline, a turnoff to the Metaline Waterfront Park is at the center of the eastside guardrail. This park is equipped with restrooms (with electricity) and covered picnic tables. (Located beside the Pend Oreille River, camping is officially prohibited except to large groups that have advance permission and proof of insurance.). Metaline also has a steak house and a burger/shake stand. The
filling station sells groceries.
Farther along the highway, the Mt. Linton
Trailer & RV Park has a Laundromat and pay showers. (The clueless town government wants foot-powered pilgrims to stay at Lintons rather than in the bucolic town park!) By contrast, Northport offers pay camping at the city park north of the bridge. Northport also has groceries, cafes, taverns, Laundromat, phones
and Ollie Mae Wilsons post office (ZIP 99157.) Leadpoint has no facilities. Leadpoint was laid out in June of 1917 at the height of the World War I zinc boom. It was named for the nearby
Electric Point Lead Mine. Today no services are available at Leadpoint, but you could mail out a letter by putting it in someone's mailbox and raising the box's red flag. To reach the Columbia River town of Northport from Leadpoint, you must cross a four thousand foot intervening height of land. Most of this
country is privately owned, though several sections belong to the state or to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Deep Creek valley is a flat, bucolic expanse of grazing cows and soaring nighthawks. Across the valley from the road, one large, old mine still produces pay dirt whenever the price of ore is high enough.

US Forest Service Maps
Idaho Panhandle National Forest Colville National Forest USGS Topographic Maps Copeland, Idaho Smith Falls Pyramid Peak Priest Lake NE Caribou Creek Upper Priest Lake Continental Mountain Salmo Mtn, Idaho/Washington Gypsy Peak Boundary Dam Abercrombie Mountain Leadpoint Boundary Northport
Route Description
At the west end (1748) of the Copeland Bridge, walk down to the dike
at a swimming spot much used by locals. This first river bend section along the dikes is known as the Harry Meyers Route. The name honors the
waterman whose ferry plied the river here until the bridge was built in 1968. (He was also the guardian of the worlds first PNT sign, erected in 1977 at the west end of the Copeland Bridge.) Here the Kootenai River makes a
great westward bend around acres and acres of wheat. Travel 2.4 miles along the dike to enjoy its morning mists, grazing cows, red-winged blackbirds, cottonwood smells, and reports of giant sturgeons. The river
banks have been eroding because of Libby Dams water level fluctuations but this section is always a treat. You reach Farm Access Road #45C (1760). Follow it north, then west across the flat farmland. Creek (1760.) After 3.2 miles, you reach the mouth of Parker Follow it
Turn left on the road just before the creek.
southwest 0.7 mile to its junction with the West Side Road #18 (1840.) Go northwest 0.3 mile on West Side Road #18, crossing Parker Creek to Parker Peak Trail No. 221 (1880). Plan ahead for your water supply. This unmaintained trail is waterless except for: a spring 5 miles from the valley; a seasonal creek below Parker Peak in a slide area; and seasonal snowbanks. This steep 13.4-mile-long trail rises quickly from the valley and it stays high for the views. You begin with rapid switchbacks up to the divide
between Parker Creek and Long Canyon Creek. There is an early junction with Trail No. 14. Stay right on Trail No. 221. For the first 4 miles, the trail is
often in the open so there are spectacular views of the Kootenai River Valley to the northeast. The first water source is 5 miles up from the valley. (The same spot offers a rare level site for camping.) From the spring to the Parker Lake Trail junction totals 4.2 miles. It includes a short (-mile) side trail to Parker Peak (7670) where the view becomes more panoramic since you are now on top of the ridge. This
junction has a couple of nice, level campsites with a lovely view due east. Continuing along the PNT another 3/4 mile, you pass another short side trail (-mile, Parker Lake Trail No. 203) down to Parker Lake (6318) and a campsite. (This lake is only your second source of water from the
Kootenai River Valley.) From the Parker Lake Trail junction (6880), it is another 2.9 miles to the half-mile side trail to Long Mountain Lake (6705.) The hike along the delightful ridge of Long Mountain is so beautiful that it rates a PNT Ten Best award. Seasonal snowbanks offer possible sources of water if you
wish to camp at some of the ridges campsites. After the Long Mountain Lake junction (7080), Parker Peak Trail No. 221 switchbacks 0.8 mile down to a rocky junction (6400) with two trails. Pyramid Pass Trail No. 7A rises to this point from the valley of Long Canyon Creek. Pyramid Pass Trail No. 13 is actually a continuation of the Parker
Peak Trail No. 221. (This junction is notable for great views of Smith Peak.) Go south uphill 0.5 mile on well-watered Pyramid Pass Trail No. 13 to
cross wooded Pyramid Pass between 7355' Pyramid Peak and Knob 7498'. The final ascent features grassy glades where the pretty trail winds among large, white boulders and scattered firs. Before the pass there is a waterless site for one tent. Next at the pass itself, you may feel an anticlimax because there are no views and no campsites. Then the trail switchbacks down
through sparse firs and no sites. The water of Pyramid Lake is not visible as you go. But its basin is the scree and cliffs to your right before the trail
switchbacks down to a forested bench. Finally you reach a 15' bridge over a stream at the junction (6120) with Trout Lake-Big Fisher Lake Trail No. 41. (Note the historic, cracked 1982-vintage PNT white paint blazes.) The
distance you have come from the Trail No. 7 junction totals 1.5 miles. The sign here at the Trail No. 41 junction indicates 3 miles to Trout Lake Turn right at this Trout Lake-Big Fisher Lake Trail No. 41 junction. Continue south 0.5 mile on Trail No. 13 to the junction (5910) with Ball Lakes Trail No. 43 and with Trail No. 19. 0.6 mile east on the latter would take you to the parking area of Trout Creek Road #634. Continue south 0.7 mile on Ball Lakes Trail No. 43 to Pyramid Lake, a popular destination for folks from the nearby Trout Creek Road parking area. This excellent trail crosses brooks and it snakes through areas of boulders. It crosses wet spots on puncheon bridges. Pyramid Lake (6050) is an idyllic, sub-alpine tarn where dragonflies dart in the shadow of granitic cliffs.
Continue past the fir-screened campsites at Pyramid Lake. From the puncheon bridge over the lakes outlet stream, you loop around to scale the heights above the lake. Ascend rock-face switchbacks above the lake to a higher bench. (Looking back, you will be able to gaze out Trout Creek Valley east toward the Purcell Mountains and beyond. On the horizon note part of the ridge near Northwest Peak.) A 1.0-mile hike brings us to Upper Ball Lake (6708) and then Lower Ball Lake (6605.) They are part of a talus basin at the headwaters of Spanish Creek (east of Knob 7265'.) The Upper Lake is not ideal for camping; there is an excellent site at the Lower Lake. Mid-July campers, fill all your
canteens here because, except for seasonal snowbanks the next bit of ridgerunning and bushwhacking will be very dry. From a dead, blazed sub-alpine fir at the south end of Lower Ball Lake, you head up cross-country. (Yes, this is still the Practical Route.) You gain the ridge southwest of the lake by climbing the scree and contouring around Knob 7265'. Don't bother climbing to the top of this rocky, mostly treeless prominence. Just go high enough to slip around its south side to the (In foggy/stormy conditions, a less-
southward-running ridge beyond.
exposed route would be to bushwhack instead up upper Long Canyon Creek.) This Ten Best ridge is the headwall of the east/west Lion Creek. It extends 3.5 miles to Myrtle Peak (7122.) You go only about 1.5 miles of that
distance.
You progress between and over a series of bumps and knobs,
avoiding the wind-dwarfed firs, and sometimes hopping from rock to rock. Where you cross the glacier-polished planes of granite, you will be thankful for Vibram boot soles. This is not a place for missteps - but it is not really difficult either. Pick your way through boulders, sub-alpine firs, whitebark pines, grass, and huckleberries at about the 6900' contour. This traverse
offers superb views of the Selkirks to the south, including Myrtle Peak and Myrtle Lake. Keep rethinking your new positions in relation to prominent
landmarks. Follow the ridge along a series of gradually descending knobs 6923' and 6862' - which are fun, easy scrambles. From the top of each, the familiar crags of Lions Head gradually change profile west of us. This ridge consists of stunted sub-alpine firs, heather, moss, flowers, and grasses. Up and down along the ridge, there are occasional potential tent sites for the Wise Person who has packed in a supply of water. Between Knob 6862' and Knob 6799', bushwhack west 1.0 mile down to the North Fork, Lion Creek Pass (5760.) (This pass is immediately
northeast of Knob 6288' in Section 30.) From the heights, note the location of the pass below. Take a compass bearing on it and start down. Weave through openings in the sub-alpine firs. Follow snippets of game trails if
they are going your way. Skirt boulders and the steeper descents. Descend cool seeps that become brushy watercourses. Hang onto menziesia. Drop
down about a thousand feet from the ridge to the pass where you will encounter open, park-like stands of firs with an undergrowth of menziesia. [Note that there is a distinct lip where the pass country falls off very rapidly down to the
upper Long Canyon Creek. From the lip down to the creek there is even a steep but reasonably good trail. There are even a few old blazes. (The southernmost two miles of the Long Canyon Trail were extremely overgrown in 1998. But the east bank portion north to Trail No. 7 was in primo condition.)]
From the lip of this North Fork Lion Creek Pass, descend south 2.5 miles cross-country down the North Fork of Lion Creek to Lion Creek (4600.) The trail, so obvious at the lip, quickly fades away. This 1100-foot
elevation descent can be rough going in the brush. But at least with the North Fork as your guide you will probably not go astray as you descend national forest and state of Idaho woods and regrowth. Bushwhack 1.5 miles northwest and west parallel to Lion Creek to the upper end (4400) of the Lion Creek Trail. This stretch of Idaho state land has some faded indications of a rough trail but you cannot depend on them. Follow the Lion Creek Trail west 1.5 miles to the roadhead (3840) at a tributary of Lion Creek. The lower part of this trail is graced by beautiful
creeks with smooth granite slides and falls. At the trailhead, a dead cedar stands beside the water; note the identifying hole someone cut into the hollow interior of this tree. Follow the Lion Creek Road 2.3 miles southwest. Along the way, after 0.6 mile a road comes in from the north and you are greeted with grand
views of the polished granite slopes across Lion Creek. This is an example of the trademark glacial scenery for which the Selkirks are famous. After about 0.15 mile farther, you reach the ruins of a shack. After about half a mile more, you find another side road and an old logging landing with great views of Lions Head Ridge and your first look at distant Priest lake. In
another half mile you reach a parking area on your left. Another 0.4 mile brings us to Road #423, a gated fire access road at MSE 3232. Road #423 switchbacks up the watershed of a vigorous tributary of Lion Creek. The road is gated where it first encounters this north/south
stream. Follow it 4.0 scenic miles to the summit of Lookout Mountain. There is also a trail, No. 423, that probably dates from before construction of this dozer road. It reaches a set of two junctions (6200) just below Lookout Mountain. Note the first faint one to your left; it is your next
route, down toward the north end of Priest Lake. Then look in the trees 400' ahead of that junction for the summit trail junction (if you wish to visit the top of Lookout Mountain.) [You will probably find no signs to indicate any of these trails or junctions.] The PNT does not go all the way up to the rocky summit. But imagine for a moment that you have arrived at the summit tower via the dozer road. (There is a flat spot suitable for a well-guyed tent at the high point of the road; there is no water.) You will see a panoramic view of your next goal, the country between Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake. Descend the road
literally straight down from the lookout. Look for a place where the dozer skinner made a false push to the right. Not far beyond that the road veers abruptly left but you must plunge straight ahead down onto Trail No. 37. The trail descends in 0.7 mile while you enjoy panoramic views of Priest Lake. And Upper Priest Lake. (Note the ridge that descends toward the strip of land between the two.) come to a T junction. Go left at the junction along the unmaintained Trail No. 37 rather than take the maintained, rightward, northerly No. 36 (that would lead you to Lookout Lake.) In other words, go left across the brow of the ridge on No. 37. After about 400' you will make a subtle right turn off this trail as No. 37 veers markedly toward the ridge to the lakes. Next go 5.1 miles along the wooded ridge (a dry route except for a high initial stream.) Along the way, you will cross a half dozen roads; the first are mere skid roads. Much of Trail No. 37 is ill-maintained but these junctions are easily negotiated if you carefully follow the orange ribbons and occasional blue paint marks. Where you first cross a real road, you must go left 150 feet to pick up the trail again. (Look for the word TRAIL in blue paint on a cedar.) At the second road crossing, plunge into what looks like old logging debris to find the trail going down a woods defile. This is a short section between road crossings and soon debouches onto a road switchback corner where you only need to go 35 feet downhill to regain the trail (on the After a long period in the trees, you
same side of the road.)
Later where the trail first reaches a view rock
overlooking Priest Lake, be sure to go to the right and not down left of the rock toward the lake.[If
you took the left, you would descend through a dark, wooded
canyon and reach the Lionhead Unit of Priest Lake State Park on aptly-named Mosquito Bay. In other words, the left branch of Lookout Mountain Trail No. 37 reaches the campground immediately east of the 50-foot rock face at the north end of the lake. ]
The lower end of the
rightmost branch of Lookout Mountain Trail No. 37 is unmaintained but easily followed along excellent tread through the cedar/hemlock forest. It debouches at its trailhead (2520) on Road #1. (This trailhead is 150 paces downhill from Signpost 21.) Go left downhill 0.1 mile on Road #1 through the forest to the Floss Creek Trail (2480.) Turn right onto the Floss Creek Trail (marked by a wooden post with the name written on its side.) The Floss Creek Trail begins with kellyhumps and with an alley through the forest to a dirt road. This blocked-off road/trail will be your route to Upper Priest Lake. This route is occasionally marked with medallions of the inoperative Idaho Centennial Trail. Curve left in
young growth, enter the older forest, and drop down to the creek where there is a good campsite. After a mile from the alley/jeep road junction,
your trail reaches the ruin of a National Guard-built suspension bridge across Caribou Creek (2480.) Ford the probably-shallow creek and continue 5.0 The trail ascends,
miles on (jeep trail) Upper Priest Lake Trail No. 58.
flattens out, goes left and becomes a wide, first class trail through
cedar/hemlock forest. Follow this trail to the north end of Upper Priest Lake (BM 2444.) There are occasional boat camping sites along the shore. The first of these side attractions is marked by a sign: Upper Lake. This side trail goes to the Geisanger campground at the upper end of the Thorofare waterway between the two lakes. There are outhouses, firepits, picnic table, and a bearproof container. (Little Snowy Top, your next destination,
appears on the horizon as a pimple at 330 beyond the far end of the lake.) The campground is attractively accoutered with a sandy beach and white pines. The lovely trail continues northwest, mostly out of sight of the lake, in large cedars. An old bridge spans a pleasant creek. Sunlight dapples lovely pools. floor. Climb a hot, more open hillside with lots of blowdowns until you are back into the deep forest to and beyond another creek. birches that is rapidly being outgrown by firs and cedars. past white pines. Pass a stand of Keep climbing Ghost mushrooms and green mosses and ferns festoon the forest
At the Floss Creek Trail junction, the Floss Creek Trail
curves right uphill on what is actually an old logging road. Instead turn left downhill on a true trail. On this level trail you will sense that you are several hundred feet higher than the lake (which you cannot see through the trees.) You may hear motorboats and be able to discern the location of the lake that way.
Make a long traverse along the contour.
At a rock outcrop
have
glimpses and sounds of the lake. The trail continues on the north side of the outcrop. After a long, shady descent to the northwest you will reach a good seep. As you descend, you will creep closer to the lake shore until we finally hit it at a creek and small campsite. The trail leaves the shore to rise above some rocks. Pass a long,
sandy beach. Climb over a small point on a mossy, rocky outcrop. Parallel the shore in the woods a hundred feet above the water. Then there are very nice campsites before and after you cross a large stream on a bridge. Then you reach Trapper campgrounds tables, firepits, outhouses, and sand beach. Then at the end of the lake a sign directs us via Upper Priest Trail No. 302 to the Stagger Inn Road which is 4 miles ahead. You soon reach the ruins of a trapper cabin. Follow Trapper Creek Trail No. 302 northwest 4.0 miles, paralleling the Upper Priest River, to Road #655 (2620.) Go west 0.5 mile on Road #655 to reach Road #1013 at MSE 2634. Road #1013 is the main Forest Service road of the Upper Priest River Valley. Follow it through a mostly straight corridor of tall firs 4.2 miles to MSE 2762. Follow Upper Priest River Trail No. 308 north 5.5 miles through the finest western red cedar forest east of the Cascades. This valley invites you
to linger.
Look for wildflowers, spiny, big-leafed devil's club, and yellowYou will also enjoy ferns, "nurse log" hemlock seedlings,
striped toads.
fallen wasp nests, tiny cedar cones, condensation-wet pebbles, delicate, ubiquitous spider webs, scattered patches of canopy-filtered sunlight, pine squirrels' chatter, birds' songs, and bumblebees' merry aerobatics. There are cedars eight to ten feet in diameter and many are as out of plumb as the Leaning Tower Of Pisa. But however grand the conifer, it eventually is
recycled by some of the valley's countless tree mushrooms, which thrive on rotting wood and help to renew this place of wonder across the centuries. A half mile in from the trailhead you will pass a junction with Trail No. 317 from Hughes Ridge's Cabinet Pass. Later beyond Rock Creek on Trail No. 308, you pass numerous features that are unnamed on the USGS topographic map. As collected in 1972, they are: Wounded Horse Crossing; Devil's Club Creek; Twin Rocks; Mud Flats; Brunner's Crossing; Ridge Creek; Orr Creek; Boomerang Bridge; and Irene Creek. Finally you reach a junction (2960) with Little Snowy Top Trail No. 349. Begin 4.2-mile-long Little Snowy Top Trail No. 349 by fording the Upper Priest River. In late summer this is usually easily accomplished but springs high waters must be crossed on deadfalls. At this ford, you are about four thousand feet below Little Snowy Top's lookout cabin. Though the cabin is only 1 air miles west, it is 4.2 miles via Trail No. 349. Expect 72
switchbacks and one of the PNTs most extreme elevation changes on this
masterpiece of the CCC trailbuilders art.
There are a couple of good
campsites, especially one at the river and one up about a dozen switchbacks. Early on you often switchback near a major tributary of the Upper Priest River and about two thirds of the way up you see this same stream as a dramatic waterfall. From where Little Snowy Top Trail No. 349 reaches the Shedroof Divide, it is only 175 yards north to the 0.1 mile side trail to the summit of Little Snowy Top. This restored lookout is an essential key to understanding the PNTs upcoming mountains and valleys. The Salmo-Priest country is covered with dense forests of white pine, western red cedar, and western hemlock. Spruce and subalpine fir grow at the higher elevations. Streams contain char and cutthroat and Dolly Varden trout. Besides an occasional mountain caribou, there are also elk, black
bear, grizzlies, and mule deer. Early in the season in mid-June, much of this trail and much of the Shedroof Divide Trail beyond it are likely to be covered with snow. In that case, pick your way from blaze to blaze to the lookout cabin. It is an excellent PNT overnight spot for conscientious campers.
From the lookout you can see, clouds permitting, the South Salmo River, Snowy Top (7572), the Upper Priest River, and the PNTs next goal, Crowell Ridge. On the farthest eastern horizon you will even make out the craggy outlines of Northwest, Davis, and Ewing where you left the great state of Montana. Follow the extremely scenic Shedroof Divide Trail No. 512 southwest
5.0 miles to a junction with Trail No. 535 (6120.) On the way, just after the junction with the Hughes Ridge jeep trail and just before a 5600' col, there is a reliable water source. Shortly beyond that and Knob 5963', you will cross into Washington, the Evergreen State. Trail No. 512 rewards us with some of the PNTs best ridge walking. This Ten Best gem showcases the Selkirk Crest and the Salmo-Priest Wilderness. bighorn sheep. There is a dry campsite at the junction with Salmo Divide Trail No. 535 in a little pass. There is seasonal water 0.1 mile east on No. 512. Continue south 2.7 miles on Shedroof Divide Trail No. 512. Though Look for elk, bear, grouse, and
less continuously spectacular than the previous sections, this part of No. 512 offers views of Upper Priest Lake and of the Selkirk Crest. There is also a worthwhile side jaunt to the summit of Shedroof Mountain. Turn right at the junction (5480) with the Shedroof Cutoff Trail No. 511. It drops us from the Shedroof Divide in 1.7 miles to the main road from Sullivan lake. The first third is a forest trail that displays the regions typical altitude and moisture-based habitats from sub-alpine fir to old growth hemlock and cedar. The last third follows an old logging road. Its bridge is gone at Sullivan Creek; so a possibly difficult ford is necessary. Much farther at the trailhead, drop down a short distance on gravel surface, keeping to the left, to reach Sullivan Lake Road #2220 (4360.) Descend left (south) on Road #2220. You are now north of Gypsy
Meadows Campground, a traditional favorite with stockmen.
However,
unless you wish to camp there, dont even go as far as the nearby Sullivan Creek Bridge. Instead at a junction (4360) in 0.1 mile, turn right (northwest) from Road #2220 onto the Leola Creek Trail.B This former logging road is kept open for hikers and horsemen by PNT volunteers. It is also a favorite with bears so be alert for their presence. occasional views and one ford. This is a forest route with
Follow the Leola Creek Trail (first via the
Deemer Creek Valley) for 4.0 miles west as you gain 1200 feet of elevation to Bear pasture. At the Bear pasture trailhead (5560) On Road #200, there is a campsite but no water. However, there is reliable water where you will soon cross the North Fork of Branch Creek. Crowell Ridge Trail No. 515 earns us some of the PNTs best ridge touring. From the Bear Pasture trailhead climb a 1.5 mile Branch Creek arm until you reach the ridge itself (6560.) Ahead is a dramatic northwesterly escarpment. country. Follow Crowell Ridge Trail No. 515 2.2 more miles to the turnoff (6520) down North Fork Sullivan Creek Trail No. 507. This magnificent Ten Best section tops Knob 6657' and skirts Knob 6885'. Excellent-but-dry campsites complement the Selkirks and western views. Look for bighorn sheep and other wildlife. Behind to the northeast is the trailless, wild Gypsy Peak
Instead of continuing southwest to clearly visible Sullivan Mountain, descend 5.7 miles on North Fork Sullivan Creek Trail No. 507. You will begin with more great views west until you enter the forest. (There youll
encounter a good trickle.) Three fifths of the way down this trail there is a good campsite (with water from Sullivan Creek.) This campsite is located on No. 507 not far beyond its junction with Trail No. 525. Beyond this campsite on No. 507, follow a shady alley of cedars. Pass through a swamp on a puncheon bridge. And drop southwest along the
bottom of Crowell Mountain. Eventually youll reach a 4-way junction (3600) that is about 2 miles down from the Salmo-Priest Wilderness boundary. [At
the 4-way trail junction, a right turn puts you onto Halliday Trail No. 522. If you go left, you can follow Red Bluff Trail No. 553 5.2 miles to the Mill Pond Campground on the Sullivan Lake Road #9345. If you go straight ahead, you are on the abandoned extension of Sullivan Creek Trail No. 507 to Lime Lake (where a private landowner blocked public access.) Metaline Falls is 6.5 miles to the southwest.)]
At the junction (3600) southwest of Crowell Mountain, turn north on Halliday Trail No. 522. Go 4.2 miles northwest. The Halliday Trail is mostly a heavily forested, steep descent to the Pend Oreille River Valley. But it
begins with a rise to a pass (4000) on the west side of Crowell Mountain. A steep downhill comes next along this unexciting, mostly dry trail. But two features do make this a special route. First, it soon picks up sudden views of dramatic Hooknose Mountain to the west. (Hooknose and Abercrombie And, second,
comprise the next Ideal and Practical Routes respectively.)
youll pass through a research natural area and the Halliday Fen. Note the waterless campsite about five minutes before you descend to the wildliferich swamp. At the lower boundary of the research natural area, youll find a superb, up-close view of Hooknose. Its prominent beak beckons you to
cross the Pend Oreille River Valley to regain the heights. (We also see the Ideal Routes Russian Ridge.) Note the valleys of Slumber and Slate creeks coming in from the northeast. Beyond the Fen, descend steeply above a tributary of Slate Creek. The PNT turns southwest along a small, forested ridge to debouch at a growing-up clearcut. Go left at the trailhead sign-in box. (There is no water at this trailhead.) Follow grassy Road#180 500' along the lower edge of this clearcut to a stock loading ramp and a Halliday Trail sign. A few more feet and you are on the asphalt of State Highway #31 near a gravel pit (2520.) Go 5.0 miles north on State Highway #31 to Crescent Lake (2503.)C There the Crescent Lake Campground has limited facilities. 2000 this campground will be relocated to higher ground.] Go 2.5 miles west on the Boundary Dam Road to Vista House (2240.) It is a tourist viewpoint/shelter overlooking the Seattle City Light dam. Note that there is (as of April, 2000) an internal security phone at the Vista House. Use it to request passage across the dam. Then walk back to the yellow gate. Pass through it and walk 0.1 mile down to the dam gate (2000.) If you [By summer
have called dam personnel via the security phone, you will be escorted across the dam. (If you are coming from the west side, look for the security phone near the forebay.) Seattle City Light maintains an excellent, free Picnic tables, (But there is no
campground immediately upstream from the forebay. restrooms, and potable water are available at lakeside. electricity available for campers.)
From the west side of the dam, go 1.1 miles south on the dam access road to paved Pend Oreille County Road #2975 at three high tension pylons (2400.)D Along the way there are good views of the dam, reservoir, and
Crowell Ridge. [Crawford State Park is 1.5 miles to the right.] Go left 6.4 miles on County Road #2975. This paved road has no
shoulder but there is little traffic. As far as road walking goes, it is a scenic enough route. So climb/descend moderate ups and downs parallel to power lines. At a beaver pond youll have a good view of Hooknose Mountains
Ideal Route. Pass a very long lily pond that is posted no camping. Ascend steadily with periodic, excellent views of Crowell Ridge and the Pend Oreille River Valley. Finally descend into the Flume Creek Valley with views ahead of the PNTs Abercrombie Mountain ridge destination. Turn right at the collapsed buildings (MSE 2566) onto Road #350. (Flume Creek Road #350 looks like a driveway where it passes a tumbledown house.) Go under the high tension lines and parallel Flume Creek through the abandoned ranch. After 2.3 miles there are more views
of Hooknose. Though primarily forested, this rocky Road #6200-350 does have some excellent, long views of the Pend Oreille River Valley as you switchback up the Flume Creek Ridge. 7.5 miles up from the county road we reach Trail No. 502 (5120.) (At the Closed To Motorized Vehicles sign the road continues toward the southwest.) On Trail No. 502, views open up of a microwave relay station below and of the distant lookout cabin on Sullivan Peak. Swing west around the headwaters of the Middle Fork of Flume Creek. There is an excellent campsite 1.9 miles up Flume Creek Trail No. 502 on the east flanks of Abercrombie Mountain at 6000 elevation. This tiny site is located at the bottom of a long scree slope. provides reliable water. [This A gentian-ringed spring
site is especially handy if the summit is gripped by harsh
winds and snow. And that is a real possibility, even in summer, because Abercrombie Mountain's 7308' summit is a treeless rock pile exposed to the fierce gales that sweep in from the Canadian north.]
Climb from the spring 1.2 mile to the Abercrombie/Hooknose Ridge (6800.) Ascend 0.7 mile along the ridge to the summit access trail (7040.) From this ridge trail junction, it is only a 0.2 mile climb north to the summit. The old lookout cabin is gone, but what remains is one of the PNTs Ten Best views. [This rocky mountaintop lacks water and good camp spots.] As you approach the high point along an avenue of slates, their clack-clack may slip away on the wind across one of the best views in northeast
Washington. Go south following cairns on the ridge trail 0.2 mile to a junction (6840) with Baldy Trail No. 119.E Baldy Trail No. 119 was improved during the summer of 1995. Follow it 4.2 miles. Look along the tree line southwest of the lookout site; the trail goes along the south side of the Knob 5985' ridge. And once you are on Trail No. 119, do not be deceived into going down Hartbauer Creek, which flows northwest. Trail No. 119 switchbacks past fire-scarred ponderosa There is a good campsite
pines and through a jungle of summer brush.
(MSE 3708) where this trail reaches the North Fork of Silver Creek. Go west 5.0 miles down unexciting Road #7078-070 to the North Fork Deep Creek Valley. (The last portion of this route, outside the national
forest, is called Stevens County Road #4720.) Leadpoints few houses at MSE 2135 are a mile lower in elevation than the summit of Abercrombie Mountain. Go 2.0 miles north on County Road #9445 to the probably-gated O'Hare Creek Road, a glorified jeep road up through logging country. From Deep Creek valley at MSE 2179, the O'Hare Creek Road rises quickly, in 4.5 miles to 4300' at the abandoned Lind Ranch. There are
several nice creekside campsites before you arrive at the Lind Ranch's collapsed log structures on Stone Mountain. Youll arrive there via a dirt
road northwest of the meadows, spring, and buildings. (However, the USGS
map shows only the original homestead route southeast of the buildings.) This new road has a short connecting link to the Lind Ranch F and the ranch's meadows, an excellent campsite with a reliable spring. From the Lind Ranch, the Practical Route goes 1.5 miles steeply down a dirt track to meet the Black Canyon Road at a cattle spread (MSE 2984.) Passing numerous abandoned buildings, follow the pavement out 3.0 miles to the Deep Creek School and County Road #700 (BM 1862.) Another 6.2 miles north on County Road #700 bring you finally to the Columbia River, where mail, supplies, and services are available in Northport (1328.) A city park just north of the Columbia River Bridge has public camping. Be sure to relate your PNT experiences to postmaster/mayor Ollie Mae Wilson!
Chapter 4: The Kettle River Range
THE KETTLE RIVER RANGE Columbia River to Sweat Creek
Introduction
"That trail goes through eastern Washington?" they say in a skeptical tone. "Well, isn't it flat and boring?" Even most Washingtonians, the majority of whom live in Puget Sounds Olympia-Seattle-Everett megalopolis, know little about their own state's northeastern landscape. Flat and boring it certainly isn't. The Kettle Range, for instance, offers visitors superb lakes, streams, forests, and wildlife. And mountains! The six thousand foot range west of the Kettle River is one of the highlights of the entire Pacific Northwest Trail. There are few sharp crags and brutal fronts and ridges in the Kettle Range. Peaks such as Leona, Midnight, and Wapaloosie won't dazzle you. They are not haughty mountains. Miles-long wildflower meadows alternate with virgin stands of pine and fir. Ponderosa pine is a familiar sight in this dry country at the edge of the Okanogan. Calypso bulbosa, the Kettle
Range's common orchid, symbolizes the beauty and grace of these littleknown mountains. Not that you won't have to work to obtain their rewards. The ups and
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downs here are as invigorating as those found anywhere else. That's how Profanity Peak got its name. And the long, long miles of road walking can make even a seasoned hiker wish he had taken up sailing instead. Even so, let the Kettle Range capture your heart.
Issues
Route finding will not be a problem along the Kettle Crest Trail. However, the PNTs Cougar Mountain to San Poil section will require the usual PNT map and compass skills. Water will not be a problem since the road sections touch many creeks and lakes and since the mountain trails encounter numerous springs. If you wish to camp on some of the Kettle Range's broad, comfortable summits, you must carry up water. The Grand Coulee Dam's Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is the first feature of the PNT section. After your weeks of mountain travel, this broad reach of sere brown hills will seem like a different world. Early in the season, the refreshing, heady scent of vegetation makes this a refuge from the still-cold high country. Plan to take a slow side trip down the west bank of the river. The Kettle River is another of those frontier-defying streams that loop through and around the American/Canadian border ranges. The river joins the Columbia River near the town of Kettle Falls, about 25 miles downstream from Northport. There the two rivers form a 20-mile wide V between
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Northport and Orient.
For the PNT traveler this Northport to Kettle River
section is mostly a road trek because the PNTA has not yet relocated the Trail through this complex, broken-up country of dense forests and low, rolling mountains. The situation is different west of the Kettle River in the Kettle Range, a north-south procession of major five-to-seven thousand foot peaks. There the route is obvious - the Forest Service's highly-scenic Kettle Crest Trail No. 13. West of the Kettle Range, the Practical Route follows trails and country roads to near Wauconda at Highway 20.

Colville National Forest does not require parking or backcountry passes or permits. [They can be reached at: Colville National Forest, 695 S. Main St., Colville, WA 99114. 509/684-3711. www.fs.fed.us/cvnf/] Okanogan National Forest requires a parking pass for overnight parking west of the Okanogan River. [Okanogan National Forest has been subsumed into the Wenatchee National Forest. Contact them at: Okanogan National Forest, P. O. Box 590, Okanogan, WA 98840. www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/] 509/826-3275.
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Contact the following for equestrian information about this area: Ken & Sherrie Elliott, Inland Empire BCHW, 10612 N. Moffat Rd., Mead, WA 99021. H: 509/467-3725 W:509/991-8322. Trygve Culp, Okanogan BCHW, P. O. Box 484, Tonasket, WA 9885. 509/4862061. Jtculp@televar.com. June Konz, D.V.M. K-Diamond-K, 15661 Hwy 21 South, Republic, WA 99166. Phone/fax: 5509/775-3536. Kdiamond@televar.com.
Supplies
You can mail food drops to yourself c/o general delivery at the following post offices: Northport (ZIP 99157), Orient (ZIP 99160), Republic (ZIP 99166), and Wauconda (ZIP 98859.) Groceries are available in
Northport, Republic, Orient and Wauconda. Also, Kettle Falls (ZIP 99141), 29 miles east of Sherman Pass, has a broad range of facilities. Ollie Mae Wilson's Northport post office is open Saturday mornings. Ollie Mae Wilson is also the mayor of Northport and a long-time friend of PNT hikers. The next supply point, the hamlet of Orient, is only a couple of miles south. The prohibition on overnight camping at Orient's quaint city park And, near the park, you may use the taverns
seems to be unenforced.
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outhouses.
Across the street, junk food and groceries are for sale at the Nearby the People Places store sell food, Their
Orient Store/gas station/caf. Coleman fuel, etc.
Their restaurant features vegetarian meals.
Laundromat has pay showers.
To use the restrooms in their Laundromat
outside business hours, speak to Chris or Ken. And, if needed, ask about camping in their tepee east of Orient near Taylor Lake. recommend local day hikes. If you make a 38-mile (round trip) excursion to Republic on Highway 20, there is a hostel (509/775-3933) 2/3 mile north on Hwy. 21. Camping is permitted at the county fairgrounds a bit south of this junction on Hwy. 20. A mile farther is Big Gib's grocery store. except local camping. Republic itself has full facilities They can also
(However, strictly speaking, tenting is not actually
prohibited in Perry Wilderness park in downtown Republic next to town hall.) Republic has: a Laundromat (with pay showers); a food co-op on Main Street; a museum; a post office; a Rexall pharmacy (mention to the Slagle's that you are a PNT traveler); Anderson's grocery store; and a Forest Service district office. The second weekend in June is Republic's Prospector's Days, a festival honoring the area's mining history. weekend at the Ferry County Fair. Just 7 miles north of 10-Mile Campground on the Sanpoil River Road, veterinarian Dr. June Konz and family provide PNT members with ranch-style accommodations in a large log home. (She may ask you if you are getting
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Locals celebrate Labor Day
enough selenium in your diet!) 98166; 509/775-3536.
(156651 Hwy. 21 South, Republic, WA Reservations are suggested.
Www.kdiamondk.com)
They give guided horse rides or you could ring your own horse. And 2/3 mile north of the Hwy. 20/Hwy 21 junction, the Triangle J Ranch offers camping, b & b, and hostel accommodations with pool, hot tub, and garden fresh vegetables. Horses and pets are not welcome.
(509/775-3933. 423 Old Kettle Falls Road, Republic, WA 99166.)

USGS Topographic Maps Northport Belshazzar Mountain Churchill Mountain Mount Leona Laurier Independent Mountain Boundary Mountain Copper Butte Sherman Peak Edds Mtn Bear Mtn Swan Lake Aeneas Wauconda Summit
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Route Description
The Practical RouteA crosses the Columbia River Bridge (1328) and goes north on State Highway #25 for 0.8 mile to the beginning of Stevens Countys Big Sheep Creek Road #4220. The junction (1453) is located near the northeast corner of the Lowry Landing Strip. The gravel road parallels unseen Big Sheep Creek north for several miles of gradually rising elevation. Near the unseen tributary fork of Little Sheep Creek, the road swings west along the south side of Big Sheep Creek. After 4.2 miles, you reach the This
Department of Natural Resources Sheep Creek Campground (1920.)
fisherman's heaven, complete with covered picnic areas, is a convenient (though sometimes trashy) place to camp. The next destination is 7.0 miles west at Elbow Lake. The road
continues along Sheep Creek, often right beside it. Sleepy Hollow opens up on your left and less than a mile farther the county road becomes Forest Service Road #15. Soon you pass through an immense clearcut that is 0.7 mile across. This vast opening in the thick forest gives us good views of
Lead Pencil Mountain (3668) and other scenery to the northwest. Next the road twists and climbs, following the American Fork, until you reach the Rose Ranch (2680), not an inhabited ranch at all. (Do not stray right onto a logging road just before the meadow.) After another mile of steady
climbing, you reach the entrance to the campground at Elbow Lake (2875.) Woodsy Elbow Lake is usually deserted except for wildlife such as mink and
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waterfowl. Usually one or more Robinson Crusoe homemade rafts are ready to help you explore these delightful waters. From Elbow Lake, go west on Road #15 12.3 Miles to a junction (2142) with the Pierre Lake Road #4013. Road #15 continues its climb through
thick fir and cedar forest. In 1.7 miles you reach a junction just beyond Kiel Springs, where you continue ahead. Do not angle back to the right on Road #460. And do not turn by mistake onto the first left after this junction, the Kiel Ridge Road. Veer left onto Road #170, descending Flat Creek. In 1.2 miles Road #170 joins Road #1520 where you veer right (west.) At a swampy height of land, cross over into the Pierre Creek drainage. Passing Mineral Mountain Road #070 (3123), you continue 5.0 miles down to a 4-way junction with Road #15 (which has paralleled your course up in the hills north of Pierre Creek) and the Fisher Creek Road #080. [Road numbers in this area are a confusing mix of Forest Service and county numbers. Just be sure to cross west from the Sheep and American Fork drainages to go west on the north side of Pierre Creek.] Continue west along the Churchill Mine Road 1.4 miles to a junction (MSE 2142) with the paved Pierre Lake Road #4013. At MSE 2142', turn right (west) onto Sand Creek Road #4013. (There is an old log cabin to your right at this junction and dramatic cliffs to your left.) Go 3.5 miles west to the Kettle River by hay fields and fir forests. After
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passing Gilbert Lake, you soon reach Taylor Lake.
The Sand Creek Road
#4013 descends to the Rock Cut Bridge at BM 1431'. From this Kettle River crossing, continue southwest 0.3 mile to a junction with Highway #395 (1500). After crossing Highway #395, head southwest on Boulder Creek Rock Cut Road #595 and in 1.0 miles you reach a junction (1760) with Road #675. A left would take you back to the main highway south; instead continue straight ahead on Road #595 and go northwest 2.6 miles to a junction with Road #150 at MSE 2788'. Cross Little Boulder Creek and go left uphill on Little Boulder Creek Road #9576. (MSE 3323.)B Go 2.0 miles on Road #9576-300, spurring left uphill at MSE 4190'. In 0.6 mile you pass a campsite on the left. Now following Road #9576-300, in 0.8 mile you cross a good creek. In 0.45 mile you reach a junction where Road #9576-320 goes left and a sign says, "Verdant Ridge Road." However, keep going straight uphill on Road #9576-300. In 0.15 mile you reach a In 1.3 miles you reach Road #9576-240 at an old clearcut
junction with Road #9576-340. Go straight ahead, down, but at this point (5120) Road #9576-300 changes its number (because of a ranger district boundary on the Kettle Crest) to Road #450. There is a flat spot for camping here beside a yellow rock. Climb on Road #450 through a clearcut, then second growth, angling
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toward a forested ridge. And after 1.3 miles, you reach a junction (5200) where Road #400 heads up to your left. (Road #450 goes downhill to your right.) Go west on #400; in 0.7 mile you reach a 3-way junction on the Kettle Crest where Road #6120-425 goes to the right in a clearcut at MSE 5512'. Road #400 goes straight ahead, downhill into the forest. (If you were
instead to follow the Marble Mountain 4WD road left uphill, in a short distance youd find a good but waterless camp with a shelter.) Next go south 5.0 miles on #6120-400 to a post (4800) that used to hold a sign for the Noonday Spring spur road #6120-480. Along the way,
you will pass an area of seeps in the dense Douglas fir forest. Look for the views across Lone Ranch Creek Valley of Deer Creek Summit and of Mt. Leona. At the post, Road #6120-400 is a grassy track coming downhill from the northwest while the Noonday Spring Road #6120-480 comes in from the northeast across a clearcut. Your next goal is 1.5 miles away at the Goat Creek Road junction (4520). Along the way, at elevation 4780', you pass a rail and barbed wire fence. At MSE 4684' you pass the South Fork Lone Ranch Creek Road #450. At elevation 4660' you cross a cattleguard below an old clearcut. At 4600' at a bend in Road #6100-450 there is a nice little stream. At 4584' there is an obstruction in Road #6100-450 and good views of Dry Mountain's manicured top, distinctive vertical skid roads, and tonsure of uncut trees. And finally at
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4420' you reach an old sign that directs travelers three miles north to "Marble Lookout" and south three miles to "Boulder-Deer Cr. Rd." Here at the Goat Creek Road junction at East Deer Creek there is a good campsite. Continue south on Road #6100-450 between Dry Mountain and Rocky Mountain 3.0 miles to Deer Creek Summit. obstructed to prevent vehicular access. Parts of this road have been
Cross East Deer Creek and climb
about a mile through large firs and lodgepoles. At the junction with Third Creek Road (about a mile up) continue uphill to the left. After a level mile and then a mile of easy downhill, you reach Deer Creek Summit (4600.) [Deer
Creek Summit is named for West Deer Creek. The paved road up to the summit from the
east follows the north fork of Boulder Creek. At Deer Creek Summit (4600), site of a former Forest Service Guard Station, there is a waterless campground and a rundown Nature trail and a snow gauge that measures up to 8 feet. To find water, walk west from the end of the highway's
southwestern guardrail 300 feet downhill along a developed trail to where cold water may or may not still be bubbling out of a pipe into a horse trough.]
The next goal is 8.8 miles south from Deer Creek Summit at Profanity Peak Pass (5800). The north-south spine of the Kettle Range is traversed by two east-west roads, here at Deer Creek Summit and south at Sherman Pass. Although the highest mountains from Deer Creek Summit south to the Colville Indian Reservation remain as wilderness, roads have penetrated to within a mile of them. The very extensive logging road network both east and west of the crest provides many access points for PNT loop trips. (In June watch for beautiful Calypso bulbosa orchids.)
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From Deer Creek Summit, Kettle Crest Trail No. 13 (a "national recreation trail") follows an excellent relocation (not yet marked on USGS maps) across Sentinel Butte and Knob 5590' to Profanity Peak. The trail is in excellent condition and is well marked. Please note that in this area blue blazes designate ski touring trails and orange ones and/or upside down axe mark exclamation points designate hiking trails. During the first 3 miles south from Deer Creek Summit, you will contour above the original road route through Douglas fir woods. You will pass at least one water source. From where you cross the old logging road, drop down to cross Alec Creek, a good place to fill your canteens. Then
continue south, contouring along the ridge system, keeping to more or less the 5000' contour. Several springs at the headwaters of Indian Creek are another water source before you ascend the northwest end of Knob 5978'. Contour around its west side into some nice meadows with great views of the country ahead. (Here you intersect Trail No. 32.) From Profanity Peak Pass (5800) you will be able to look ahead to a long stretch of the Route to the south. This country is heavily forested with western larch, lodgepole pine and Douglas fir and, at high elevations, subalpine fir and whitebark pine. To the south you will see Mt. Leona and a long, rounded ridge. (A short side trip accesses the spring at the ruins of the Ryan Cabin.) Descend from Profanity Peak Pass, contouring the western
ridge of Knob 5686' and Knob 5181'. Then you switchback up to the saddle
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(5320) between Ryan Hill and Mt. Leona. Climb south and southwest instead of taking the old way which is marked on the USGS map (1983 provisional) and goes much more westerly. The current location of Trail No. 13 contours the meadows east of Mt. Leona. (The location features much less dramatic views than the old route but is much easier going.) these meadows. There is a spring in
Intersect unmaintained Stickpin Trail No. 71, just before
joining the south end of the Leona Loop Trail. Note that from this area southward you are sometimes in the path of the 1995 Copper Butte fire. Kettle Crest Trail No. 13 contours around Lambert Mountain and Midnight Mountain at an elevation of 6000' or more. At the end of a
particularly lovely meadow section you reenter trees and find the fenced-in source and cattle trough of Neff Spring. Continue through forest, snags,
sage, and meadow to a second spring. Pilgrims who wish to camp overnight on Copper Butte should obtain water at either of these springs; the Midnight Mountain Spring is well-enclosed from cow poop. Just mile beyond the Midnight Mountain Spring, descend to a saddle between Midnight Mountain and Copper Butte. You will intersect the Old
Stage Road, a century-old first attempt at a cross-state highway. Trail No. 1 was restored for horse and wagon use but a 1995 flood seriously damaged it west of the Crest. This Old Stage Trail is commemorated at the pass by a monument in the shape of a broken-spoked wagon wheel. In 1892 it began
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as Washingtons first attempt at a cross-state highway. However, by 1898 it was abandoned when the Sherman pass road was developed. 1.6 miles east there is an elaborate trailhead for this Old Stage Road No. 1. Fifty feet down from the west side of the pass, Trail No. 13 diverts from the Stage Road. It switchbacks up through lodgepole snags 1.3 miles. The fire opened up this stretch for good views north and west. You will arrive on Trail No. 13 at one of the PNTs Ten Best summits. Copper Butte (7135)s broad, waterless top is the highest point in Ferry County. It is an excellent place to camp if you have carried adequate water. Though a finger of the fire came close, luckily the summits scenic subalpine firs and white pines were spared. They and the rock piles at the lookout site provide the foreground for a gaze across two counties and into Canada. At night be ready for celestial delights; on the west side of the Kettle Crest you will be able to see the lights of Republic, around which the PNT makes a big southerly loop. From the ruins of the old lookout cabin and its bed, continue across the top of massive Copper Butte and down to the col before Scar Mountain. Then contour the west side of Scar at about 6600'. At the next col there is the unmaintained North Fork Sanpoil River Trail No. 17. Next, Crest Trail No. 13 ascends steeply up a rock face to a ridge and Wapaloosie Mountain. Wapaloosie Mountain Trail No. 15 (unmaintained)
goes east from here 2.0 miles to the Albion Hill Road. At this point you can
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begin to see the Sherman Pass Road. The meadows ridge continues high and beautiful until you descend via well-built Trail No. 13 to the base of Jungle Hill. You will find a good trailside spring and campsite at a cattle-frequented tiny pond (6560) to the east of Knob 6740'. This is the most convenient place to obtain water for the next several miles. (Descending the next section of trail, you hear a strong
stream but never cross it.) This Mr. Ted Spring is also the end of the idyllic ridgetop views you have enjoyed since Copper Butte. At the trail junction (5830) with Sherman Creek Trail No. 12 just before Jungle Hill, you are only 5 miles from Sherman Pass. 1.5 miles before Sherman Pass you will find reliable water at Lookout Camp (300 feet uphill along Columbia Mountain Trail No. 24.) Lookout Camp lacks flat ground for camping but does have a stock tank. To find a better place to camp, climb the 3/4 mile Trail No. 24 to the summit of Columbia Mountain (6782.) There the historic lookout cabin would make a good Carry water to the summit from the
hiker/horseman shelter if restored. Lookout Camp spring.
The remainder of Trail No. 13 to Sherman pass is often quite pretty. If you are continuing south immediately, transfer to State Highway #20 to avoid the trail's circuitous route through a wooded gulch. (You may wish to camp at Sherman Pass (5575) where there is a stock-loading ramp, outhouse, and campground.)
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Farther along the trail from the campground area and just across a gulch and near the highway, there is a stock trough. This water is piped from a creek about 1/8 mile east (before Milepost No. 320) and should be purified. (In 1999, unmaintained, this trough was dry. However, in a wet season you are likely to find nearby trickles.) Trail No. 13 crosses Highway 20 at the hiker sign immediately east of Sherman Pass. From Sherman Pass the PNT continues to follow Kettle Crest Trail No. 13 south for another 4.0 miles to the Edds Mountain Trail No. 3. Begin 500 feet east of Sherman Pass at the 45 mph sign. Climb to a cliff-ringed bowl, an arm of Sherman Peak, to splendid views of the southern Kettles. Reliably running water is available about 1/3 mile up this nicely graded section from Sherman Pass and also on the south side of Snow Peak before you reach the meadow. Kettle Crest Trail No. 13 loops southeast and south around Sherman peak and then around the west side of Snow Peak. Though 20,126 acres burned in a 1988 lightning fire, an excellent campsite at a spring in the middle of a meadow on the south side of Snow Peak was spared. [ There is also
a volunteer-built shelter farther along. Contact the USFS for reservations (509/775-3305. ]
Look
for its green subalpine firs uphill across the meadow ahead of you where the trail emerges from the dead snag forest. (At a meadow's edge cairn, a faint way trail goes 600 feet to the camp.)
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(Snow Peak Trail No. 10 is a shortcut to this area from Road #100.) There is a waterless campsite along Trail No. 13 immediately downhill south of this meadow. Pyramid-topped Bald Mountain dominates the southern horizon and Trail No. 13 skirts its eastern flanks to a junction with Edds Mountain Trail. No. 3. (If you reach a wooden watering trough, you have missed the
junction by about 300 feet.)C There is a good spring about 250 feet up Trail No. 3. But this spring does not have enough level ground for an overnight stay (though this spot was known as Telephone Camp in the old days.) The Edds Mountain Trail No. 3 is poorly maintained but is well marked with cairns. Follow it west
across the dry, grassy south slopes of Bald Mountain 2.0 miles to just before Edds Mountain. As you walk west, you will be able to see Eddss meadows in the distance; you will be able to judge when you are at the point, approximately elevation 6120', where you need to turn downhill southwest away from the trail and to begin bushwhacking. (Do not be deceived into turning off the trail at an earlier defile at MSE 6076') The correct place to begin bushwhacking is marked by a cairn and by the presence of a large black vertical snag. The next goal is to walk the trailless ridge that includes Knobs 5354' and 5397' to the Hall Creek Ponds. First you must go 0.6 mile to the gap immediately north of Knob 5354'. So take a southwest bearing to the ridge
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and follow it down until you are certain that you are squarely atop the ridge. This ridge has large boulders, broken terrain, and a lot of charm. Its an
excellent place to study the process of natural succession after a forest fire. The luxuriant grass beneath the dead snags, however, is not natural since it was planted by the Forest Service (who used about twice as much seed as necessary.) Descend into the abrupt gap and exit its west end, climbing up through the brush and timber to Knob 5354'. The next part is easier going, across the ups and downs of this open, grassy forest to and beyond Knob 5397'. The next part is tricky because you must drop southwest into the gap between Knob 5397' and Knob 4867'. At moments you seem to be following an ancient way trail, at other times you are on steep slopes, and always you must try to find a fire line cut through the forest in the gap east of Knob 4867'. Once you reach that chainsawed corridor you need to exit the gap to the south and pick up an old way trail to the Upper Hall Creek Pond. This way trail is likely to be in pretty good condition. Follow it south to the mostly vegetation-choked upper pond (4642). Then make your way a short
distance south through the brush to the Lower Hall Creek Pond (4637) and a good campsite. The total distance from the eastern beginning of the Edds Mountain Trail to the Lower Hall Creek pond is 2.6 miles.
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From the lower pond, go 0.4 miles on the Hall Creek Ponds Trail. There will be excellent views of White Mountain as you follow cairns and other clues to a flat bedrock opening (potential campsite) at Hall Creek Road #600 south of Hall Creek Pass. This rock/cliff outcrop (4600) drops off sharply to a grove of aspens and a far valley where the road makes a bend southeast. Water flows from a culvert 0.1 mile down from where you begin on the Hall Creek Road. There is another seasonal source about a mile farther. Descend Hall Creek Road #600 1.6 miles through the woods to Thirteenmile Trail No. 23 at MSE 4327'. This junction is marked by a 4-foot high boulder, trail sign-in box, and an informal campsite without reliable water. (During very dry times adequate water should be carried from the larger of the Hall Creek Ponds for the hike to Shelberg Cabin. There is a seasonal water source 0.1 mile down from the trailhead and another about a half mile before Fire Mountain Pass.)D Well-maintained Thirteenmile Trail No. 23 ascends many switchbacks through pretty forest 1.7 miles to Fire Mountain Pass at MSE 5139'. An excellent, marked trail to the right at the pass leads to an overlook where you can check your bearings and enjoy a rare panoramic view of Seventeenmile Mountain in the south and of Thirteenmile Mountain in the west. On the way west down from Fire Mountain Pass there are occasional good views but usually you continue in the forest over and down a series of
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woodsy humps. After 1.8 miles, you reach a junction (4200) across a draw where Thirteenmile Trail No. 23 cuts sharply to the left uphill. At this
junction, the Bear Pot Trail drops to the right; after 0.2 mile it debouches at the stock corral of Jack Shelberg's cabin. [Incorrectly drawn on the Edds
Mountain topo, this junction is actually northwest of the creek; you will not be able to miss it.] Water of uncertain purity is always available (1) at a creek via a 300foot trail almost straight out the cabin door or (2) at a eutrophying lake 1/3 mile north via a trail to Road #2055 or (3) at a corduroy bridge on the Bear Pot trail just short of the cabin. In summer it would be wise to carry water from this area for the long trek west to Road #2054. Shelberg's cabin was built about seventy years ago and is still used by winter hunters as a base camp. Local rancher Elsie Rittel says that,
"Shelberg lived up there as a hunter and trapper at his mine. I don't know if he made it pay but he lived there the year round. He almost reminded me of a bear." Thirteenmile Trail No. 23 is in good condition and is very easy to follow 0.7 mile northwest from the Bear Pot Trail junction up to MSE 4454'.E From there you follow parts of the old stock driveways 1.3 miles southwest to a marsh (and its mosquitoes) at MSE 4137'. This is a pretty trail, not so much because of the views but because of the beautiful timber and terrain. [From
the Bear Pot Trail, the PNT climbs high to meadows (with views of
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Thirteenmile Mountain) then drops considerably along the Center Stock Driveway and other stock routes (a.k.a here as Trail No. 23.) For many years these stock driveways were sheep flock
access routes to the high country from Ellensburg.
Now they provide views of not only the
mountains south of Republic but also of the "Grand Canyon of the San Poil." In 1899 a Republic newspaper editor named John Reavis promoted this gorge as "a stupendous battlement of basalt." He boasted that, "There is not this side of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado and Yosemite valley any scenery grander on the American continent than this of the San Poil canyon."]
From the marsh, Trail No. 23 rises west 0.5 miles to the junction (4480) of Road #2054-300. At last Trail No. 23 is back in the high country! Go west 3.0 miles to Road #2054 (3560). The distance totals 5.0 miles from the Bear Pot Trail junction. This is a dry section (except for the creek in the ravine just short of #2054) but it has many choice spots to lay out your sleeping bag. The view west of the Grand Canyon of the San Poil and of
Cornell Butte is one of the Ten Best favorite sights on the entire PNT. (Note that Cougar Camp at Road #2054 has a horse railing and horse loader. Trail No. 23 continues across the road from the camp's south
entrance.) Go. 0.2 mile west on Trail No. 23 from Road #2054 to the trail's high point on the south shoulder of Cougar Mountain (3740.) [Note
that the Stock Route goes 3.0 miles via Thirteenmile Trail No. 23 from Road #2054
to the Sanpoil River Campground (2025) at State Highway #21. From this south arm of Cougar Mountain, the Stock Route descends southwest through a beautiful gorge to the Sanpoil River. (Be wary about half an hour after crossing Road #2054 when the trail makes a sudden left. The trail that continues straight is well-used, but is not the PNTs Stock Route.
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There are no good
landmarks here, no blazes. The Stock Routes trail turns left, stays in a stand of big trees, while the wrong trail continues straight ahead into a clearing on an upward slope. Go some distance before the next blaze.) It is about 3 hours from Road #2054 to the San Poil River campground on the Colville Indian Reservation.F From the Colville Indian Reservation free campground, go 3.0 miles north on the Sanpoil River Road to Tenmile Campground.]
The Practical Routes next goal is Tenmile Campground on the San Poil River 5.0 miles north and west. Continue along the same ridge system that you were on at Knob 4283' (west of Thirteenmile Mountain.) However,
instead of having been able to go directly from Knob 4283' to Cougar Mountain's 4081' summit you have been obliged to jog considerably south, cross the road, and climb west onto the southern end of the Cougar ridge system. Begin the 5-mile trek to Tenmile Campground by bushwhacking north on the ridge about 1.5 miles. Contour on the west side of the northernmost, highest part of Cougar Mountain to the gap near the center of Section 21. Ascend to the rounded knob immediately northwest of the center of the gap. Follow the open, rock ridge down southwest and descend into the next gap via a game trail. You are now at the gap east of Knob 3782'. Climb westerly straight to the top of Knob 3782' and follow the ridge west. Next you are in and out of the woods and over two bumps and end up at a gap at the base of a rock cliff (just northwest of the center of Section 20.)
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Keeping to the left (south), climb 150' to the top of this 3600' height and go due west to Dr. Ron's Pond (3460', not shown on the USGS map). Then descend due west along an open rock ridge, being careful to arrive in a valley at the 3000' contour at a combined bearing of azimuth 324 to the northwest knob and azimuth 226 to Knob 3397' to the northeast. Here pick up a defunct stock route which leads us southwest. Be
careful of this way trail because just to the right of the center of section 19 you can very quickly miss a small hump that we need to find. This hump will be your canyon entrance down to the San Poil River. Following this canyon's brushy upper part southwesterly is easier if you stay out of the bottom and keep in the timber. (Don't be too high or you will be trapped by steep talus slopes.) bucking the brush. Deer trails are helpful here for The lower half of this
(Remember the PNTs motto!)
canyon is easier because it is less steep and the game trail is more reliable. At the bottom of the canyon, beware of sunning rattlesnakes. Work your way up the river to the north a bit, then confront the nettles and thick brush on the flats. Ford the river to reach State Highway #21
(2120). [The PNTs original route followed the west end of Trail No. 23 across the Colville Indian
Reservation to the San Poil River. The North Half of the Colville Indian Reservation was opened to claim-staking by whites in 1896. Soon the gold fever intensified and the South Half of the
reservation was opened to miners in 1898. Today the South Half is still a 1.3-million acre Indian reservation. The South Half and the North Half of Ferry County are greatly depopulated since the glory days of the gold rush. Indians, pioneer families, California transplants, and latter-day
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hippies ("Hill People") are scattered throughout the hills, working as ranchers, loggers, miners, craftsmen, marijuana farmers, and Jacks of all trades.]
Walk 0.5 mile north on the paved road to the Tenmile Campground at MSE 2133'. [In
1999 there was no water other than river water available at Tenmile
Campground. Fill up! Water will be very scarce in the high country ahead. (Camping costs $6.00 at Tenmile campground.)]
From Tenmile Campground, cross Hwy. #21 and find Tenmile Trail No. 25 beyond the outhouses at Campsite No. 7. 5320-100 at MSE 3367'. From the junction of Tenmile Trail No. 25 and Road #5320-100,
note that the
Climb 2.2 miles to #Road
bushwhack the Practical Route west 3.0 miles to Ferry Lake. [But
Stock Route from the Tenmile trailhead turns left (southwest) on Road #5320-100 and goes 1.0 mile to Road #5320 (3240.) (There is a spring due south of this junction about 0.1 mile.) Continue 1.5 miles west on Road #5320, leaving the headwaters of Tenmile Creek at a height of land (3350), and dropping down to Road #53 immediately beyond Scatter Creek (3240). The Stock Route goes left on paved Road #53 and pass several junctions to go 0.3 mile to a junction with Old Scatter Creek Road #500 at MSE 3328'. Go uphill along Scatter Creek 1.5 dirt miles on forested Road #500 to rejoin Road #53 near the entrance of the Swan Lake pay Campground (3649).]
Begin this part of the Practical Route at MSE 3367' and climb in a westerly/southwesterly direction to MSE 3630'; follow natural corridors and grassy openings across the slopes. Pass the end of Road #5320-131 in a swale where there is evidence of past logging and continue west to Knob 3630'. Continue west up and down along this ridge to Knob 3872', the high
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point of this area.
This whole stretch affords excellent views east to the
Kettle Range. The total distance from the Tenmile trailhead to Scatter Creek is 2.3 miles. From the Scatter Creek Road, switchback up to MSE 3342' and continue to siwash westward in open forest a total of 0.7 mile to the north end of Ferry Lake (3334). Ferry Lake offers excellent fishing and a Forest Service campground. G Next bushwhack southeast 2.0 miles to Swan Lake (3649) and another Forest Service pay campground. Swan Lake is an exceptionally pretty spot. [The Community Kitchen at the north end of Swan Lake was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps about 1935 and is an excellent shelter with a fireplace and a water spigot.] At the north end of Swan Lake at the community kitchen, the campground road ends and the Practical Route heads north onto a shoreline trail. Follow it 0.2 mile. [The Stock Route equivalent is to go south on paved #Road 53 0.2
mile (3640). Then turn right and go 0.6 mile on Road #5314 southwesterly to a junction with Road #5320 and go 0.3 more miles on Road #5314 to a junction with #Road 650. Continue on Road #5314 in a northerly direction 2.7 miles to a junction with Road #5314-500 (3760.)]
Switch to an old logging road #5314-640 that heads north and then northwest 1.3 miles, roughly following the 3800' contour. Where this old track ends, continue to contour in the woods northwest cross-country 0.6 mile to a road junction (3760) of roads #5314 and #5314-
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500. Go west 0.8 mile on Road #5314-500 to the Ferry Co./Okanogan Co. line (3850). This is also the boundary between the Colville and Okanogan National Forests; here the road number changes to #3120-020. From the Okanogan County line continue 3.2 miles on Road #3120020 through the drainage of Deep Creek to Ogle Creek Road #3120 (3675), passing a several roads on the way. [A half
mile north, there is an excellent campsite
and spring. This section affords us some good views across the West Fork of the San Poil River. About halfway at the headwaters of Deep Creek, there is a stockman's camp at a junction with side roads #030 and #035. (There is water just before and just after the camp's bend in the road.)]
Go right (north) on Road #3120, crossing Ogle Creek in 0.6 miles (3800). Continue due north on Road #3120 for 2.3 miles to a Cobey Creek tributary at a junction (signpost 6, MSE 4068') with Road #3120-200 (which offers a potential 1.3 miles side trip to Russell Spring or a 2.7 miles side trip to 5088' Cornell Butte.) Continue northwest 2.3 miles on Road #3120 to Road #3125 at the headwaters of Cobey Creek (MSE 4128'). This partially-harvested ponderosa pine and Doug fir country offers occasional views. Go left (west) 1.1 miles on Road #3125, passing a gravel pit, to Road #31 (4140.) This stretch is an excellent example of how selective logging of
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Douglas fir and ponderosa pine enhances the grazing and timber resource potential of the forest. Road #3125 intersects Road #31 at a 60' tall gravel embankment (4160'.) Turn right (north) onto #31. (Creek water is available about 20' down the embankment from Road #3125.) Follow the northeast arm of Road #31. This gravel road is not a scenic by-way but at least it is direct and it has little traffic. H So go north 5.0 miles on Road #31 to Highway #20. Rise with Corner Butte, cross a height of
land, and descend the valley of the West Fork of Granite Creek. Rise along the right edge of a vast clearcut, then drop to a second one where you get a great view of Fir Mountains uncompromising cliffs. On the long, long
straightaway you descend and descend and descend. If you have brought water, you could jungle up in one of many grassy openings. (If you need water, look for it at about 4000' elevation where an old skid road drops down to Fir Creek.) In any case, continue on down through the forest on Road #31. Eventually it curves northwest at a cattle guard. A hundred feet farther note the pronounced Forest Service-style blaze on a big fir tree. [The
most salient feature of this route is the Fir Mountain trailhead (3480) where several firs bear extra-large examples of the upside exclamation point blaze. This 2-mile long side trail to the summit of Fir Mountain (5689) is accessed from the trail junction (3490) 0.4 mile south of Highway #20, 150 feet south of Road #31's crossing of the West Fork of Granite Creek (at a spur road.) This summit access trail climbs steeply in open Douglas fir and larch forest, passing a small creek about halfway up, and reaching the summit on bare rock. Just below the bald summit there is a
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good campsite in the trees above the outhouse. Formerly the site of a Forest Service lookout, Fir Mountain offers unobstructed views of your whole route from the Kettle Range to Mount Bonaparte and beyond.]
Continue uphill on #31 to Highway #20 and the Sweat Creek Campground at MSE 3512. [Westward
over the Wauconda Summit it is only 2.5 miles to
the Wauconda Caf Grocery (MSE 3576) and post office (ZIP 98859.)]
You have crossed from the Columbia River to the Okanogan via the fabulous Kettle River Range. And there are many wonders just ahead!
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Chapter 5: The Okanogan
THE OKANOGAN (Sweat Creek Campground to Coldsprings Campground)
Introduction
So different from the rest of the PNT, the Okanogan is the scent of sage, the shapes of creosote bushes, and the lure of cool uplands. You will quickly be captivated by this dry but welcoming region. Minerals, cattle, wheat, and orchards are still the usual measures of wealth here. Cattlemen arrived in the 1860's and 1870's, followed by turnof-the-century homesteaders. depends upon irrigation. Okanogan temperatures are extreme. August highs regularly surpass 100 in the Okanogan River Valley. Yet in the highlands snow or hail can fall anytime. Mount Bonaparte is the highest point in this PNT section. From its Nowadays the arid Okanogan's health
subalpine 7527' summit, the PNT descends to the 900' elevations of the Okanogan River Valley. Spring blossoms whiten the miles of orchards in a showy display of pollination and promise. By late September the groves ring with the Mexicans' cry of "tractor" and with the steady rustle of red and
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golden delicious apples into harvest bags. Oroville, a town of less than 2,000 people, is an agricultural and tourist center. Beyond it and the beautiful Similkameen River, we climb to the
legendary Pasayten Wilderness. This is sage-country walking at its finest.
Issues
Water supply could be a problem in this section. Be sure to carry
enough between the points where you expect to find creeks, springs, etc. But remember that since this country has relatively high cattle and human populations, its streams purity is often suspect. If in doubt about a source, either get your water elsewhere or treat it. Also, treat private land with particular respect. Wherever possible, ask permission at nearby houses. Close all gates, do not camp, and make no fires on private property. At Chopaka Mountain and on other warm, exposed rocks in the area, be on your guard against rattlesnakes. Bites are rarely fatal, but they can put a serious crimp in your trip.

Okanogan National Forest does not require a parking pass for day use.
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But they do require one for overnight parking anywhere west of the Okanogan River. A $25 annual sticker is available from Methow Valley
Ranger District, P. O. Box 188, Twisp, WA 98856 (509/997-2131.) Winthrop: 509/996-4000. www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/ [Okanogan National Forest has been [They honor Trail Park Pass
subsumed into the Wenatchee National Forest.]
stickers from other national forests in Washington.]
Trygve Culp, President, Okanogan BCH, P. O. Box 484, Tonasket, WA 98855. 509/486-2061.
Supplies
Republic, Oroville, and Loomis are the three major supply points for this section. Mail drops are very adequate in this section at Republic (ZIP
99166), Oroville (ZIP 98844), and Loomis (ZIP 98827.) Oroville (926) has full facilities including coin laundries and a camping/hunting store. For visitor information call 509/476-2739. It has
saloons, motels, campsites, and grocery stores. There are even taxis and a movie theater. On the north end of town, a $2 shower is available at the Laundromat (509/476-4176) next to the giant Princes grocery store. Or how about a swim and/or camping at Osoyoos Lake State Park (509/476-3321)?
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Or perhaps you would like to visit Oroville's Canadian sister town of Osoyoos, only 5 miles north on the lake. Prince's large emporium sells just about everything (including baked goods) but is several miles north on Highway #97. More convenient for
someone on foot is Bells Supermarket (509/476-3512) on Highway #97 where the PNT turns to the west. The public library is nearby on Apple Way. The Old Oroville Depot Museum is only open from June 30 to September 3, Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its platform is a great place for hiker lunches. Lodging is available at numerous motels and at Lake Osoyoos
State Park (showers) where the lake's waters will soothe road-tired limbs on hot days. If you are a distance hiker, stop in at the Oroville Gazette to tell them about your trek. No facilities are available at Nighthawk. A modest selection of supplies are sold by Steve & Galen Manning at their Loomis Grocery And Sport, 90 E. Palmer Avenue, the main street of Loomis. [P. O. Box 175, Loomis, WA 98827; 509/223-3195.] The Okanogan County seat at Okanogan (50 miles south of Oroville) has an even greater selection of supplies, though highly specialized backpacking items may be hard to get. Year round lodging is available at the Orchard County Inn AYH Hostel, P. O. Box 634, Tonasket, WA 98855. [7 State Street.] 509/486-1923. (Call ahead for reservations.) West of the Similkameen valley (chapter 6) is a
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137-mile supply-less stretch for which you must plan carefully.
The ideal
solution would be to cache a supply box in advance near the Coldsprings Campground.

USGS Topographic Maps Wauconda Summit Bodie Mt. Bonaparte Havillah Molson Burge Mountain Mount Hull Ellisforde Oroville Bullfrog Mountain Nighthawk Loomis Hurley Peak
Route Description
In 1999 the Sweat Creek Campground (MSE 3512) on Highway #20 was unsigned and unmaintained. Its water pump was inoperative; the only water was from cow-tainted Sweat Creek. And on the hottest summer days you may think you are baking in one of the Indians old sweat lodges that
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gave the place its name.
However, this is a wonderful, welcoming area.
And the PNT begins with a scenic ridge that leads north to Clackamas Mountain. The campsite farthest back from the road is located beside a giant boulder. From its table go upstream on unsigned Trail No. 310 and cross through a stile in the barbed wire fence. Go upstream on the left bank. At 3640' the trail crosses to the right bank up through firs. At 3680' it crosses to the left bank and immediately splits. Follow the branch that climbs uphill northwest. At 3800' it coontours up southwest, then west. At 4000' you are moving northwest into a meadow where there is a view of rugged Fir Mount Half way up this meadow there is an active stock tank at 4140'. From there you follow a bearing of 304 into the big firs. Soon at 4540' Trail No. 310 tops out on the ridge. At 4800' you cross to the west side of the ridge to a flat spot (where there is likely to be a salt block.) This is a good campsite if you have brought water. Bonaparte and its long southern ridge. knob behind us. Pretty soon the trail splits along each side of the ridge to access the Top Spring (5070'.) When you reach the summit (5440) of Clackamas Mountain dont expect any views there in its thick Doug firs. 100 feet before the slightly highest point look carefully for the trail as
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There is a good view of Mt.
Fir Mountain is a massive, rocky
it angles downhill to the right on a bearing of 78. It drops fast off Clackamas to a large flat but the Practical Route goes north along the edge of this flat. [The Sweat Creek Trail descends south to the pass at the head of Sweat Creek.
There you will find
the operative Pass Spring cattle trough. The trail eventually drops down to the creek where it crosses and recrosses several times on its way south back to the Sweat Creek Campground. Both the Ridge trail and this valley bottom trail are being maintained by the Backcountry Horsemen and by the rancher lessee. The ridge/creek loop makes an excellent day trip through upland meadows and parklike bottoms.]
Trail No. 310 drops into the valley of a tributary of the West Fork of Cougar Creek. (You may wish to camp at the What Spring.) At the green stock tank turn sharply left downhill toward the creek. Trail No. 310
continues 1.8 miles on the east side of the creek until finally crossing near a cabin and a barbed-wire gate. Your distance from the Sweat Creek
Campground to the West Fork of Cougar Creek totals 6.5 miles. Go downhill 2.0 miles on the unpaved West Fork Road and the Cougar Creek Road #100 to (MSE 2942) at Old Toroda (where there used to be a pioneer village.) private holdings.A Turn left (west) on paved Toroda Creek County Road #94955 and climb 3.5 miles through range country to Bunch Road #4975 at MSE 35569. (The sign points to the right toward Bonaparte Lake.) Though there is water available from the creek, this route is not ideal for camping either in the trees lower down or in the fenced meadows farther west.
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Todays Cougar Creek Valley is subdivided into many
Ascend Bunch Road #4975 (sometimes called Fisher Road) 3.0 miles through scenic ranch country to a height of land. The cattle-frequented
pond at 4160' elevation is the best campsite on this gravel road. Go northwest and north from the pond 0.5 mile on Bunch Road. (This roads number has become #3240-020.) This gravel route through
unspectacular forest reaches a junction at MSE 4098. Go left northwest on #3240-030 for 1.7 miles. This old logging road is now a wide, grassy track and a de facto trail. There are two immediate, mild kellyhumps and a sign: Dead End, Service Road, Limited Maintenance. Contour north and west and southwest through the pleasant larch/fir forest. As the route winds westward, Mt. Bonaparte becomes visible. Along the way there are many grassy sites suitable for camping if you have brought water. There is an unprotected water source in a draw at 4140'. And where you emerge from the forest at 4170', you climb left and cross a brushy clearcut where Bonaparte seems closer than ever. Finally, the route rises through grand views to a junction (4320') with the countrys main DNR road. Out in the open, there is no sign at this 4-way junction on the west slopes of this nameless ridge. But your way drops to the right on a bearing of 220 toward a fir-clad ridge. Mt. Bonaparte is a commanding presence at 262. Its layers of ridges and dark forests culminate in a shape like a
massive steam engine in the sky. From the 4320' junction descend 1.6 miles to Bonaparte Lake Road
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#32 (3560.) Down the first slope there is a water source at 4220'. (Though enclosed by barbed wire, it is still murky from cattle traffic.) The last two switchbacks parallel Bonaparte Lake; expect to see fishing boats and maybe to hear loons. This is one of those Ten Best places on the PNT where the farther you descend the more impressive the climb seems on the other side of the valley. [This
dry descent reinforces your focus on Mt. Bonaparte. Fortunately to
heighten your experience, so to speak, you will have plenty of time to ponder the 3700 foot climb from the lake to the summit.]
Go
north
0.2
mile
on
Road
#32
(3560)
(passing
homes
at
Squattersville Road) to the USFS Bonaparte Lake Campground.
[The fee
campground is located near the outlet at the south end of this very attractive body of water. Potable water is available from spigots at the campsites. Also, a half mile north along Road #32, you can buy hamburgers, limited groceries, etc. and reserve (well-in-advance) cabins at the Bonaparte Lake Resort. The owners, Ron & Peggy Rose, are willing to accept packages for hikers. They recommend you contact them at: 509/486-2828 or 615 Bonaparte Road, Tonasket, WA 98855.]
Continue west 0.2 mile and cross the lakes outlet after the campground to the Pipsissewa Trail No. 383 (3560.) The trailhead is at a boulder where the road makes a right turn. Climb 2.5 miles in two long switchbacks via the Pipsissewa Trail to Lost Lake Road #3300-100 (MSE 4420.) Thats where you will find a waterless but excellent campsite at the Pipsissewa Point scenic overlook. Go left (southwest) 0.4 mile to the South Side Trail No. 308 (4560).
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The Lost Lake Road borders the downhill edge of a clearcut. The trail begins 150' from the south end of this clearcut. From Lost Lake Road 3300-100 ascend Trail No. 308. (Duff Spring is about 0.5 mile up this trail.) Go 2.5 miles to a junction (5800) with Trail No. 307, a connector south toward the Roggow, Mill Creek, and Siwash Creek trails. (There are some small campsites at Duff Spring, Myers Creek, and at the Lookout Spring.) Next continue northwest on Trail No. 308 1.2 wooded, level miles to the Bonaparte Lookout Trail No. 306 junction (5680).
Climb south 1.0 mile through open forest on No. 306 to the Antoine Trail No. 304 junction (6920.) To make a side trip to the summit(7257) follow Trail No. 306 as it zigzags 0.55 mile farther due south. Bonaparte Lookout
[Mount Bonaparte is the
highest point in northeastern Washington. The eastern and western horizons here are framed by the Kettle River Range, Abercrombie/Hooknose, and the Cascade Mountains. This may be your best chance to sort out this immense area in your mind before the days and miles become a blur. If the weather below is hot, you may want to linger on the heights with the eagles, the hawks, and the lonesome soul who's spending his or her summer watching for fires. The top of Bonaparte makes a magnificent campsite if you have carried up water from the Lookout Spring. reliable spring is reached by a 150-yard spur trail at the beginning of the summit trail.)] (This
From the Antoine Trail junction (6920), descend Antoine Trail No. 304 for 4.2 miles to its trailhead. This well-constructed trail drops northwest
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down a gentle arm of Mt. Bonaparte. Dry during its first park-like descent, there are occasional views of grassy Bimetalic Mountain. Then on its
southward leg you find multi-seasonal water at springs and branches of Antoine Creek. Then after you pass the two small bridges, the trail follows an old, mossy road that may be overgrown with alders for a quarter mile after the dilapidated. But overall the Antoine Trail is in better shape than its lack of maintenance would suggest. blowdowns and brush. The worst problems are localized
(Note that there are plenty of waterless places to
camp on the flat near MSE 5851.) At a little flat turn right on Mill Creek Road #3230-150 (which is closed to motor vehicles.) This spot gives out onto the village of Havillah, Beyond are the Eden
recognizable from afar by its white church steeple.
Valley section, the Wilcox Mountain crossing, and even the falaises that mark the PNTs entrance to the Pasayten. You will be there soon. But first
Mill Creek Road #3230-150 loops northwest away from Antoine Creek through old clearcuts. It circles Knob 4252' and drops you south after you cross the divide between Antoine and Mill Creeks. Road 3230-150 is closed to motorized traffic at the locked gate just after cheery little Mill Creek. [This
road junction is at Milepost No. 14.]
Descend Mill Creek Road #3230 (mostly north) as it parallels the west side of Mill Creek. We begin with a 0.3 mile descent through firs and larches to the #3230-260 junction between a cattle guard and a steel gate. This
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spot is immediately up from the National Forest boundary. Road #3260-260 leads to the Highlands Sno-Park. But we continue instead downhill 0.3-mile on #3230 to County Road #9467. You soon break out of the forest at the next cattle guard onto lovely meadows where gently-wooded Wilcox Mountain dominates the northwest skyline. Farther west the snowy high
country beckons. At County Road #9467 Mill Creek flows under the paved road across from the last of the Highland Sno-Park signs at MSE 3454. Go north on Antoine Valley Road #9467 0.3 mile toward the village of Havillah to a junction (3440) with Swanson Mill County Road #4662. Your passage through meadows gives an excellent view of Mt. Bonaparte. Turn west at the Entering Havillah sign, Logging Trucks Prohibited sign, and Havillah/Tonasket sign onto Swanson Mill County Road #4662. Go along the north side of Antoine Creek 1.0 mile to a junction (MSE 3262) with the Dry Gulch (Eden Valley) Road #4759. After the heights of Bonaparte, enjoy the brook smells, flowers, newly-plowed fields, and shady
cottonwoods, firs, and larches. pilgrims.)
(Cattle often share this road with PNT
Go northB 4.0 miles on unpaved county Eden Valley Road #4759 at the Cattle Crossing, 500 Feet sign. Dry Gulch was probably carved into the highlands during the melting of an ancient glacier. Carry water with you
here because in summer this could be a long, hot slog. After the first mile you pass a big gravel pit and later a scummy pond. The sere slopes are
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treeless until you reach the head of this valley. 0.2 mile after a blue gate, you can finally see into the upper Tonasket Creek Valley. Turn left onto an orange cattle guard and the Mt. Wilcox Road #3524100 (MSE 3396.) Follow it 4.0 miles up to the slopes of Mt. Wilcox and of Haley Canyon. Not far up we pass a new subdivision. In half a mile you reach the National Forest boundary and begin to meet old skid roads. (The Forest Service has cut trees infested with mistletoe to try to halt the spread of the disease.) The drivable part of this road ends in a clearing (1265
m./4150 ft.) near Haleys steep, rock walls. From this old clearcut there is a view of Bonapartes summit to the east. The end of the drivable road is farther northwest than it appears on the quad. It ends in a clearcut bench at 1265m/4150 ft. From there you will be able to follow its obvious extension up to a pass between Haley Mountain and Knob (1343m./4406 ft.) From the cattle gate on the east side of this notch, the trail climbs momentarily along the south lip, then descends west toward the magical mountains on the grand horizon. This grassed-over
skidder and cattle trail is a gentle westerly route parallel with Haley Mountains bluffs. Cattle trails come and go; keep to the main route. It jogs left at a salt lick at 1224m/4015 ft. Dont go astray at 1160m/3806 ft/ onto an inviting bovine way. Continue 200' farther southwest across kellyhumps and through ponderosas to a Forest Service fence. In 200 more feet you reach the Mount Hull Road near MSE 1146m/3760 ft. (There are no known
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water sources along this southwest Haley Mountain route that totals 1.4 miles.) Summit Lake Road #3525 is known outside the National Forest as County Road #4671. You begin at the No Fireworks sign (MSE
1146m/3760 ft.) south of Milepost No. 3. Go 2.5 miles north on Summit Lake Road #3525 to abandoned Whistler Canyon Road #100. Road #3525 is a high quality gravel road through forest. After one mile, there is water at
Mosquito Creek. Keep an eye on your altimeter as you climb steadily for another mile. At 1290 m./4232 ft. elevation, be alert for an opening to your left. No trail or road sign marks Whistler Canyon Road #100 but beyond Milepost No. 5 there is a major uphill curve to the right in Road #3525, then a left curve. In the middle look for a flat area on the left. There is a grassy opening into the trees immediately after a 10'-tall shelf of rock that is also on the left side of #3525.C [If you continue on Road #3525, in another mile you will reach
the turnoff to the undeveloped Summit Lake campgrounds access to the Ideal Route. Summit Lake has good camping and fishing and, in season, millions of frogs. Unfortunately, the Mount Hull lookout tower (4617) has been destroyed; without it the summit views are limited by tall trees.]
The
Practical
Route
goes
100'
from
Road
#3525
along
the
kellyhumped, grassy, brushy opening of Whistler Canyon Road #100. The road has reverted to trail status. And it turns left abruptly at two white
granite boulders. More kellyhumps follow.
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Follow Road #100 (which is nowadays actually a trail) 15.0 miles to the Okanogan River Valley. Except for seasonal seeps most of Road #100 is waterless. supply. Plan ahead for the tarns and stream crossing for your water
Road #100 is a pleasant woods walk; until it reaches Whistler
Canyon it maintains a very easy grade. This route offers some of the finest in ponderosa pine country. Giant pines and eroding cliffs highlight
occasional, excellent views. Near the beginning of Road #100, you can see Haley Mountain and Mount Bonaparte. Much farther along, you hit a lovely stretch of Okanogan River Valley southern panoramas. Much farther north, you emerge from Whistler Canyon to see the orchards and pastures south of Oroville. Road #100s best campsites require some worthwhile side trips. Summit Lake is 1.5 miles north on Road #3525. This lake (1300 m./4265 ft.) Is a pretty mountain tarn at the base of Mount Hull, formerly the site of a lookout tower. It is also the jumping-off point for the PNTs spectacular Ideal Route to Oroville. facilities. The second campsite to note near Road #100 is Blue/Black Diamond Lake. In the flat where Road #100 first reaches Whistler Canyon (670 Summit Lake has a primitive campground with no
m./2198 ft.), look for a subtle way trail that angles northwest out of the flat through a corridor of ocean spray. Follow this excellent pack trail north, Though clearcuts have
then northeast, 1.5 miles to Blue Diamond Lake.

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reached to within a 5-minute walk of this wilderness jewel, it is still pristine as of 1995. Not a large or showy lake, Blue Diamond rewards us with
backcountry charm. Road #100 emerges from Whistler Canyons narrow defile past a series of buttes and gorges. Buckbrush (ceonothus), ocean spray, a
strongly-scented brush, and many drought-resistant plants mark this exciting introduction to the orchard-perfumed valley. rattlesnakes! Finally #100 reaches the Okanogan River Valley (290 m./951 ft.) and State Highway #97 at milepost 329. Go 1.4 miles north to the Okanogan River bridge (300 m./984 ft.) at the south end of Oroville. If you need relief from the roads summer heat, there are two fishing access points near the south end of this 1.4 miles) From the Y on State Highway #97, go north 1.2 miles. Along the way there is a veterinarian, a marsh, businesses, orchards, and homes. Go left on 12th Avenue in the south end of Orovilles commercial district.D At this junction (920) Bells Supermarket is a good source of Watch out for
supplies. (The junction is also recognizable by the His & Hers Haircuts on the corner.) Go left west to Ironwood Street. Turn right at the Oroville Depot Museum & Community Hall. Go 0.1 mile to the post office one block north.
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The railroad tracks have been removed from what is now a gravel access road on the north side of the post office. Follow this grade to and beyond the apple packing warehouses such as Gold Digger Apples, Inc. The grade is then bordered by deciduous trees. (It is 0.35 mile to the edge of the trees. After leaving the city of gold, you enter the rivers grand scenery of bluffs and vistas. After 0.8 mile through sage and sumac, the grade crosses a homestead access road. Continue 0.5 mile to the railroad trestle just
beyond the orchard. The total distance from Highway #97 to the trestle is 1.2 miles. [This
route of early fur traders and of later Chinese placer miners has yet to be
converted into an official trail. An alternate way is to follow the parallel Similkameen River Road. Use your best judgment to arrive at County Road #4087 north of Palmer Lake.]
From the unused railroad trestle (990) the PNTs railroad grade continues as easy, scenic walking along the Similkameen River. Follow this wild and scenic canyon 2.0 miles to Enloe Dam, a defunct hydroelectric facility. The farther upstream you go, the more enticing become the heights of Chopaka and Grandview Mountains, your entrance to the Pasayten. Continue upstream 1.0 mile to a railroad tunnel (which allowed the steam engines to by-pass Shankers Bend.) The 0.3 mile long tunnel is open to nonmotorized travelers but it is littered with rocks and debris; give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness so you can avoid the rocks and cow pies. From the northwest end of the tunnel continue 4.8 miles to a point
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opposite the headgate of the irrigation flume. Just before the headgate a cottonwood bench makes a good place to stop beside the river. springs may or may not be flowing. [Going Local
upstream from the tunnel, the railroad This route, despite the minor
grade follows the generally shadier south side of the river.
distraction of the road across the river, is serene riverside walking, especially in autumn when the deciduous leaves turn gold.]
Then continue for 1.6 miles of level walking from the flume intake to Nighthawk. The tiny hamlet of Nighthawk (1163) was originally a turn-of-thecentury mining town. The flavor of the Old West lingers here in this The
ranching valley between Ellemeham Mountain and Little Chopaka.
contrast between the Similkameen's arid brown hills and Nighthawk's lush green alfalfa fields refreshes your eyes. At Nighthawk, you must transfer to the Loomis highway, which has a non-wide, non-paved shoulder. Continue south on it 10.3 miles to the Toats Coulee road. Along the way you will see vestiges of mines with romantic names such as: Prospect; Favorite; King Solomon; Kabba Texas; Alice; Wyandote; Golden Zone; Mountain Sheep; Ruby; Four Metals; and Prize. To the west the ramparts of Grandview and Chopaka Mountains offer a dramatic contrast to the lowlands you have traversed to this point. At the north end of Palmer Lake there is a free, BLM day use park with outhouses and a boat launch. A bit farther south there is a commercial resort. Then
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the Loomis Road passes orchards as it follows Palmer Lake southward to a junction with the Toats Coulee Road. Go 1.3 mile on the Toats Coulee Road, crossing the beautiful, broad Sinlahekin Valley to some farm buildings, and beyond them to the southwest to a junction with the gravel road to Chopaka Lake. Turn right and climb steeply up this convict-built Chopaka Grade, enjoying the spectacular views. Go 4.9 miles up through sage, meadows, and forest to the Chopaka Lake turn-off at MSE 1086m./3562 ft. Leave the main road and go right. In 1.7 more miles you will come to a junction (1025 m/3363 ft.) with Road #2420 that is 0.1 mile after you cross the West Fork of Chopaka Creek. (Chopaka Lake is a very worthwhile 1.4 mile side trip with excellent camping.)E [At Chopaka Lake (2921) you are in for a treat.
Set in a meadow trough between Grandview Mountain and Chopaka Mountain, this 1.5-mile long lake is a barbless-hook, fly-fishing paradise. The shore offers many places to camp. Trout
fishermen are frequent campers at the Department of Natural Resources campground at the middle west shore of the lake (where there is potable water at the pump.) The site even has a wildlife viewing platform. The north end of this camping area is a BLM campground, unimproved except for an attractive, wood-panelled outhouse. For a less-crowded visit you may wish to stay at this spot or at the many informal sites farther north along the wooded shore.]
The next goal is Coldsprings Campground, the jumping off point for the Pasayten Wilderness. Take Beef Pasture Cabin Road #2420 and ascend the West Fork of Chopaka Creek. Climb steeply for a short distance and
continue 0.8 mile across beautiful open meadows northwest to Beef Pasture
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Cabin and Tenderfoot Mine. This is the original road hereabouts, which has been replaced by the gravel highway on the slopes south of Chopaka Creek. However, the old road is perfect for us. Follow it from the drovers' old Beef Pasture Cabin and its small, rusting ore mill. Go a short distance and cross a Chopaka Creek tributary and reach another cabin. Continue to follow the often indistinct jeep road up the lower slopes of Chopaka Mountain 2.4 miles, sometimes in forest, sometimes in view-rich openings. Eventually you will reach a junction with the newer, higher-quality Ninemile Creek Road, which youll follow for the rest of the way up to the dead end at the Coldsprings Campground. After 1.6 miles on the Ninemile Creek Road there is a horse corral with a couple of covered sheds. In 0.1 mile you pass Cold Creek; the (free) Coldsprings Campground is beyond the creek. In summer this climb from the Sinlahekin Valley can be hot and dusty but every step brings us closer to the high country.F There is fairly frequent water along this road, but as usual in this grazing land, its potability is always suspect. Carry water from the lower campgrounds excellent spring to the upper campground. Then stand on the upper camps table for a panoramic view of your gateway to the eastern Pasayten.
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THE IDEAL ROUTE
Chapter 6: The Pasayten
THE PASAYTEN (Chopaka Mountain to Ross Lake)
Introduction
Five hundred and thirty thousand acres of backcountry is enough to get lost in, enough to cut you free from civilization, enough to teach you the meaning of the famous Wilderness Act definition, "where man is a visitor who does not remain." The 500,000 acre figure doesn't even include the
thousands of acres of contiguous wildlands or the Canadian wilderness just across the border. Of course, man has been in the Pasayten for a very long time. Indians hunted its upland meadows and slopes. Early white travelers such as Parson Smith recorded its charms. "Of all lands she is queen," he wrote on a tree trunk (now in the Early Winters Visitor Center.) PNT end-to-enders always rave about the Pasayten's seven thousand foot high basins and deliriously long ridges. This country is magnificent.
And hiking and horseback conditions are excellent on its Boundary Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Devil's Pass Trail, and Ross Lake Trail. No siwashing for us here! The Pasayten is the most remote section of the PNT. From near
Chopaka Lake you wont see any of the usual roads and clearcuts (except at
Bunker Hill) for more than one hundred miles.
That is because in 1968
Congress set aside this enormous area to be forever wild. To get an idea of the extensiveness of this section, climb to a former lookout site at either end. (1) A side trip from Horseshoe Basin south to
8334' Windy Peak offers a superb bird's-eye view of most of the mountains and uplands in the broad, sprawling eastern Pasayten. Windy Peak's bulky spire dominates the PNT landscape all the way from Goodenough Peak to Cathedral Peak. (2) Far to the west, you cross comparable Devils Dome
(6982'). From Devils Dome you can admire the rugged Picket Range across Ross Lake or the nearby Nohokomeen Glacier across Devils Creek. This chapter lists only two future Ideal Routes for us to build. In the Pasayten, the PNTs route is almost all ideal already.
Issues
Weather. July and August are the Pasayten's most temperate months. But even in midsummer, snow and hail are daily possibilities. And if you
remain into the September High Hunt season or into the snowy uncertainties of October, beware! Route finding and water are not problems in this section. The trails are very good and there are many springs, creeks, and rivers. Because there are also hungry critters out there (even rare, wideranging grizzlies), be sure to avoid attracting them to your food and
campsite. If you travel early or late in the season when snowbanks abound, carry an ice axe and know how to use it. Some campsites require reservations that may be difficult to obtain at the height of the season. During the summer, Park Service reservations
are required at all established Ross Lake shore sites. If you wish to camp at Devils Junction, follow the side trail marked Devils Camps downhill from the junction of Trail No. 752 and the East Bank Trail. On the right in 0.1 mile there will be a spur trail to the separate hiker and horse camps. This spur trail immediately brings you to an intersection from which the hiker camp is on the left and the horse camp is straight ahead. (Water for both camps is located at the horse camp in the form of a small creek.) The hiker camp has two sites in a stand of lodgepole pines; views of Ross Lake are nearby. The horse camp consists of one large site with a steel fire pit and some hitching posts. To reach Devils Junction boat camp, continue 0.2 mile past the hiker/horse camps spur trail. outhouse, and one campsite. This boat camp has a floating dock, an Since this popular, small site is usually
reserved in advance by boat campers, plan to stay, if necessary, at one of the higher sites.
Backcountry self-registration permits are required for the Pasayten Wilderness. They may be obtained at trailheads. [Information about such
issues as the maximum size of hiker and equestrian groups is available at www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/] A Camping Pass ($5/night) is necessary for Okanogan National Forest trailhead parking anywhere west of the Okanogan River. A $25 annual
sticker is available from Methow Valley Ranger District, P. O. Box 188, Twisp, WA 98856 (509/997-2131.) Winthrop: 509/996-4000. www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/ [They honor Trail Park Pass stickers from other national forests in Washington.] Trail Park Pass stickers are required for any trailhead parking at Mount Baker-Snoqualamie National Forest trailheads. A $25 annual sticker is
available from NWIA, 21905 64th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. 800/627-0062. www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/ [They honor Trail Park Pass stickers from other national forests in Washington.] No entrance fee is required to enter Ross Lake National Recreation Area or North Cascades National Park. No rangers are usually available on the Route at Ross Lake but campsite reservations are required there. For information call 360/856-5700 or visit www.nps.gov/noca/.
Trygve Culp, President, Okanogan BCH, P. O. Box 484, Tonasket, WA
98855. 509/486-2061.
Supplies
The Pasayten is far from anywhere. Oroville (ZIP 9844) and Loomis
(ZIP 98827) are the nearest eastern sources of supplies and mail. The Ross Lake Resort, Rockport, WA 98238, at the west end of this section, will hold PNT cache boxes for you.
Declination 19 E to 19.3 E
USGS Topographic Maps Hurley Peak Horseshoe Basin Bauerman Ridge Remmel Mountain Ashnola Pass Shull Mountain Jack Mountain Ashnola Mountain Tatoosh Buttes Frosty Creek Castle Peak Pasayten Peak Pumpkin Mountain Crater Mountain Ross Dam
Route Description
From the Cold Creek Camps upper camp roadhead (1900m; 6234')
note the long, receding, wooded valley, north-bordered by a large, mostly bare hill; beyond this valley (Long Draw) you will see mountainous abutments. Keep this view in mind because the cleft at the end of Long
Draw introduces your first Pasayten Wilderness destination, Horseshoe Basin. From Cold Creek Camp, follow a jeep trail to the broad, open basins so typical of the Pasayten. Climb, sometimes steeply, through lodgepole
and fir to open, grassy slopes. There is an excellent creek where you drop into the drainage south of Joe Mills Mountains summit. Look for good
camping and views. Then half way to the col, there is a good campsite in a copse of spruces beside a fine trickle in the meadows. After climbing 2.0 miles across the southwest slopes of Chopaka Mountain, you reach a col (2100m; 6890') between Disappointment (2178m; 7161') and Joe Mills Mountain (2354m; 7723'). The latter is actually a This col is a good
subsidiary peak of Chopaka Mountain (2402m; 7880.)
campsite with nearby water. (The drinking water available on these slopes may be affected by leaching cow pies.) Depart from the jeep trail at the north edge of the little pass. Turn left onto a trail (a cattle driveway) on a compass bearing of 274 from the jeep road. Drop behind Disappointment down to Olallie (berry) Creek (1850m; (Dont be confused by the
6069') along this steep, rocky, viewless trail. initial fence.)
This unattractive driveway emerges into the cheery little
valley of Olallie Creek at the ruins of a drovers' cabin. This treeless south slope is so creased by decades of cattle hooves that sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the trail and the animal paths. But make your way along the Olallie Creek Trail 1.5 miles
downstream to its junction (1750m; 5741') with Snowshoe Creek, a tributary of North Fork Toats Coulee Creek. (There is good camping in this lovely
valley.) The ruins of a cabin mark this junction (5770.) Olallie Creek is the best local water.A From the cabin ruins, go 0.1 mile south on the Snowshoe Creek Trail No. 340. Turn right on the Goodenough Trail. You recross Olallie Creek and continue west 0.1 mile to the cattlemens Snowshoe Cabin (off to the right of the main trail.) This unappealing shelter does have a metal roof for refuge in storms. (Campsites abound around the shelter.) Follow the initially-excellent Goodenough Trail 2.5 miles up the scenic ridge called Goodenough Park. Snowshoe Creek. From Snowshoe Cabin, cross boggy
Immediately begin climbing the base of forested
Goodenough park. At 5900' at the Long Draw Trail junction, go right, uphill because the Goodenough Trail follows the ridgeline. You soon break out into the meadows where there are many confusing cattle trails. From
Goodenoughs ridge you have a grandstand view of Arnold Peak's mellow pastures, Horseshoe Basin's open spaces, and Horseshoe Mountain's lovely curve. Beyond to the southwest is the pointy bulk of Windy Peak.
The true trail stays in or near the timber up along the ridge. When the obvious trail peters out, either follow the ridgeline as shown on the map or follow the cows mainline route that traverses to and beyond their cattle trough. Occasional seeps along the way may have been muddied by cows. If you go the bovine way, be sure after the cattle trough to angle up to the pre-Goodenough Peak col. The true trail contours the north side of Goodenough Peak (7408.) Then from the mountains northwest side, follow the ridge down to a barbed wire fence. Follow the fence to a gate made of two large spruces. Go straight ahead through the gate. The route is well-marked by
cairns. You soon pass the Pasayten Wilderness boundary sign. Drop down through verdant meadows following the cairns. Lacking tread, be sure to follow the cairns all the way down to where you turn west on the Long Draw Trail. Dont get mixed up and follow un-cairned cattle trails. On its way to Arnold Peak, the tread begins to improve. Follow Snowshoe Creek Trail No. 340 as it contours 3.0 miles along the lower slopes of Arnold Peak (2466m; 8090') to a major trail junction at Horseshoe Pass (2135m; 7006'). This trail alternates timber and meadows and features a well-watered about halfway, at Lone Wolf Camp.
[From Horseshoe Pass, side trail No. 533D goes one mile to Smith Lake. Also from the pass you can go south to Windy Peak 5.7 miles via Trail No. 533 and Windy Trail No. 342. In good weather don't miss this memorable side trip to Windy Peak (2540m; 8333'.)
So far all of your efforts have been devoted merely to reaching the
Pasayten Wilderness. But now that you have finally arrived at this parkland, the fabulous Cascade Crest is calling from 65 miles west across Boundary Trail No. 533. [After that you will have over fifty more very exciting miles to the end of this chapter at Ross Dam.] The Boundary Trail is a heavy duty, easy-to-follow, superbly scenic route. The Boundary Trail has many spectacular views from its long upland ridges and many summit crossings. Even where the trail is not crowding the edge of some great gulf, as here at Horseshoe Basin and beyond, you can see plenty of near and distant peaks. The view at Louden Lake is typical. This shallow pond occupies part of a flat between aptly-named Rock Mountain and the western slopes of Armstrong Peak. Meadow grass is the predominant vegetation. Isolated subalpine firs grow singly or in clumps
that straggle up the pretty slopes. And despite at least a half century of use by large horse parties and by cattle herds and sheep flocks, and recently by a few backpackers, Louden Lake, like the rest of the Boundary Trail country, looks as pristine as if you were its original discoverer. From Horseshoe Pass, go 5.3 miles to the south end of Haig Mountain at Dome Camp (6880.) You enjoy constantly changing views of Windy Peak and Armstrong Mountain. The terrain has no radical elevation changes, just great adventure. You pass Wagon Track Camp, Fireplace Camp, and Teapot Dome Camp. (Look for water at: Horseshoe Pass; a tributary of Horseshoe Creek from Snehumption Gap; Louden Lake; Dome Camp; and various
seeps.) The next popular destination and convenient camping place is 8.5 miles west at the Tungsten Mine. First the Boundary Trail maintains long miles of level and/or easy grades as it rounds Bauerman Ridge's south slopes to Scheelite Pass (MSE 6713'). Contour at the 7,000' level; youll
encounter possible campsites at the beginning and end of this traverse. There is no water in the northwest section of this traverse for a long way. At a forested ridge before Scheelite Pass there is a good campsite with water. Then switchback down to rock gully Scheelite Pass (which is not suitable for camping.) The trail maintains a good contour through lodgepole pines west from the unprepossessing pass. South of Knob 7353' cross a tributary of
Tungsten Creek. There are no prepared sites here but grassy spots abound among the pines. Mine. [Haig
Mountain and Bauerman Ridge offer excellent cross-country routes. Instead of
This is the last best camping choice before Tungsten
following the trail across their southern slopes, you could make a superb high traverse across the open, inviting summit ridges to Scheelite Pass.]
There is more contouring as you skirt the south slopes of Wolframite Mountain to reach the World War I vintage Tungsten Mine. (Take the upper trail to the cabins and the lower trail to the mine.) PNT pilgrims usually stay in the long cookhouse or in the cozy cabin above it. Look for the large iron
bathtub that Paul Louden packed in to this mining claim on his donkey Jack. (There is gravity-fed water in the upper cabins sink.) [See the Paul Louden chapter in
River Pigs And Cayuses. The Tungsten Mine buildings should be included in the National Historic Register as soon as possible to be preserved for future generations of PNT pilgrims.]
From the Tungsten Mine at Wolframite Mountain, the PNT makes a swing northwest up the headwaters of Tungsten Creek and around south 1.8 miles to Apex Pass. Proceed through an old burns wildflower expanses.
Broad, park-like Apex Pass is great for camping if youve brought enough water. [The
trail crosses here into the upper Chewack River watershed. Apex Pass (7280) is
between Apex Mountain (8297) and the long, northwest-tending ridge that connects north to Cathedral Peak and the Canadian border. The Chewack River tributary named Cathedral Creek drains the great basin between Apex Pass and Cathedral Pass. Like so much of the eastern
Pasayten, this area was burned in the great forest fires of the late 1920's. For decades the silvery, standing snags from those conflagrations were a characteristic Pasayten sight. Now most of them crisscross the ground with their decaying trunks. The heights of the few standing veterans have been surpassed by the lodgepoles growing up all around them. At Cathedral Pass you can see an arboreal souvenir of the Cathedral Creek fire of more than fifty years ago. In autumn, notice the vibrant band of yellow just below the pass. These larches were spared by the fire, perhaps
because of a backdraft coming through the cleft between Cathedral Peak (8601) and Amphitheater Mountain (8358.)]
Just beyond Apex Pass you can see the trail contouring to the head of the drainage gully and then climbing directly up to bare, rocky Cathedral Pass. Go 3.0 miles to Cathedral Pass (7580) where you can begin to see Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan 80 miles to the west. At the pass, there is
a surprise western view of a flat basin dotted with clumps of firs. Be alert for mountain goats as you descend 0.7 mile to the good campsite at Upper Cathedral Lake beneath the abrupt walls of Amphitheater Mountain's 8252' spur ridge. [Although
no place here is more than a two or three day walk out to civilization, you are
definitely well beyond the range of most travelers. You might meet a trailriding party at Barker Brown Cabin or at Dean Creek, or perhaps some Canadians on a day trip. But, in general, this north-central wilderness is the province of the dedicated distance traveler. If you want to
guarantee yourself maximum solitude, come here in the off-season. Then you will be unlikely to meet anyone but your shadow - and probably not even it.]
Go 4.1 miles from Upper Cathedral Lake to Spanish Camp. Begin by crossing a dramatic slope of enormous boulders to the Lower Cathedral Lake junction. About a mile beyond the Lower Cathedral Lake junction, pass a boggy flat and a reflecting pool, beyond which Remmel Mountain seems to rise out of thin air. Then you pass two branches of the Remmel Lake Trail. And finally after a relatively long time in the trees you come to the cabin at Spanish Camp (6850.) [This
Forest Service station is one of the very few remaining cabins scattered throughout this prime grazing
country. Its name commemorates the many Basque herders who, until recently, were common here. Spanish Camp is securely locked against men and critters and its corral has been demolished. The cabin is located at the edge of a wood and a stream just below Bald Mountain.]
Go 7.1 miles to the Ashnola River. Leave the cabin's multiple stock trails behind and cross the creek on the Boundary Trail west toward Bald Mountain. This soon becomes another long, horizon-filled ridge. The broad,
open, grassy upland northwest of Bald Mountain's bare summit is as fine a stroll as you could wish for. You are consistently at elevations above seven thousand feet. However, to enjoy this upland to the maximum, follow the old Boundary Trail route (as drawn on the USGS map) up Bald Mountain from the cabin. Between the cabin and the Ashnola River, the relocated, gentler version contours below the most spectacular parts of this ridge. Whichever route you choose, you may wish in good weather to camp on the ridge to enjoy its superb 360-degree views of this remote country. Carry up water from the last meadow source or search for water at a seep half way up beyond the cliffs. The last part of this 7.1-mile section is a seemingly interminable series of switchbacks down to the Ashnola River (5040.) As you lose 2,000' of
elevation, look ahead at the flood-scoured mouth of Timber Wolf Creek or at Sand Ridge and Sheep Mountain. It will make you realize what a big country this really is and what a healthy chunk of elevation you must soon regain. There is a junction in a sandy clearing in lodgepole forest just before you reach the river. The sign indicates 4 miles to Peeve Pass one way and 9 miles back to Remmel lake. Also, 7 miles to Ashnola Pass and 14 to Black Lake. In bad weather the sites at the Ashnola River are a good layover spot until the heights have cleared. The old shelter at the Ashnola River is available to use (although in need of repair.) But there are also many good places to set up your tent to enjoy this
delightful bottom country. West of the Ashnola, the trail ascends rapidly, jogging north 1.7 miles to the Martina Creek/Ramon Lakes trail at MSE 5863'. Before Martina Creek you cross a bridge over the scenic, rocky gorge of an unnamed Ashnola River tributary. Once you are up out of the Ashnola's valley, we traverse high country amid the wide open spaces to which PNT pilgrims are happily accustomed. (The Boundary Trail here is usually marked with pointed stakes.) Not far out of the trees, where the route opens up into long views of sky, grass, and Sand Ridge, you reach a junction (6600.) There turn right, uphill, to contour around the edge of the unnamed creek basin. The other way crosses
through the basin and past the ruins of the Barker Brown Cabin, an old prospecting site. Descend 0.5 mile from Peeve Pass to a meadow basin, a good camping place with plenty of water and natural horse feed. [Peeve
Pass (6840),
between Sheep Mountain and Sand Ridge, offers a side trip south on Sand Ridge to Whistler Basin and more prime meadowlands. Or from a junction 0.5 mile northwest of Peeve Pass you could connect with the aforementioned Sheep Mountain/Park Pass/Ramon Lakes Trail No. 506.]
Next contour up through woods 0.9 mile to meet a 0.5 mile side trail to Quartz Lake. [This
classic high country lake is a good respite from overloads of scenery
and/or inclement weather. And nearby Quartz Mountain is a platform for your best views yet of the Cascade Crest. Because the Boundary Trail contours along treeless slopes for almost three miles at about 7000' elevation, you behold a jigsaw puzzle of peaks stretching across the western
horizon. Very soon you will be exploring the Cascade Crest and Mount Baker, the PNTs own live volcano.]
You increasingly have better views of the long, mostly-treeless ridge that culminates in Bunker Hill (7239) 5.9 miles ahead. To reach Bunker Hill, descend from Quartz Mountain's pole-and-cairn-marked upland trail section to the divide at the main headwaters of Dean Creek. [At the bottom
of this draw, look upstream a short distance for an old horse camp hidden The next reliable water west from here (except for
away on the right bank of the stream.
snowbanks) is beyond Bunker Hill's summit.]
Before climbing the Bunker Hill ridge, the Boundary Trail first crosses the 1.5-mile axis of Knob 6671'. This is a mostly-wooded trail section with excellent views north and east of a burn and of Sheep Mountain's inviting meadows. (This section offers sites for dry camping.) Bunker Hill, a Ten Best, repeats and magnifies Quartz Mountains views of the Cascade Crest. Follow the forest trail up to the ridgeline
approach to the summit. A skirmish line of firs defends the ridge's relatively gentle south slope. The trail passes through these trees and into the open not far from the footings of the destroyed lookout cabin. Go 0.2 mile along the Boundary Trail across the broad meadowland west of the summit to a junction (7085) where you pass Dean Creek Trail No. 456. (At the summit dont make the mistake of following the tracks of the most obvious route.)
Descend 6.5 miles on the Boundary Trail to the East Fork of the Pasayten River. Crossing a beautiful greensward, the Boundary Trail swings below and west of Bunker Hill's north ridge to an excellent, grassy campsite in a basin on the headwaters of Bunker Hill Creek. From there it is all
downhill to the East Fork through thick forest. This section can be grueling; the first water is not until you cross Bunker Hill Creek, almost at the bottom. Then a long, curving descent parallel to the East Fork of the Pasayten River completes your descent from the heights. There is a good, forested campsite (and a junction (3960) with Hidden Lakes Trail No. 477) on the East Fork. But only 0.7 mile farther over a
forested rise will bring you to the Pasayten River Bridge (3920.) [Immediately across
the bridge is a riverside campsite. You can find a better one, more open to the sun, by
following the trail north a short distance to the Pasayten River Trail. From there you will find an excellent riverside camp a short distance north. Or you could choose Harrison Camp, 1.2 miles downstream. The Pasayten River, north or south, is an excellent link with the outside world. Two miles north, not far beyond the Canadian border, it may still be possible to cross the river on a rickety, swaying bridge, which is unsteadily suspended on two long cables. From this point you could hike part of British Columbia's Centennial Trail, a rather incomplete path between the Cathedral Lakes country (just north of the PNT's Cathedral Pass) and Vancouver, B.C. Or from the large clearcut that was visible from Bunker Hill you could follow the logging road about 20 miles north to British Columbia Highway 3. From there you could reach pay showers, dining, lodging, and regular bus service at Manning Park Resort, about 5 miles west. The resort will hold mailed packages for long-distance hikers; mark your package "PNT" and your name; mail service is "very slow." The gift shop has "basic canned and packaged goods as well as milk, bread, and eggs." (Write Manning Park Resort, Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia, V0X 1R0 Canada, 604/840-8822. A shortcut to the Resort from the PCT is via the Windy Joe Trail and then the Similkameen Trail West, thus avoiding walking along Highway #3.)]
From the trail junction west of the Pasayten River Bridge, go southwest 1.2 miles along the river trail to a junction (4000) with the Harrison Creek Trail, an access route to this area via Monument 83 and Manning Park. A short distance later you reach delightful Harrison Camp on the Pasayten River. The distance from the Pasayten River bridge to the Pasayten Air Strip totals 5.0 miles. The route includes pleasant woodland corridors, rare river views, occasional creek crossings, and easy, undulating terrain. There is a good campsite at Soda Creek (4200.) [Because of current Forest Service wilderness regulations, the Pasayten Landing Strip is no
longer maintained as an emergency airstrip, and lodgepole pines have reclaimed the runway. However, the log-built Guard Station cabin and the barn and horse corral are still in good condition. (There is an outhouse and a functioning, outside water tap there.) The runway now serves as good pasture for riding and pack stock.]
From where you arrive on the east side of the north end of the Landing Strip (4240), cross the field. Walk south along the edge of the woods until you find the continuation of the Boundary Trail. Climb northwest through the woods in the drainage of Soda Creek. After contouring above a pretty forested gorge, the trail crosses to the north bank and follows the North Fork of Soda Creek to a spruce-and-fir divide. Cradled by a V-shaped pass, Dead Lake (5062) is a good swimming hole in hot weather. There is no good
camping at Dead Lake but you can find a spot a mile downhill at Chuchuwanteen Creek (4560) after descending a deep valley. The distance
from the Landing Strip to Chuchuwanteen Creek is 4.0 miles. well-built and well-watered.
The trail is
Your next destination B is 6.6 miles to the northwest at Castle Pass. The heavily-forested, wide valley of Frosty Creek is a dramatic entrance to the heights of the Cascade Crest. There is an unattractive horse camp at Frosty Lake (5343.) Much nicer, but less protected campsites exist in the high
basin below Mount Winthrop and at Frosty Pass. The former has water but the latter requires that you carry up your water. The upper basin is vividly stratified and its trail is multi-switchbacked. To reach Frosty Pass the
Boundary Trail zigzags steadily up from Frosty Lake northwest onto the open slopes of Mount Winthrop. At about 6200' you loop around a high tributary of Frosty Creek and contour out west to Frosty Pass (6500.) [At Frosty Pass you finally leave the vast Columbia River drainage, your home since Brown Pass on the Continental Divide.] From Frosty Pass drop very steeply 0.6 mile west down to Castle Pass (5451.) Castle Pass is a swampy area between Route Creek and the Castle Fork of Big Face Creek. The Okanogan/Whatcom County ridge divides these two west-of-the Crest drainages. In fact, Castle Pass Trail No. 749 goes west along this divide, eventually to reach Ross Lake via either the Willow Lake Trail or the Lightning Creek Trail. From Castle Pass, Manning Park Lodge
and Highway #3 are only 10.6 miles north. However, your next destination is Holman Pass, 14.3 miles south. This
section is a great treat, one of the PNTs Ten Best. Here follow Pacific Crest Trail No. 2000. [Pacific
Crest Trail Association, 5325 Elkhorn Blvd., #256, Sacramento, CA
95842. 888/PCTrail. Www.pcta.org.]
Traverse the west slopes of Blizzard Peak for
3.3 miles above the Castle Fork to rise gradually to Hopkins Pass (6122.) This section is mostly forest. But there are occasional openings, especially the avalanche chute where a high branch of the Castle Fork tumbles across the trail from below the summit. At narrow, rocky Hopkins Pass, there is a Trail Abandoned sign for the Chuchuwanteen Creek Trail, the PNTs Ideal Route. A short distance
down the Chuch Trail, there is a campsite where solitude is the norm at the small ponds. A little way up from Hopkins Pass you meet a side trail to Hopkins Lake, a popular place to camp. The scenic 5.1 mile passage from Hopkins Pass to Woody Pass contours south, mostly between 6600' and 6800', except where it is higher between Hopkins Lake and halfway along Lakeview Ridge. From Hopkins
Pass, switchback upward on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) almost to the top of Knob 6873'. This superb route offers outstanding views from the Devil's
Stairway, Knob 7126', and the PCT section that temporarily follows the top of Lakeview Ridge. Beyond, where the trail drops west off the ridgetop, you come to a side trail down to a good campsite with pasture and water at Mountain Home Camp. The PCT/PNT continues at an easy grade under
Three Fools Peak south across open slopes to Woody Pass (6624.) In addition to seasonal snowmelt and unpredictable trickles, the reliable water sources are Hopkins Lake and Mountain Home Camp. At Woody Pass between Knob 7381' and Powder Mountain (7714) you cross over to continue your southward course on the east side of the Cascade Crest, now above the headwaters of U-shaped, avalanche-chuted Rock Creek valley. Woody Pass, as befits its name, does have weatherbeaten larches and subalpine firs at the enormous massif of Powder Mountain. There is more camping and water farther down at the junction with the Rock Creek Trail. Woody Pass has one tent site immediately over the pass. South of Woody Pass, the PCT/PNT switchbacks sharply below the conglomerate and slate scree slopes on the lowest of the three routes. It climbs relentlessly up to Rock Pass (6491). Two higher scree slope routes have been abandoned. (There is a flat spot, a potential site, where the
switchbacks top out up from the head of the Rock Creek Valley.) The trail crosses the Crest about 300 yards southeast of Rock Pass and contours south below Holman Peak at the 6400' level before dropping down to a good spring and campsite at 6200'. [The Goat Lakes, an
off-trail, potential stopping place
southeast of the spring, are reached by following the meadow uphill to their picturesque basin. ]
(Here Canyon
Creek valley is a real eyeful.) An easy grade brings us down to Holman Pass on the PCT/PNT. From Woody Pass to Holman Pass is 5.9 miles. Toward the
end, as you approach Holman Pass, you emerge from the trees to enjoy a good view that situates Holman Pass within the surrounding topography. Holman Pass (5050) is the wooded, viewless junction where the Pacific Crest Trail is intersected by Holman Creek Trail No. 472A (from the West Fork, Pasayten River) and by Devil's Ridge Trail No. 752. Here the PNT
leaves the PCT. Dry camping is possible at and just below the pass. But Canyon Creek is a better choice. Descend steeply 0.7 mile to Canyon Creek (4910) where there is a fine, small campsite in old growth subalpine fir forest. [A
short distance down
from Holman Pass you go by the low-roofed Yon Dodge Cabin. Yon Dodge (1911-1971) was a sheepherder, and his cabin is very low because he was only five feet two inches tall. And because trappers usually put as little effort as possible into building and heating their trapline log cabins.]
Ascend 2.5 miles to Sky Pilot Pass (6280.)
About a mile beyond
Canyon Creek at about 5720' there is a compact campsite with a fine creek. At meadows there are good views back to Holman pass. Then contour south up to Sky Pilot Pass via Devil's Ridge Trail No. 752. At Sky Pilot Pass, a short distance uphill to the north there is a good spot for dry camping. [A good
side trip from Sky Pilot Pass is to climb Chancellor Trail No.
754 south to Knob 6711'; Chancellor Campground is 7 miles south via this trail. While you are up above Sky Pilot Pass, be sure to look south for flat-topped, lookout-towered Slate Peak. Search, too, for the long western sweep of the PNT to Devils Pass and Devils Dome via the glacier-carved, U-shaped valley of Canyon Creeks North Fork.]
From Sky Pilot Pass, drop down 1.3 miles to Deception Pass (5280),
between Shull Creek and North Fork Canyon Creek.
This gloomy, aptlyHowever, a
named minor pass lacks both campsites and reliable water.
short distance down from Sky Pilot Pass there is reliable water in a meadow (and a great view of Devils Pass from the left side of the meadow.) Later the trail to Deception Pass crosses several streams. [Even
in the driest weather, the
North Fork Canyon Creek is a likely source of water. There is also a very fine spring 800 feet before grassy Devils Pass on a side trail down to a shelter in a little basin.]
An interesting side trip is the popular loop trail south (left) to Devils Park, Macmillan Park, and Canyon Creek. From Deception Pass, gradually climb 3.5 miles west below the unnamed ridge of Knob 7514' to the head of the valley and Devils Pass (6060.) The beautiful, open, second half of this climb is notable for broad valley views, snow patches, sharply-tilted sedimentary rocks, and your growing acquaintance with glacier-clad Jack Mountain. At a large basin
below Knob 7514' there is an excellent, watered campsite on the far side of the meadow. Immediately before Devils Pass there is a side trail down to a watered campsite. Once you reach the pass itself (flat enough for dry camping), go straight across the flat area to the mouse-level sign for Devils Pass. The PNTs next high country traverse is the best part of this end of the Pasayten Wilderness. Here, once again, you will enjoy mile after mile of
ridgetop views. Devils Dome (6982) is the center of this splendid, stop-and-
stare scenery, truly one of the PNT's Ten Best. West of Knob 6262' there are good potential dry campsites in view-rich meadows. After 1.9 miles from Devils Pass you come to a good potential camping area southeast of Knob 6881' on an arm above a basin (where there is likely to be plenty of snowmelt water.) After crossing that arm, contour up Devils Ridge and switchback sharply up to the windy summit of Devils Dome. [Note especially Mount Baker
and the Pickets to the west, Valhalla-like Hozemeen Peak to Here you also begin to be
the north, and your recent Cascade Crest route to the northeast.
conscious of Ross Lake, which, although nearby, is a full mile lower in elevation. If there is a highlight to the wonders here, it must be the yawning gulf that separates the 9066' summit of Jack Mountain from the valley floor beneath its glaciers. Listen for massive pieces of ice that break away from the glaciers. Unfortunately the lookout cabin on Devils Dome was burned by the Forest Service.]
Just down from Devils Dome, there is a rocky basin with snowmelt springs. Across more beautiful uplands, 1.6 miles farther west, there is a short side trail to the Bear Skull Shelter, a good place to camp, especially in bad weather and/or huckleberry season. Ross Lake is 5.5 miles west down the very steep Devil's Dome Trail - of which the upper half is exposed, dry, and potentially hot and brushy. Although this trail is in good condition, your knees won't be when you have finished it. Or when it has finished with you. The first _ of the trail offer incomparable views of Jack Mountain, the greatest vertical mountain face on
the entire PNT. Angle down steeply at first, from heather meadows to dry slopes of white pine, lodgepole pine, and fir and then to cool woods of vine maple, alder, sword fern, and occasional water. At 4800' there is a trickle of water. 280'
lower at the beginning of a large opening, there is a stronger creek. Otherwise this trail is very dry. Eventually, after many switchbacks in thick cedar and fir forest, you reach the lakeside trail. Straight ahead is the way trail to Ross Lake at
Devils Junction boat camp. The hiker and horse campsites are in the woods below the junction. Your best choice would be to have reserved a spot at the boat camp. [You
may arrange in advance for a Ross Lake Resort boat to carry you over to the west
bank at Little Beaver Creek. This would not only be shorter, avoiding State Highway #20, but also would help to carry your Pasayten Wilderness feelings of remoteness into the adjacent North Cascades National Park.]
From Devil's Junction Campsite, go 12.2 miles to the Ruby Creek Bridge along the excellent East Bank Trail. This makes a delightful contrast to the radical elevation changes you have just experienced. The alders give off a sweet, lowland smell. There are also beautiful birches, vine and big leaf maples, western red cedars, Douglas fir, and a ground cover of ferns and Oregon grape. Cross a long suspension bridge (suitable for pack stock) over precipitous Devils Creek gorge. Then pass a mossy seep where the trail has
been blasted into the devil's food cake swirls of the lakeside rock.
This
sections many distractions include: fir-tipped headlands; misty cliffs; and blinding-white glaciers. The East Bank Trail passes several good campsites: Devils Junction; Rainbow Point (3.7 miles); May Creek (0.9 mile); and Roland Creek (1.3 miles.) Then it traverses inland 3.7 miles on the lowest slopes of Jack
Mountain, south over Hidden Hand Pass (2520), and past Ruby Horse Pasture to Ruby Creek Trail No. 736. This enjoyable section features
mosses, ferns, hermit thrushes, cedars, mushrooms, and Douglas firs. In 2.6 more miles, via the old placer mining route, you reach 1950vintage Ruby Creek Bridge (MSE 1648), where there is a small campsite. From the bridge climb 0.2 mile up to State Highway #20 (2000.) [To obviate this road travel, the PNTA plans to resurrect the old trail from Ruby Arm to Ross Dam in 2000.] Go 4.5 miles on State Highway #20 to the Ross Dam parking lot (2160.) (There is no official camping at the Ross Dam parking lot, but for a person on foot the seclusion of the forest is everywhere.) From the Ross Dam parking lot, an 0.8 mile tourist trail takes us down to the great concrete impoundment (1617.) enormous cedars and firs. Stop for a moment to enjoy the mosses, devil's club, and ferns which make the Pasayten's moist west so different from its arid east. Can you still A fine creek splashes past
remember the scent of sage and ponderosa pine? Truly the PNT has it all!
SUGGESTED HIKES
The Sheep Mountain/Park Pass/Ramon Lakes trail is part of an excellent loop trip into the Basque sheepherding country. The trail loops
entirely around Sheep Mountain and rejoins the Boundary Trail beyond Peeve Pass. From MSE 5863' to Peeve Pass (6840) totals 3.2 miles.
Chapter 7: North Cascades To Salt Water
NORTH CASCADES TO SALT WATER (The Upper Skagit River to Samish Bay)
Introduction
This section is an excellent example of the enormous variety to be found along the Pacific Northwest Trail. It includes alpine gardens, saltchuck beaches, lovely lakes, wild streams, and undisturbed wilderness. It crosses a national recreation area, a national park, and a national forest. Unlike
most of the PNT, it also includes much state and private land and so beginning in 1982 the PNTAs volunteers contributed countless hours to build new sections. They have made this North Cascades-to-salt water
section a model for volunteer-built trails everywhere. Be sure to visit the PNTAs Chuckanut Drive trailhead. Where you first reach the saltchuck,
South Samish Overlook offers an unequaled vista from Mount Rainier to the Olympic Mountains to the San Juan Islands to Vancouver, BC.
Issues
You may encounter unexpected changes because much of this section outside the national park is subject to unpredictable logging; trails may be obscured by new clearcuts. Also, be prepared for unexpected drought-
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season closures designed to protect against forest fires. Also, during some years exceptionally deep snow or heavy flooding may prevent access. The PNTAs volunteers have gradually improved this section ever since 1982. For instance, in 1998 we resurrected Swift Creek Trail No. 607. The Forest Service had scheduled reconstruction of the 8-mile, overgrown trail in 1995 but ran out of money. We have brushed it out enough to make it
passable again. And elsewhere we continue to improve the Practical Route through weekly work trips. As you plan your trip through chapter 7, be sure to contact the Skagit/Whatcom Regulars at 360/424-0407 for the latest trail construction and maintenance updates.

Trailhead parking permits are required for Mount Baker-Snoqualamie National Forest. The Trail Park Pass is available with Visa or MasterCard 800/627-0062.
from their Mountlake Terrace office at 425/775-9702. www.fs.fed.us./r6/mbs. forests in Washington. 4060) and other venues.
They will honor those issued by other national The Pass is also available at REI stores (206/470-
Free backcountry permits and campsite reservations are required for North Cascades National Park. They are issued on a first come, first served basis by rangers at Glacier (360/599-2714), Newhalem (206/386-4495), Sedro-Woolley (360/856-5700), and Marblemount (360/873-4500.) Write to: 244
North Cascades National Park Headquarters and Visitors Center, 2105 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284. [They also sell the Mount Baker-
Snoqualamie National Forest Trail Park Pass.]
Contact the following for equestrian information about this area: Skagit Backcountry Horsemen, P. O. Box 188, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284. Mike McGlenn, BCH, 1992 Harmony Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. (360/9669117; FAX: 360/647-9538.)
Supplies
Supplies both are and are not a problem in this section. They are not a problem because you are never very far from a small town, especially along the Skagit River. scarce. However, supplies on the route itself are rather
Packages may be sent ahead to Ross Lake Resort, Rockport, WA Soda pop, candy bars,
98283 (360/386-4437 - www.rosslakeresort.com)
fishing tackle, and bait are sold at the resort but there is no store or restaurant. They do, however, operate a water taxi service on Ross Lake. If you wish to be met by them somewhere up the lake, you must make a paidin-advance reservation (and arrange that they bring your supply cache box.) [End-to-enders should take the PNTAs Recommended Alternate Route west from Devils Junction or Desolation Peak; cross Ross Lake by boat and thus 245
avoid the unnecessary emergence into civilization at Ross Dam.
This
Recommended Alternate will preserve and intensify the wilderness feelings engendered by the past weeks roadlessness.] There is no public transportation to or from Ross Dam (except the work boat from Diablo Dam.) However, the entirely free Skagit Transit One trip is for
makes two daily trips to Seattle City Light at Newhalem.
public transit and the other is subsidized by SCL for its employees. [Note that Route #513 crosses the Swinomish Channel on Highway #20 with a stop at the March Point Park & Ride. You can also pre-schedule a pick-up and/or drop-off at other locations such as: Bow post office; Edison Caf; Bayview Community Center; Highway #20 & Rosario Road; Mt. Erie Fire Department; and the Caboose (Marblemount.)] (Each countys bus routes Call SKAT
generally connect to those of the neighboring transit system.) customer service at 360/757-4433 or 299-2424.
The Diablo Lake Resort has a grocery store with a small selection of expensive supplies. Much better is the Marblemount store, 28 miles down the Skagit River from Ross Dam, on State Highway 20. Several Skagit County towns are easily accessible including: Concrete (ZIP 98237); Hamilton (ZIP 98255); Lyman (ZIP 98263); Sedro-Woolley (ZIP 98284); Concrete (ZIP 98237); Bow (ZIP 98232); and Anacortes (ZIP 98221.) Wickersham, Alger, and Blanchard do not have post offices. The city of Bellingham (population 45,794) is only a few miles north of 246
the PNTs Chuckanut Drive terminus. Bellingham Mall has a Laundromat, a grocery store, a self-service postal station, and numerous other stores. Year round lodging is available at the Fairhaven Rose Garden AYH Hostel, Fairhaven park, 107 Chuckanut Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225-8934
(360/671-1750.)
Bus station coin lockers are across the street from the
YMCA; you could stash your gear in a coin locker while taking the YMCA's pay shower. (If you meet a friendly student up the hill at Western
Washington University, you might be able to shower at the university's gym.) Bellingham has several backpacking stores downtown. The Base
Camp is located at 901 W. Holly Street, Bellingham 98225 (360/733-5461.) Yeager's Sporting Goods & Marine is at 3101 Northwest Ave.; 206/384-1212, 800/472-2628. The Great Adventure is at 201 E. Chestnut (360/671-4615.) The Friday Bellingham Herald has an events section about happenings in town and at the university. If you want to eat someone else's cooking, try the Mexican Village (5-8 p.m.), Jacque's Caf (6 a.m.-2 p.m.), or Pauline's Caf. The main post office is on Prospect Street downtown; it's the best Two blocks northeast is the
place to pick up general delivery packages.
library (open till 9 p.m. Mon. - Wed., otherwise till 6 p.m.) There is a free museum near the main post office. Behind the P. O. look for the Maritime Heritage Center. And if you are an end-to-ender, ask to see the salmon
hatchery for insight into a true long distance trip. 247
Declination 19.3E to 19.4 E

USGS Topographic Maps Ross Dam Pumpkin Mountain Mt. Prophet Mt. Challenger Mt. Redoubt Mt. Blum Copper Mountain Mt. Seferit Mt. Larrabee Shuksan Arm Mt. Shuksan Welker Peak Lake Shannon Bacon Peak Baker Pass Grandy Lake Hamilton Lyman Sedro-Woolley North Acme Lake Whatcom Bellingham South Bow
Route Description
From State Highway #20 follow a tourist trail 0.8 mile from the parking lotA down to Ross Dam (1617.) From Ross Dam go 5.7 miles to the mouth of Big Beaver Creek (1618) along a good trail. Pass an access trail for the floating cabins of the Ross Lake Resort. Stay high above the lake and enjoy fine views of Ruby 248
Mountain, Ruby Arm, and Hidden Hand Pass. Green Point, the first campground after the resort, is an excellent one. Access its outhouse, fire grate, and dock via a steep trail. (If you don't want to use the Green Point Campgrounds lake water for drinking, be sure to bring from the spigot outside the resort office.) Halfway from Ross Dam to Big Beaver Campground, near the boating campground on Cougar Island, is the junction of the Pierce
Mountain/Sourdough Mountain Lookout Trail. [The lookout (5985) makes an excellent 4.5 mile
side trip from which the steep canyon of the Upper Skagit and its impressive hydropower works are dramatically laid out. This lookout was located by the late Glee Davis (1885-1982), the PNT Association's first honorary member. In the 1890's Glee had homesteaded with his mother, Lucinda Davis (for whom nearby Davis Mountain is named.) The family ran a roadhouse where Diablo Lake is today.]
More woods walking brings you to the dramatic gorge and waterfall of Pierce Creek. Next you switchback sharply down to lake level. Just before a heavy duty steel stock bridge crosses the mouth of Big Beaver Creek, a short side trail takes you to the hikers-only Pumpkin Mountain Camp. [Boaters'
and horsemen's designated campsites are located across the Big Beaver Creek Bridge and mile toward the lake. Permits and reservations are required from the U.S. Park Service to camp in both the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and in the North Cascades National Park. Permits for the designated campsites of your choice could be difficult to obtain during the height of the backcountry visitation season in August. "Primitive" camping permits (i.e., for camping away from the designated camps and shelters) are often a safer bet. 360/873-4500.]
Beaver Pass (3620), at the northern headwaters of Big Beaver Creek, is 16.1 miles from the mouth of Big Beaver Creek. [For about the first six miles you
are in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area before entering North Cascades National Park. Big
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Beaver and Little Beaver creeks are the take-off points for some of America's best high routes, particularly the very difficult Picket Traverse and the route from Whatcom Pass north to Mount Redoubt. So along the Big Beaver and Little Beaver valleys it is occasionally possible to see
Everest types weighted down with tons of carabineers, pitons, chocks, nuts, ropes, crampons, and ice axes. However, PNT pilgrims will also be able to see plenty of glaciers and permanent
snowfields.]
Begin at MSE 1618' near Ross Lake. The Big Beaver Creek Trail climbs very gradually for most of its length, passing several campsites:
Thirtyninemile Camp; (Tenmile Shelter no longer exists); Luna Camp; and Luna Horse Camp. This section is noted for its many immense cedars and hemlocks. Skirt beaver ponds, glimpse the icy heights of the Pickets, and finally ease up through silver firs to the pass. Numerous cascades from the unseen, icy heights intersect the main creek along its length. Here you will understand why these mountains are called the Cascades. From Beaver Pass go northwest. Switchback 1.8 wooded miles down to the junction with the Little Beaver Creek Trail at the site of the late, lamented Stillwell Shelter near MSE 2468'. The replacement campsites are on the south side of Little Beaver Creek, a bit before you come to the footbridge. [Until a spate of official vandalism there was an excellent system of shelters in this
area. Unfortunately all of the shelters and cabins have been destroyed by the Park Service except Beaver Pass ("emergency use only") and, downstream on the Little Beaver, Perry Creek Shelter. (The latter was restored by the Student Conservation Corps in 1985.)]
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In August 1998 the Little Beaver Creek Bridge was signed unsafe because the surging stream had eroded the supports on the south shore. Be prepared, if necessary, to find blowdowns on which to cross. Vistas of glacial Little Beaver Creek Valley begin to open up as you wend westward 4.7 miles, climbing slowly. This nettle-tingled trail may well be brushy, awash, and buggy. But it will surely sing with the chorus of
falling waters, buzzing bees, and calving glaciers. Continuing in this fabulous backcountry, you reach Twin Rocks Camp beyond MSE 2647'. This unremarkable spot is located beside the creek in tall timber. Finally you reach MSE 2947' and the eponymous boulders of the demolished Twin Rocks Shelter. [This enchanting spot at the head of the valley offers: massive walls;
water the color of glacier-ground powder; bouncy, creekside foragers known as water ouzels; and alder thicket gravel bars where you might surprise a big bruin. Falling, flashing water is the dominant element here. But sometimes, youll hear, rising above the watery din, the artillery shell roar of massive ice blocks calving off the edge of the Challenger Glacier.]
Climb 2.0 miles to Whatcom Pass (MSE 5206.) It is 2200 feet higher than the Twin Rocks Shelter site, a height gained in less than one mile of crow-flight distance. This is literally and figuratively the high point of the Though this park was
PNTs North Cascades National park experience.
designed by climbers for climbers, you do not need ropes and crampons to appreciate the magnificence above us. The well-watered trail climbs a If you tire of
timber finger opposite Whatcom and Challenger glaciers.
251
looking at their seracs and crevasses, glance back down the classic glaciercarved valley of the Little Beaver. The original prospectors' trail here was almost straight up. The more than one hundred switchbacks on the current trail are a model of the trailbuilder's art. But most people are too distracted by huckleberries (in
season), long vistas, and wildly beating hearts to notice how beautifully constructed these switchbacks are. Camping is not permitted at Whatcom Pass. But if you have time and good weather, be sure to take a short side trip out toward Challenger Glacier. experts.) Atop the switchbacks a cold stream gladdens the lower half of the heather finish to the pass. Beyond the pass, official camping is available at Whatcom Camp. (At least one of its sites has a good view.) There is a good bivouac site down Brush Creek where someone wrote 88" on a tree. The Graybeal Camp at 3200' replaces the Graybeal Shelter (built by the Forest Service in 1961.) Its pleasant location on rocky Brush Creek opens out onto the characteristic, long views of Easy Ridges snows and buttes. well-watered.) The nicely-traded descent to the Chilliwack Trail alternates deep woods and heavy brush beside Brush Creek. Even on sunny mornings the 252 (This trail is exceptionally (The distance over is deceptively far and the glacier itself is for
wet brush may test your raingear. There is a modest campsite at the Brush Creek Trail/Chilliwack River Trail junction footbridge (2640). From there it is 1.7 miles, including the Chilliwack River ford, west to the site of U. S. Cabin (2624), the demolished double building that was once this areas administrative center. After you have rounded the north end of Easy Ridge, U.S. Cabin Camp is situated on a pleasant, wooded riverside flat with a view upstream of Mineral Mountain. (This area escaped the severe storm and flood damage that was so evident along parts of Little Beaver Creek.) Be careful about fording the river. The Chilliwack can be tricky in high water; people have drowned here. So do not hesitate to use the excellent cable car, reached via a trail extension southwest of the horse ford. Our next goal is Hannegan Pass, 7.8 miles southwest and west up the Chilliwack River from the Brush Creek Trail junction. Like the Brush Creek Trail, the Chilliwack Trail alternates deep forest with avalanche chute openings. Until Copper Creek (2.6 miles up from U.S. Cabin Camp) the
ascent is gradual up this superb wilderness valley with its accents of moss and hemlock needle duff. Just before the flood-washed sand and gravel of Copper Creek you reach the Copper Creek campsite (3160); the horse camp is located across Copper Creek. 253
The Chilliwack Trail climbs steadily past Hells Gorge to the Copper Ridge Trail junction (4240). Boundary Camp is located at this junction,
where you also pass from North Cascades National Park into Mount BakerSnoqualamie National Forest. south of Hannegan Pass. Hannegan PassB (MSE 5066) separates the Skagit Range and There are good views here of the heights
Hannegan Peak (6186) from the Nooksack Ridge and Ruth Mountain (7106.) It is a major entry point to North Cascades National Park and you are likely to encounter plenty of summer traffic. A good overview of this scene is the side trail north to nearby Hannegan Peak (6187), a lynchpin of the Skagit Range. The Hannegan Pass campsite is located in heather flats down the western switchbacks from the pass. Leaving beautiful views of Ruth Mountain, the Ruth Creek Trail descends 3.6 miles down the north side of lovely, steeply-glaciated Ruth Creek. At the often-crowded parking lot (3110), there are picnic table-
equipped campsites and a serviceable but in-need-of-repair shelter. At this very popular trailhead, do not be surprised to see thirty or forty vehicles on summer weekends. (To escape the crowds at the trailhead you may wish to carry water so that you will be able to jungle up in the woods somewhere along the Ruth Creek Road.) Go 5.2 miles on the gravel Ruth Creek Road to reach the Mount Baker 254
Highway (2008) on the North Fork of the Nooksack River. [Just before this junction
note the historic Hannegan Charlie Cabin on your right. Day use activities are permitted opposite it at the Shuksan picnic site. Also, at the road junction, you will find the Silver Fir (fee)
Campground where a water pump is the amenities.]
Climb the Mount Baker Highway 7.5 miles south to the Mount Baker Ski Area. A highlight of this asphalt slog is Heather Meadowss Picture Lake with its famous view of Mt. Shuksan. [Mail
drops may not be sent to the Mount Baker
Lodge (closed in summer) and supplies are not available there. However, year round there is a modern restroom with potable water.]
The Practical RouteC from Mount Baker Lodge follows the paved road south past Panorama Dome. It climbs 500 feet elevation in 1.0 mile to our Austin Pass trailhead at MSE 4743. [This
is the divide between Mt. Shuksan's Shuksan
Arm and Mt. Baker's Ptarmigan Ridge. The area is justly famous as a Sunday driver destination; as you walk beware of the gawking motorists. (Actually the road climbs mile farther to Artist Point and a view of Mount Baker's all-white volcanic cone.) A trail from the lodge picnic area shortcuts some of this road's switchbacks to our Lake Ann trailhead.]
From the Austin Pass parking lot, Lake Ann Trail No. 600 drops 3.0 miles southeast into the headwaters basin of the East Fork of Swift Creek. This pretty, well-watered trail is always in excellent condition as one of the most popular day trips in the entire North Cascades. You may find no sign at the junction (MSE 3930) with the Swift Creek Trail. [The Lake Ann Trail is well-traveled, since it is a popular day trip destination and since it is
on the main Shuksan climbing route from the Lodge. In good weather (hah!) don't miss the many-
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switchbacks side trip to Lower Curtis Glacier via Lake Ann, a lovely Cascades tarn.]
The Lake
Ann Trail continues straight ahead across a little, open flat, across the eastmost fork of Swift Creek, and up the forested slope beyond. Instead of crossing the creek, note the faint track that departs downhill to our right. There is an outhouse sign at this junction. (In the 1980's this was an
adequate campsite though it is no longer, as of September 1998, much used.) Historically the 8-mile Swift Creek Trail No. 607 has been difficult to maintain because its dampness and remoteness favor fast-growing brush. Bridges have frequently washed out at the two uncertain stream crossings at its lower end. In fact, until autumn 1998 the trails middle third had de facto deteriorated into a bushwhack! The good news is that our PNTA
volunteers have resurrected the Swift Creek Trail, again making it a scenic PNT Practical Route. Thru-hikers who do not wish to ford the two uncertain stream crossings at the lower end may call ahead for PNTA shuttle service from the Mt. Baker Lodge area to the lower Swift Creek Trail. Call 360-4240407. Or check our web site, www.pnt.org, before leaving on your trip for our current phone number. In particular, the first mile offers great views of the PNTs own volcano, Mount Baker. There are enough flat spots along this gently-
descending beginning for us to camp within sight of the white shining one, Koma Kulshan. 256
At about 3700' elevation, our nicely-constructed trail crosses the Southeast Fork of Swift Creek to more views of Kulshan Ridge and Table Mountain. Note the light-colored landslides caused by the deluges and rapid snowmelts of recent years. Soon you descend down a ridge to an excellent moraine campsite in tall firs (just southwest of where the Southeast Fork joins the Northeast Fork.) A ravine on the south side of the camp always has water. The 1989 USGS Shuksan Arm quadrangle does not show the Swift Creek Trail for the next three or four miles south. However, as of 1998, the route is as shown here on our guidebook map based on our own GPS data. A good landmark is the overgrown sign at the short side trail to the old Morovits Stamp Mill. Early in the season, beware of rotting snow bridges (which may collapse under your weight to dump you into glacial streams.) And be
prepared for nettles, devil's club, huckleberry brush, vine maple jungles, and other treats. On the other hand, Swift Creek is also a dramatic, wild valley with high bluffs, waterfalls, and a roaring tributary creek. In just a few miles from Mount Baker Lodge we feel as if we are back in the remote Cascades. Our trail maintenance volunteers campsite is located off the main trail beyond two logs that obstruct the trail above the first talus slope up from the Swift Creek bridge. In 1998 we winched a many-branched tree across Swift Creek at the 257
point shown on our map. This was a good crossing but it was washed out in the winter of 1998-1999. bridge. On the west side of Swift Creek, the trail leaves the stream (near MSE 1611.) We cross overland through deep forest 2 miles to Rainbow Creek. In 1998 we created another temporary log crossing for Rainbow Creek. (The best place to camp along this section is at the bluffs along the east side of Rainbow.) After crossing Rainbow Creek, it is an easy 3/4-mile hop to the road. There is no campsite along this section. Where the Swift Creek Trail No. 607 intersects the road (1280), turn left on Road #1144 at the sturdy Forest Service sign. [If
you wish to visit Baker
We hope to replace it with a new suspension
Hot Springs, turn right at the road and walk 1/8 mile uphill, and turn left onto the short hot springs trail. There are no facilities at the refreshing hot water pool but you may come upon an Be sure to bring your own drinking and
assortment of visitors, even dusk-to-dawn parties.
cooking water. There is a small, flat campsite within 100 feet of the hot spring, separated from it by a screen of trees.]
Descend on gravel Road #1144 through viewless, second growth forest. Throughout this 2.9 miles there are very few even informal places to camp. (However, there is a defunct campground just before a pond on
Morovitz Creek; use the stub road access.) When we arrive at Park Creek Campground, Road #11 follows immediately thereafter at elevation 780'. (This is a major car campground.) 258
Our next goal is Baker Lake, a 9-mile reservoir behind the Upper Baker Dam. From Road #1144 the next section of the Practical Route consists of 5.9 mostly gravel miles to the Baker River trailhead. After 0.3 mile we pass Morovitz/Swift Creek. 0.7 more and we go along the lakeshore and its many stumps. 2.4 more miles and we hit the Shannon Creek Campground at Road #1152 (a potential future shortcut from Swift Creek across the heights.) After 0.2 we reach a junction with Road #1160. Pretty soon we leave the lake and go northwest up the Baker River drainage. In a mile or two the alders open up to views of the river gravels. Then it is only 0.3 mile to the trailhead. (There are lots of good, informal sites; a parking pass gains you access to the outhouse.) Follow the luxurious pea gravel trail north on Baker River Trail No. 606 ?? mile through a country of giant cedars that lean in all directions. Moss coats everything in this inland rain forest. suspension bridge over the Baker River. At the steel suspension bridge we begin East Bank Trail No. 610 which will take us in ?? miles to near the foot of Baker Lake. From the sweetCross the massive steel
smelling, new cedar bridge at Blum Creek, we go inland, then return to the river. Listen for loons as the trail continues level near the shore. Then climb steeply up the gorge of Hidden Creek. We encounter zigzag cedar rail
bridges and steel beam bridges in the second growth, mossy, lush, vibrant green forest. Water splashes down a dramatic waterfalls multiple terraces. 259
A bridge clings to big boulders as it zigzags across the gorge. Its cedar bolts and rails were hand split on the site. We contour high - crossing a few puncheon, cedar bridges. A little
rock-hopping gets us across other crossings in this land of devils club, salmonberry, and vine maple. We reach the lakeshore at a magnificent stand of old growth cedar and Doug fir. The sound of creek music fills the air where we see a way trail to the shore (just before a long, curving puncheon bridge.) At low water the reservoirs beach is festooned with old stumps. Just before a creek, our first prominent point sticks out into the lake and marks the place where a way trail drops down to a wooded camp on the shore. We then cut across the point of land to reach a junction with the
Noisy Creek Trail No. 609. (Turn right for a way trail across the top of the point to the signed Noisy Creek Campground.) Peekaboo views of the Mount Baker Wilderness entertain us as we contour along above the shore. Inland again through alders and we cross an unnamed creek. Later at the much larger Silver Creek we cross a sturdy log with cedar railings. Good campsites are plentiful before and after this bridge. Where we round a big, southward-turning point we are opposite the buildings of the Baker Lake Resort. Traveling southwest now, the East Bank Trail No. 610 passes other 260
great sites at Maple Grove, etc. but is much less blessed with lake views. Finally in deep forest (980) we reach the end of Trail No. 610. From the trailhead it is 2.9 miles by three gravel roads to Baker Lake Road #11. Turn right downhill southwest on Road #1107. Descend through the forest 0.7 mile to a gated logging road (800) to Lake Shannon. [ If
a
suspension bridge were built over Thunder Creek, this road would become the Practical Route and would be described on the PNTA web site at www.pnt.org. That would mean that the PNT would be rerouted south through the town of Concrete. It would continue west from there by the railroad grade trail to Grandy Lake.]
Continue on Road #1107 for 0.5 more gravel miles until you reach the Upper Baker Dam (500.) Cross the structure; you will be treated to a
dramatic view of the dramatic gorge of Marble Rapids. In 0.5 mile we reach the Kulshan Campground restrooms at MSE 701. Then the road rises in 1.2 wooded miles to the Baker Lake Road #11 at MSE 869. Turn left and go 9.2 miles south on Baker Lake Road #11. This asphalt speedway crosses a height of fir forest into the Grandy Creek drainage. One mile beyond Lake Tyee, Baker Lake Road #11 does offer free car camping at Skagit Countys attractive Grandy Lake (797.) Opposite the lake you will see the red gate of Crown Pacific Road #310 at MSE 809. This closed-to-cars track climbs northwest to the slopes south of Goat Mountain. We go in and out of tributary drainages of Grandy Creek for 6.5 miles to reach a seasonal pond and road junction at MSE 2981. [This
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point marks the southwest end of the Ideal Route that has come from Ptarmigan Ridge. ]
We
begin by climbing this Crown Pacific Road #310 3.2 miles past gravel pits northwest to a major road junction (MSE 2457.) (This section is likely to
have suffered washouts at or beyond our northward swing up Grandy Creek.) Continue mostly northwesterly on Crown Pacific Road #310 1.2 Continue west 2.2 more
miles to the Goat Mountain Road at MSE 2997.
miles (keeping to the 3000' contour through mountainside firs) on Crown Pacific Road #310 to the seasonal pond and road junction in the open area at MSE 2981. West beyond that seasonal pond, the road was upgraded in the summer of 1994. (This road is well-watered.) We follow this road west 2.3 miles to a junction (2600.) We do not follow the heavily-ballasted Dickey Park Road (Crown Road # 310) north down into the South Fork Nooksack River Valley. Instead we go uphill south and west on Crown Road # 313 0.5 mile to MSE 2874'. [A left
at this point would take you uphill 0.1 mile to a logging landing that is the upper end of the Les Hilde connector trail, providing access to the Harry Osborne/Les Hilde horse camp of Washington Backcountry Horsemen. This Les Hilde Trail begins the PNTs Stock Route around the summit of Josephine to the Josephine Truck Trail.]
From MSE 2874' continue northerly and west 1.1 mile to a clearing (3160) just beyond a section marker (white post.) At a rotting stump on the west side of this clearing is a side trail down to Upper Josephine Lake, an
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excellent campsite and a water source needed for the long dry miles ahead. The Summit Trail junction (3200) is only a buck snort beyond the road clearing just mentioned. We angle left up into the second growth firs and begin a 1.0 mile climb to just below the summit. [This scratch trail is unsuitable for
horses because it keeps to the narrow, often very steep ridge. In two places it is a scramble. We gain spectacular views of the Skagit Valley and/or the South Fork of the Nooksack River.]
Continue west downhill from the Josephine east ridge trail junction (3840.)
[Where you join the Josephine Truck Trail, the Practical Route heads west downhill. But
a short one switchback side trip up the Truck Trail brings you to the site of the demolished Josephine lookout (3957). In autumn this aerie is often high above the valley fogs. Josephine's views include Mt. Baker and our Dock Butte route from the east. Ahead you can see all the way to Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains! ]
From below the summit, descend the Mt. Josephine Truck Trail 2.0 miles to a junction (MSE 2741) with a major road that comes up from the South Fork of the Nooksack River. Go straight ahead into the forest instead of turning right on the Nooksack valley road. Go. 1.95 miles west in the forest as we descend
gradually on the Truck Trail and reach the beginning of a clearcut. Enjoy 1.45 miles of marvelous views until we reach forest cover again. Then we continue our descent 4.1 miles, sometimes in open areas and sometimes not, until we reach the locked gate at the end of the Mt. Josephine Truck Trail #SW-HO-2900. The total distance from MSE 2741 to the bottom is 7.5 263
miles. Despite its lack of water this section will be high on anyone's list for PNT scenic pleasure. (At MSE 572 there is a view of the east end of Lyman Hill.) From MSE 572, go northwest on this wooded Lyman Pass Road #100 0.5 mile to a turnoff (550') onto Crown Pacifics Lyman Hill logging road system at Road #110. [After
passing around the Truck Trail's locked gate, we are on the Once again we are in a divide
Crown Pacific Main Line Road (a.k.a., the Lyman Pass Road.)
between two major areas. To the west is the vast massif known hereabouts as Lyman Hill (but called Wickersham Mountain by Wickersham village folks.) 3.8 miles to the south is the town of Hamilton (97.) Facilities are limited to the Hi-Lead Tavern and a liquor store cum post office (ZIP 98255.) Car access to the Crown Pacific Main Line Road requires a free permit from the guard shack just north of the Ensley overpass. The Mt. Josephine Truck Trail is 2.6 miles from the guard shack. [Crown Pacific, P. O. Box 28, Hamilton, WA 98255. 360/826-3951. Fax: 3660/826-3954.]
Go southwest 0.3 mile into a clearcut and to a locked, red gate at Jones Creek Bridge (480.) Climb steadily westerly 4.6 miles to a junction at MSE 2230 in the Wiseman Creek drainage. Newish clearcuts along this road make for panoramic views of the Skagit River Valley. Make a hard left turn at a new clearcut onto Crown pacific Road #130. Loop around the headwaters of Wiseman Creek in cedar/alder/fir regrowth. In 1.5 miles you will reach a junction marked MSE 2990 on the SedroWoolley North Quadrangle. This road features more intermittent clearcut
views. MSE 2990 is slightly beyond Road #131 (notable for a large, PNT-
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blazed rock) and at the junction of side Road #134. The PNT here is well blazed with our 2 by 6 white mark. Continue on Road #130 with a clearcut on the left and alder forest on the right 0.1 mile to a junction (3040) with Road #132. Continue climbing northwest on Road #130 0.9 mile through more of the same to just below Plumbago Pass at 3480. markedly left at a PNT-blazed stump. Contour along Road #170 0.3 mile southwest through more of the same to a junction where Road #171 eases left at 3520. Climb hard straight on the right fork onto Road #171 (which turns immediately right.) In 0.1 mile you will reach another junction (35560.) This time take the lower road left on Road #171. This is an easy 0.8 mile northwesterly walk to a junction (36690) where the stronger road goes left. On the quad the right fork shows as only a track. Follow it ?? mile to a rusty, round boiler from the steam logging days. You will begin soon with a kellyhump and then follow an overgrown, mossy road where standing water may impede your progress. Along the way you will pass a square boiler not to be confused with the Gurdjieff Trails later round boiler. In June 1993 our Gurdjieff volunteers built a new trail to connect this spot with a similar one 0.7 mile north along the 3680 contour. Follow this easy Gurdjieff Connector Trail. (In heavy snow years this trail retains its 265 Road #170 descends
snowpack well into July.) Follow the white-blazed logging road system 8.5 miles to the valley floor at the Ennis Creek Road (280.) Wickersham Street goes west.) [The Skagit/Whatcom Pacific Northwest Trail Maintaining Organization, if given permission by the DNR, will
build a new PNT Practical Route down the west side of Lyman Hill. Look for signs of this new trail and/or check our web site (www.pnt.org) for updates on this new trail. If the DNR does not approve the proposed route down the west side of Lyman Hill, the Skagit/Whatcom Regulars will build a by-pass route near the Ennis Creek Road. Look for signs posting this new route and/or check the web site.]
(Ennis Creek Road goes north;
Go left west on Wickersham Street. Cross a wildlife-rich swamp at the Samish River. Just before the hamlet, an overpass will take you over the tracks of a steam excursion railroad. No PNT facilities are available in
Wickersham (MSE 314), 0.3 mile from the Ennis Creek Road junction. [ An oldtimey Wickersham attraction is the Lake Whatcom Railway, a steam train excursion to the south end of Lake Whatcom. P. O. Box 91, Acme, WA 98220; 206/595-2218.]
At shoulderless, dangerous State Highway #9, go south 3.0 miles from the Little Brown Chapel. You will pass down the meadow and marsh
bottomlands of the Samish River to the PNTs access to Anderson Mountain. After a barn and its green-gray farmhouse (Mailbox No. 19669), look for the white Bloedel Timberlands gate (250) on the west side of the road. Follow this heavy duty logging road 3.6 miles uphill to the 2600 level of the west slopes of Anderson Mountain. While traveling this Bloedel
Timberlands logging road we are not permitted to have campfires or to 266
camp overnight. Leave the heavy duty logging road at PNT blazes that direct younorth on a spur road that soon devolves into a new trail. Follow this PNT segment ?? miles to where it connects to an overgrown logging road (elevation ??) (This is a well-watered section.) At a junction (2660) of abandoned roads, go left near a large berm. At 2680'In another 2660' our large PNT sign names this as the
Alger/Wickersham junction. Turn obliquely right (north), following PNT blazes, and follow a brushy skid road and subsequently our trail 1.6 miles to an old logging landing (3200'.) (This trail marks our final climb onto the massive ridge that is
Anderson Mountain. Anderson Mountain is a long, north-south ridge that offers eastern views of Mount Baker and Lyman Hill. Its western prospects include the
mountain delights of the San Juan Islands and Olympic Mountains. In effect, Anderson Mountain is a link between the interior wonders of the PNT and its saltwater sections. This transition becomes apparent at the North Anderson Overlook (3200'.) Follow the Highland Way south 1.24 mile to the in-use DNR Mainline Road at the 4-way Allison Hitchcock Junction. [Forester
Allison Hitchcock was this
areas Department of Natural Resources manager during most of the 1990's.]
(A stump may
still sport a sign, Anderson Mountain.) Along the way there are good views 267
westward to the saltchuck. Half a mile into this Highland Way, there is a side route up to the actual summit (where there are views back to Lyman Hill.) From the 4-way junctions ORV berm (3000') go northwest 1.5 miles (the very last part is south) on this gravel DNR Road #A1000. Enjoy the fine view of Lake Whatcom when you descend steeply to the north. (Shortly
thereafter there is a potential roadside campsite (waterless) and viewpoint. The PNT trailhead is not far beyond; if you reach a rocky ledge, you have gone too far.) Note carefully the PNT blazes where you turn (2590') west off the road and into the forest. This trail, built by the PNTA during the 1990's, contours down the west side of Anderson Mountain 2.0 miles to a Big Stump (ELEVATION ??) at DNR Road #1500. Named after its chief locator, Jim
Futrelle, this is a well-built section through tall second growth Doug firs. The trail eases down across the mountains folds and creases; there are excellent views of northern Puget Sound where you pass through clearcuts. [The timber in this next section of trail is due to be harvested in 2000 or 2001.
If you see logging
activity here, do not enter the trail, but continue 1.2 miles down the main logging road, A-1000, to the A-1600 road. Turn right on A-1600 and in a short distance look for the trail descending in the clearcut on your left. Once the logging activity is complete, the Skagit/Whatcom Regulars will rebuild the trail.]
When you reach the Larry Lazzari Puncheon Bridge and the Big Stump,
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you enter DNRs Bunion Unit of timber sales. (There is a reliable trickle at the Lazzari Puncheon Bridge. You could camp there but a better spot - if you carry water - is 0.4 mile ahead at the Bunion Unit Overlook. At the Big
Stump, turn left onto DNR Road #1500 and wend your way westerly for 0.2 mile. At the intersection (ELEVATION ??), turn right and walk about 300 feet on DNR Road #?? to a landing spur road (ELEVATION ??); turn left. Walk 0.2 mile to the end of this logging spur to find the upper end of the Reinhardt Trail (ELEVATION ??). The Reinhardt Trail crosses a gully, traverses the last of our upcountry, and descends a final clearcut ?? mile to a Trillium logging road (ELEVATION ??) At the top of this trail, the Bunion Unit Overlook is the best local spot to camp. From it you will see your final approach to the saltchuck. Several days worth of fabulous hikes are visible from this aerie. Follow the Trillium logging road downhill 1.0 mile and exit via a locked gate (440) onto the paved Alger CCC Road. No camping or fires are allowed along this Trillium logging road. Go southwest on the forested Alger CCC Road 0.2 mile to a junction (440) with the paved Cain Lake Road. Follow the high speed Alger Cain Lake Road south and southwest through meadows, homesteads, and woods 1.2 miles to the locked, yellow gate of the Trillium logging road (300) on your right. (It is immediately after the Silver Creek Bridge at a curve.) Parking is available just west of the
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bridge. [An additional 0.2 mile west of this Trillium logging road is the Alger Tavern where a buffet is available at the intersection of the Alger Cain Lake Road and Old Highway #99. South of Alger on Old Highway #99 0.4 mile you cold resupply at the small Alger grocery store.] Travel north and northwesterly on the Trillium logging road for 3.0 miles as it climbs the western flank of Little Alger (Baldy) Mountain and peters out on a ridge. Follow the trail on this ridge northwesterly and down 0.4 mile to Squires Lake Park, part of the Whatcom County Parks system. Squires is a superb, long slash in the forest.
Unfortunately it is a day-use only area. On the west side of Squires Lake, find the trail leading west and south down to a trailhead and parking area along Old Highway #99. Go north 0.1 mile on Old Highway #99 to Nulle Road (240'.) Follow Nulle Road 1.0 mile west under the I-5 Interstate highway, through forest, and across Bear Creek, and past a county water works. Nulle Road intersects Samish Lake Road and Summerland Road. Continue straight ahead uphill on Summerland Road for 0.8 miles past houses and a clearcut to mailbox 244 Summerland (500??) Go left around the locked gate into the Bloedel Timberlands on a logging road. (For the next 3 miles you will be on Bloedel and Trillium timberlands. These are day-use areas only.) In 0.1 mile go left at a junction toward a ridge of hundred-foot tall firs. (We will keep to the main line road 270
from here until we reach Bear Creek.) Go left uphill through the forest in a southwesterly direction. northwesterly. The logging road will turn westerly and then This road
You will pass through a massive, new clearcut.
turns left at a stumps-piled landing. (650').Go left and down around the landing 200' to Bear Creek (620'). Creek. Immediately across Bear Creek, continue straight and uphill. Follow this track 0.3 mile northwest to a wide spot (an intermittent puddle) at two forks (680.) Go left on a track that will lead you uphill for 0.?? mile. Follow this spur logging road through overgrown clearcuts; it curves uphill to the left to where it enters the forest at elevation 750'. Follow the forest trail 0.1 mile uphill to a logging road (960). Turn right and go 0.1 mile to a larger logging road (950). Turn left uphill and go 0.1 mile to the end of this road (1040). Follow a trail through the woods 0.15 mile uphill along a little ridge to another logging road (1120). Go right (and soon downhill) 0.1 mile to reach DNR Road #B-1000 (1070). Go left uphill 0.3 mile on DNR Road #B-1000 through forest to its There is a new foot bridge over Bear
junction (ELEVATION ??) with Road B-1600. Road B-1000 turns to the left. Do not turn left, but go southeast uphill through forest on DNR Road 271
#B-1600 0.2 ?? mile to the British Army Trail (1300). (The trailhead is at a rightward bend in the road.) Go left into the woods, on DNR land, on this trail and climb 1.0 miles to Lizard Lake (1862.) At 0.3 mile the trail starts to climb several switchbacks onto a southerly ridge. We bear right west off the ridge, cross a ravine, and climb up to an old railroad grade (1800). We contour south, then east, cross the lake outlet stream, and reach the west end of Lizard Lake and the Lizard Lake Trail (1860.) (There is an attractive DNR horse campsite at the far end of Lizard Lake. Because of floating logs, this pond is not great for swimming unless you go far from shore; beware of underwater obstacles.) Follow the Lizard Lake Trail 0.8 miles along an old railroad grade to a junction (1900) with the Lily Lake Trail. Go 0.3 mile toward Lily Lake on the old railroad grade. Opposite a tarn, we turn left onto another old grade (ELEVATION ??) at Maxs Shortcut, a 2.0 mile PNT link between Lily Lake and the East Crossing. [This
section was built in 1995 by volunteers Bob Knowles, Joan Melcher, Pat Cummins, Jim
Futrelle, etc. It honors the PNTAs Chief Trail Locator, Max Eckenburg. Max located all of our Chuckanut/Blanchard trails in the early 1980's.]
The entrance trail to Lily Lake is near you beyond this junction.
There are DNR
campgrounds at Lily Lake with separate facilities for hikers and horse riders. Lily Lake is less attractive than Lizard Lake for swimming. Follow Maxs Shortcut 2.0 miles through fir forest to the junction
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(1300 ??) with the Larry Reed Trail. (The route begins on a level railroad grade; the second half descends steadily. There is an intermittent stream beyond a very large rock.) Go right on the Larry Reed Trail. [This
level section was developed by our late
president and his wife Carol Reed and their Scouts in the early 1980's. ]
Go 0.5 miles west
on this woods trail to the South Samish Overlook (1300.) (This trail makes a good loop trip in conjunction with the parallel DNR Road #B-2000 or with the Samish Bay Connection/Oyster Dome route.) When you reach DNR Road
#B-2000, cross it and continue on through the woods. As you emerge from the trees at South Samish Overlook, turn obliquely right. Go ?? FEET to reconnect with the PNT white blazes across the level clearing. [Our
Trail emerges from the firs at the South Samish Overlook into a
clearing that was a logging landing when this slope of Blanchard Hill was clearcut in the late 1980's. Income from this Department of Natural Resources logging went to provide income to the state's public schools. The clearcutting opened up such stupendous views that it soon attracted hang glider enthusiasts who now soar Samish Bay updrafts with the eagles and red-tailed hawks. So many recreationists have discovered this scenic viewpoint that the area is under consideration for special conservation status.]
Descend across the upper part of this clearcut ?? mile and enter the trees. Then descend northerly for an additional ?? mile to the stone-built
Rasta Johan Switchback (1120'.) [This is switchback #4 and 1.6 miles from Chuckanut Drive.] [The PNT turns obliquely left but if you instead continue straight ahead on
the Samish Bay Connection Trail, you will soon reach the North Samish Overlook, a campsite, and
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a seasonal stream. And if you continue north on this 0.3 mile connector trail, you soon reach the Talus Caves Trail, an old route that ascends steeply to Lily Lake via some talus caves. ]
Strawberry-rhubarb pie Switchback # 3 is ??-mile ahead in the clearcut below South Samish Overlook. The next northerly, ??-mile leg is half in that same clearcut. But it is in magnificent second growth forest by the time we reach the Stake Factory Switchback #2. The next southerly, ??-mile leg is forested across steep slopes to Ome Daiber Switchback #1. The final ??_mile leg takes us to Chuckanut Drive (100) and the PNTs original stone marker. [During
the 1980's, this Blanchard Hill route was built by PNTA
volunteers, Scouts, and a signals unit of the British Army.]
Once you have reached Chuckanut Drive, cross the highway. [Chuckanut
Drive began as a military road in the 1860's, was partly built by Skagit County, and
was taken over by the State Highway Department in 1907. Paving was begun in 1919 and finished in the 1920's. It is one of America's most scenic marine highways, stretching between
Bellingham, Washington and the Samish Flats. The PNT crosses Chuckanut Drive slightly north of Milepost 10, a bit south of the Oyster Bar Restaurant.]
From Chuckanut Drive, drop 0.1 mile down through the forest on the Pat Cummins Trail. [The
PNTAs former president, Pat Cummins, located and built this
section with his forestry students in the mid-1980's.]
This is where you finally reach the
saltchuck of Samish Bay. Carefully cross the railroad tracks and step onto 274
the shore (0.) Samish Bay is a major saltwater wildlife estuary. The Samish flats contain some of the most productive agricultural land in the nation. This next part is best negotiated at low tide. Go 0.70 mile along the shore of Samish Bay to the railroad bridge (30') over Colony Creek. Rotting pilings punctuate the creek's tidal outlet east of the bridge. This was Blanchard's sawmill where most of the area's primeval forest was milled early in this century. The eponymous village of Blanchard is today a sleepy settlement that offers no amenities to PNT travelers. (Water can be obtained from the faucet behind the kitchen at the Chuckanut Manor Restaurant on Chuckanut Drive.) However, plans are in the works to create a PNTA visitors center here at beautiful Samish Bay. PNT pilgrims will join the bays seals, bay ducks, great blue herons, and bald eagles in celebrating this flagship section of the Pacific Northwest Trail.
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Chapter 8: Dikes And Islands
DIKES AND ISLANDS (Samish Bay to Admiralty Head)
Introduction
This is a sea level section, a feast of beaches, bluffs, and breakers. Here the PNT fronts Samish Bay, Padilla Bay, Fidalgo Bay, Lake Campbell, Lake Erie, Bowman Bay, Canoe Pass, Deception Pass, Dugalla Bay, Rosario Strait, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Admiralty Inlet. That adds up to a lot of oysters, gulls, and sunsets. Unlike much of the PNT, this section combines mountain views with year-round, snow-free hiking and riding. You will, however, need good
raingear during the drizzly winter and spring months. Pungent sea scents accent the beachs blackberries. Shore birds
weave in formations along the strand. A seagull repeatedly drops a mollusk to crack it open. Cattails thrive in drainage channels. Roadsides are aglow with California poppies and purple chicory. Rich polders stretch warmly to the east and sun-splashed waters glitter in the west. In migration season, the bays resound with bird cries. promise solitary pleasures. 278 In midwinter the gray rains and mists
You will want to return again and again to this PNT section.
Issues
Most upland beach land is in private ownership but probably 50-60 percent of tidelands (i.e., covered and uncovered by tidal waters) are owned by and accessible to the public. As a general rule you will find that most public tidelands begin at Ordinary High Tide, also called the Mean High Tide. This is defined as the average of all the high tides for the last 19 years and can range from 7.1 feet at Neah Bay to 13.5 at Olympia.... Unfortunately, however, on most waterfront properties in Island County upland ownership extends to the Meander Line, which is some distance offshore from the line of Ordinary High Tide. There is no easy way to locate such a line by
examining the beach for debris. Perhaps the best rule is that if you walk near the waters edge at any time other than within a few hours of the higher tide of the day, you are probably not trespassing on legal uplands. However, it is your responsibility to know where you are. Access To Public Tidelands In Island County, May 1993. Pp. 4-5. Many of the dike and beach portions of the PNT cross or touch private land. So in this section, even more than in most others, you are an Of course, on any private land, do not Public Road
ambassador for our Association.
gather flowers, clams, or cacti. Be diplomatic. Speaking of cacti, the 1950's vintage Deception Pass Bridge crosses 279
tidal waters whose velocity averages as much as seven knots. Despite all the water, this spot is practically a desert; be careful not to step on any cacti. Also, do not tread on the prickly pear cacti that help make Perego's Lagoon so special. High above the shore, you may see a bald eagle In summer, the farmlands of
scanning the waves and beach for dinner.
Ebey's Prairie are alive with redwing blackbirds and sparrows. In winter this magic landscape is buffeted by gales. In all seasons it is one of the PNT's finest experiences. Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve commemorates a famous incident in Northwest history, the 1857 beheading of Col. Isaac Ebey by Haida Indians after one of their chiefs had been killed by an American warship. Whidbey Island is a sandy relic of the great glaciers. Famous in
pioneer times for its rich soils, it later supported many potato, wheat, and turkey growers. See the chapter about sack sewer Bill Van Weiringen in See also, Richard Whites Land
Whistlepunks & Geoducks (pp. 315-316.)
Use, Environment, and Social Change: The Shaping Of Island County, Washington for a fascinating study of the impact of changing land uses on the environment of Whidbey Island. Today its economy is geared to tourism and to the U.S. Navy. The
Navy may be good for the local economy, but its Whidbey Island Naval Air Station requires preparation on your part if you wish to hike there. The PNT 280
follows saltchuck beaches all the way from Deception Pass to the Keystone Ferry (where you leave Whidbey Island for the Olympic Peninsula.) However, the Navy's beach is off limits to civilians without a pass. To walk around the Naval Air Station is double the Navy's beach distance of 4.5 miles. The solution is to request in writing to walk their beach from Moran Beach to Rocky Point Picnic Area. Send your request to: Commanding
Officer, NAS Whidbey Island, 3730 N. Charles Porter Road, Oak Harbor, WA 98278. This request must be at least 30 days prior to your hike. Send them proof of your liability insurance, the name of your hiking group, the number of people in your party, and your estimated times of arrival and departure. (Call for a Navy application form.) Requests are judged on an individual basis, said Mr. Milach, public affairs officer (360/257-3315.) On a different subject, be sure to visit the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center. This free-admission facility is a must for PNT travelers - and not only because it has drinking water and fine rest rooms. Its excellent displays and programs have been operated by the Washington State Department of Ecology since the building opened in 1982. It highlights Padilla Bay, one of only eight "national estuarine sanctuaries." The 11,600 acres of
tidelands have been protected from earlier plans to convert the bay into industrial and residential land. The bay hosts 57 different fish species as well as 50,000 wintering ducks; it is especially rich in black brant. Add to that a spectacular wealth of eagles, herons, hawks, and even the American peregrine falcon. The bay's environments include open marine waters, 281
subtidal sand and mud, eelgrass beds, exposed mudflats, salt marshes, beaches, rocky shores, dredge spoil sites, and non-forested and forested uplands. Along the PNT be on the lookout for harbor seals in the tidal
channels and mudflats. Two types of problems concern tides. daily tides must be remembered when First, the moon's two-cycle, you schedule beach treks.
Otherwise, you may be squeezed dangerously against the bluffs. Second, red tide (a biological poison) can end your outings permanently if you eat contaminated clams, oysters, and mussels. Call the red tide information number 800/562-5632 for the current situation. (Don't assume that
everything is okay merely because the water is not red; the toxins involved are measured in parts per million and are invisible.) sewage-caused departments. Beware of seashore-intensified sunburn - should you somehow hit a sunny spell. And mosquitoes can be very friendly when you visit their pollution closures is available Information about county health
from
drainage canal breeding grounds along the dikes. Island Transit (360/678-7771) operates on Whidbey Island and it includes a stop at the Keystone Ferry.

Permission (as mentioned above) is necessary to cross the beach at 282
the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. Campsite reservations for Washington State Parks may be made at 800/452-5687 or www.parks.wa.gov/. The Washington State Ferries schedule is available from 800/833-6384 or www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.
[There is currently no source of equestrian information for this chapter.] Much of the PNTs beach route is not suitable for horse travel.
Supplies
Until about a century ago this whole region was forested with massive Douglas firs and cedars. Logging and diking quickly changed the Skagit flats from forest to agriculture. So enjoy the bountiful produce of the Skagit
Valley. Forget about freeze-dried food and load up on ice cream, cheese, milk, berries, fruits, and fresh greens. Please bring any new bakeries to our attention. The following post offices are located on or near the PNT: Bow (ZIP 98232); Anacortes (ZIP 98221); Oak Harbor (ZIP 98277); and Coupeville (ZIP 98239.) For grocery stores try: Bow (Edison Junction); the junction of mile
Christiansen Road and State Highway #20; Anacortes; Lake Erie; 283
south of Deception Pass Bridge; Oak Harbor; and Coupeville (Prairie Center Mercantile.) Half a mile south of the Deception Pass Bridge there is a
grocery store and laundry and a half mile farther there are an ice cream store and Seabolt's Smokehouse (for smoked salmon, sausage, and beef jerky.) Only the Lake Erie Grocery is right on the route. However, because this section is relatively easy, you may be moving ahead faster and consuming less food per mile than usual. Anacortes has complete facilities including a ferry connection to the San Juan Islands and to Vancouver Island. Anacortes was founded in 1890 as a railroad boom town for the hoped-for Northwest terminus of the transcontinental railroad. A few hundred feet north of the cemetery junction at MSE 108 of Campbell Lake Road, Sharpe Road, and Donnell Road there is the Lake Erie Grocery (and commercial campground.) Nearby Mount Erie (1273) is a
recommended side trip. Go mile farther north up the Heart Lake Road from the Mount Erie Grocery to a "Gallery 10" sign (and a power line to the top of the mountain.) From the sign follow a climbers' trail to the summit. Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's major center for all services. The
PNTs route around Navy property does take you close to Oak Harbor. So such a supply stop there would not be a problem. Camping is available at City Beach Park ($15 for RVs; $8 for tents) in Oak Harbor. Tent camping is allowed in the overflow area. Water is available at their kitchen facilities, 284
May through September.
Declination 19.5E to 19.3 E

USGS Topographic Maps Bow La Conner Anacortes South Deception Pass Oak Harbor Crescent Harbor Smith Island Port Townsend North Coupeville
Route Description
Cross the two-lane bridge over the wide mouth of Colony Creek (0) on Samish Bay.A Continue south on Chuckanut Drive 2.4 miles past rich
farmland to Bow (MSE 7; Edison Station), where you will find groceries and a post office. Get what you need here since Edisons only store for
consumables is a liquor store. Drinking water is scarce or nonexistent along this part of the PNT. Fill your canteens at the Chuckanut Manor Restaurant near Colony Creek or perhaps when you get your mail drop at the Bow post office. At Bow turn right (west) and follow County Road #237 0.9 mile along the Edison Slough to Edison (5). Go due south from Edison on County Road #237 for 0.5 mile to a 285
junction (5) with the Bay View-Edison road. Go west through open fields on this Bay View Edison Road 0.5 mile to the Samish River Bridge (0.) Here is a splendid view of Chuckanut Mountain and all the country of your last few days on the PNT. Nearby, fishing vessels are moored in the foreground of this bucolic scene. They are reminders of the bounteous catch a half century earlier. In 1880 Edison began a
commercial salmon fishery but overfishing, large-scale trapping, and rapid habitat changes quickly depleted the resource. [See the chapter about fish pirate Spider Jones in River Pigs And Cayuses, pp. 7-13.] Continue west 0.5 mile on Bay View Edison Road beyond the river to a barn (MSE 5) where Bay View Edison Road turns sharply south. west on Samish Island Road. Turn left south and continue 4.1 miles south through farm fields and across wooded Bay View Ridge to the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center. Bay View State Park's camping and beach facilities are only 0.6 mile farther down the road. (Water and 108 campsites are available, but no Do not go
groceries or mail service. There is a pay phone: 360/757-9997.) From the campground at Bay View State Park continue south 0.7 mile through the hamlet of Bay View (no facilities) to the beginning of another dike section. This whole Padilla Bay section offers great views of the PNT ahead. Look for: Mount Erie; State Highway #20s twin curved bridges; and the flares of the Equilon (formerly Texaco) and Tesaro (formerly Shell) oil 286
refineries. Begin the Padilla Bay Trail near some trailer houses at the La Conner and Samish Road. Go along the dike 2.0 miles to regain the road farther south. This trail is in excellent condition. We pass through a pedestrian stile near the rotting hulk of a skiff named Skagit Queen. We pass pea fields, curve south to an Indian site (with no visible artifacts), pass a big drainage channel, enter Indian Slough, pass a crumbling jetty and a disintegrating cannery, and return to the road. Go 0.9 mile south on the La Conner and Samish Road to the Whitney railroad crossing, the Ortho fertilizer facility, and State Highway #20 (MSE 3.) The Farm House Inn restaurant and a Texaco Food Mart/Deli/Espresso are immediately across Highway #20. Remain on the north side of the highway to the Swinomish Channel Bridge. After a short distance you can switch over to a parallel side road which is less noisy and dangerous. Your next destination is Fidalgo Island, immediately ahead across the bridge. Once on the bridge, keep to the
pedestrian walkway on the north side. From its vantage point, there is an excellent view of the bays and sloughs which separate Fidalgo Island from the mainland. This is also a great spot for springtime views of acres of tulip, daffodils, and other flowers. [From where you begin this section at Whitney, Anacortes is 8 miles and Whidbey Island 11 miles ahead via main roads.] From Whitney on State Highway #20, it is 2.6 miles west to a junction 287
(35) with the first road beyond the Swinomish Channel Bridge, the Padilla Heights Road. (An "Indian Smoke Shop" sign and a gambling casino
(featuring copious, inexpensive meals) are across the highway from this junction.) You will be off the mainland here on Fidalgo Island. Turn right and go northwest on March Point Road.B The Fidalgo Island section of the PNT is currently on a combination of trails and roads because of the difficulty of finding a route across private lands. Follow March Point Road 4.5 miles around the perimeter of March Point. You will pass the
Equilon Refinery (formerly Texaco) and the Tesaro Refinery (formerly Shell.). Camping is permitted at the north end of the Point. As you walk along the western side of the Point, notice the abandoned trestle over Fidalgo Bay. Plans are to make this part of a trail system connecting with the city of Anacortes. When this happens, the PNT will use this trestle and enter the city of Anacortes and hook up with the planned Cross Island Trail that will connect Anacortes with Deception Pass. In the meantime, walk south to the intersection of March Point Road and State Highway #20. Carefully walk the north side of the busy highway 0.5 mile to Fidalgo Bay Road (40.) Walk ?? MILES along the shoulder of Fidalgo Bay Road to the Fidalgo Bay Resort (ELEVATION ??) on Weaverling Spit. [DESCRIBE ??] Near here you will find a trail on an old railroad bed that you can follow for a mile or more into the city of Anacortes. [DESCRIBE HOW TO 288
ENTER TOWN AND WHAT YOU SEE THERE ??] Walk south on Commercial Avenue to Fidalgo Avenue (ELEVATION ??.) Turn left on Fidalgo Avenue and go ?? (ELEVATION ??) Go left on St. Marys Drive ?? miles to Hillcrest Drive (ELEVATION ??). Go right on Hillcrest Drive ?? miles to the Whistle Lake Road miles to St. Marys Drive
(ELEVATION ??). You will pass the Grandview Cemetery (260.) Turn right on the Whistle Lake Road. Go ?? mile to where you will find a trailhead (ELEVATION ?? LOCATE THIS TRAILHEAD ON THE QUAD ??) on your right leading to the Anacortes Forest Lands trail system. Walk south ?? mile on Trail No. 20 to Whistle Lake (432.) Take Trail No. 204 0.7 mile around the western side of Whistle Lake to a junction (560) with Trail No. 21. Take Trail No. 21 for 0.2 No. 207. Follow Trail No. 207 westerly for 0.2 mile to its junction (740) with Trail No. 26. Go west 0.2 mile on Trail No. 26 to a junction (740) with the paved Mt. Erie Road. Walk west and north 0.8 mile on this paved road until you come to its intersection (389) with the Hart Lake Road. The distance from the Whistle Lake trailead to the Heart Lake Road is 3.7 miles. 289 mile westerly to a junction (580) with Trail
Go left (south) 1.4 miles on the Hart Lake Road.
Pass the eastern
shore of Lake Erie and the Lake Erie Grocery until you come to the intersection at MSE 108 of the Hart Lake Road, the Campbell Lake Road, the Sharpe Road and the Donnell Road. This leg is 1.6 miles long. Continue west to the Devil's Elbow U-turn on Sharpe Road and continue southwest to Ginnett Road (370) intersection with Sharpe Road, a total of 1.9 miles. Follow Sharpe Road west to Rosario Road (MSE 376.) Then follow the latter south to Rosario Beach (sea level). (Along the way we pass Sharpe County Park, a waterless, undeveloped, day use only, 70-acre natural area.) At Rosario Beach go by trail and shore around Sharpe Cove, Bowman Bay, and Lottie Bay to the Deception Pass Bridge (181).57 This part totals 3.0 miles. Continue west to the Devil's Elbow U-turn on Sharpe Road and continue southwest to Ginnett Road (370), a total of 1.9 miles. Follow Ginnett Road west to Rosario Road (MSE 376.) Follow Rosario Road south to Rosario Beach (sea level). (Along the
way we pass Sharpe County Park, a waterless, undeveloped, day use only, 70-acre natural area.) At Rosario Beach go by trail and shore around Sharpe Cove, Bowman Bay, and Lottie Bay to the Deception Pass Bridge (181). This 3.0-mile
section offers countless sea birds, foggy headlands, and peeling, red bark madronas. A side 290
trip on good trails will take you to Lighthouse Point and excellent views of Deception Pass, Deception Island, and on clear days, the snowy Olympic Mountains. (For people who prefer an all-road route, the distance from the Sharpe Road/Ginnett Road junction via Cougar Gap and Pass Lake to the Deception Pass Bridge is 3 miles.) Camping and water are available at Deception Pass State Park. Descend the stairway at the south end of the Deception Pass Bridge and continue along the very scenic trail to West Point. At low tide you will be able to leave the trail to explore the coasts rocky bluffs and its sandy, crescent beaches. The trail quickly reaches Gun Point where the open-
sided, group picnic shelters are a day-use adjunct to the nearby car-camping sites. The trails peekaboo views of the San Juan Islands, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound are framed by red-barked madronas, and windshaped Douglas firs and Sitka spruces. A very large campground (with water and rest rooms) is located at West Point, 1.2 miles west from Deception Passs bridge. In summer there is also likely to be a snack concession here. There are several picnic shelters
between the bridge and West Point. From North Beach you can observe the brisk 7-knot tidal current in and out of Deception Pass. From West Beach you will be facing the open reaches of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Hike south from the West Point picnic area and Cranberry Lake's fascinating dunes 2.0 miles along the increasingly-developed beach. This is excellent birding area also offers dune vegetation of saxifrages, stonecrops, 291
and vetches. The PNTs West Beach walk runs smack into the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station's restricted 4.5-mile section. You will recognize it by the Navy's "keep out" sign and by their runway approach lights, which extend out into the water on pilings. So before you get that far, turn off onto Powell Road at the county park known as Moran's Beach. Unfortunately, Moran's Beach has no potable water and no camping. Leave the shore at Moran's Beach and go east 0.2 mile on Powell Road to Moran Road at a white house (with a red roof.) Go right on Moran Road (which soon makes a dog leg at MSE 62.) Trek past fields 0.5 mile to State Highway #20 (MSE 115) at a G & O Real Estate office and Northgate Terrace. Continue south 4.3 miles on busy State Highway #20 through woods, fields, and cabbage patches, and continue around the Clover Valley part of the Air Station (where there is a U-pick strawberry field.) Continue on, enjoying
views of Dugalla Bay and tramping southwestward. (By taking Frostad Road and Hoffman Road at the south end of Clover Valley you could trade some of State Highway #20's misery for a few extra miles of country road relaxation.) After 4.3 tense miles on #20, turn right onto Ault Field Road and pass: a junk yard, the main entrance to the Air Station (where there is a grocery store), the CPO Club, and the skeet shooting range (2.4 miles total.) Turn left (south) onto Golf Course Road and go 1.0 mile, passing the 292
golf course and firing range, to a right (west) onto Crosby Road. We pass radio towers which communicate with the ships, planes, and subs at sea.) Crosby Road zigzags south, then west, around a plot of undeveloped land to join with West Beach Road. (This former Navy property has been converted into day-use Joseph Whidbey State Park, which has outhouses, but neither camping nor water.) The PNT route around the U.S. Navy has taken 9.4 miles of road pounding. Ear pounding, too, if the Orion carrier jets have been practicing their touch-and-gos. If you are tempted to trespass across the unfenced
beach perimeter, remember that not only would that be illegal, but also it would be dangerous because of the low-flying aircraft, jet-test blasts, and firing range bullets. Walk south 0.8 mile to a county parking area. South beyond the state park, many houses have been built on Sunset (West) Beach. The land is so low that one giant storm could wash the whole strip clean overnight. At the south end of the strip, note the bulkheads that were destroyed by storms and by beach erosion. (The county parking area provides beach access but no water or camping.) From the county parking area at Sunset Beach, walk 5.4 miles on the low tide beach to another Island County beach access, Libby Beach Park. This one is also a day use only site. It does have a good outhouse and a picnic shelter (but no potable water.) 293 Libby Beach Park is completely
surrounded by suburban houses in a little defile where Libby Road comes down to the water's edge through the bluffs. Clay, sand, and stone bluffs - sometimes as high as 250 feet - along the West Beach are a serious hazard to us beach walkers if the tide comes up and traps us beneath them. So pay close attention to your tide tables and be ready to retreat to high ground. (An intermediate point, a low spot in the bluffs, is the boat ramp at Hastie Lake Road.) From Libby Beach Park, continue down the low tide beach 0.2 mile to a picnic area at Fort Ebey State Park. If you choose not to hike this section of beach, you will have 2.8 miles of road travel through fields and
developments to West Beach Road.
However, the low tide beach sands,
with their miles of waves and birds and their views of Smith Island and the Olympics should not be missed if you can time it safely. If you need fresh water, look for the path up the bluff to the picnic area where you can fill your canteens at the modern rest rooms. You may wish to spend the night at the pay camping area in this park (which even has coin operated showers.) But for frugal hikers a better idea would be to carry water down the beach to the D.N.R.'s Point Partridge bluff-top, walk-in campsites. To get to the waterless D.N.R. campsites from the picnic area, you can walk the low tide beach all the way to Cedar Gulch's stairway up the bluff (beyond Point Partridge.) Or you could hike along the top of the bluffs. There is an excellent bluff trail from Libby Beach Park to the D.N.R. 294
campsites. It passes the Coast Guard lighthouse. Midway, there is access to an open bluff, where there are abandoned gun emplacements and bunkers. The lovely yellow you see in springtime is scotch broom. There are many viewpoints along this trail but no water. It is 1.9 miles by low tide beach from Libby Beach Park to Cedar Gulch. To accentuate this coast's wildness in your mind, get water at the picnic area and camp at the primitive bluff-top sites. Of course, you won't see any of the rich Indian culture which early explorers saw. But the seals, birds, views, winds, smells, and sounds will be as similar to the primeval environment as possible. From Cedar Gulch go 2.4 miles to Ebey's Landing. This part of the PNT passes Perego's Lagoon where you can choose to walk a lovely bluff trail from the lagoon's north end or continue to walk the shoreline. It is 4.0 miles from Ebey's Landing to Fort Casey State Park along the beach. At Fort Caseys barracks area, there is a pay phone toward the mid section of the second street back. Fort Casey State Park, in addition to its interesting 1890's coastal gun emplacements, provides camping, restrooms, showers, and drinking water. ranger at 206/678-4519. The bluff trail begins at the little amphitheater at the beach. Go up a 5-minute walk through rose hips to the old lighthouse, now a information 295 For current conditions check with the park
center. The trail winds through Fort Casey along the bluffs. You pass the water side of the massive fortifications. ferry landing. Then the trail heads toward the
At Building 49, turn right down a road through the forest.
Pass a house and arrive at the forts main road. The ferry landing is a short distance downhill. If instead of walking through the fort you walk the beach, you will come out at the RV campground next to the ferry dock. nearby. Admiralty Head is a sandy, cobbled, log-strewn spit. From it the A restaurant is
Keystone Ferry crosses Admiralty Inlet to Port Townsend year round. Admiralty Head Lighthouse, a short detour up the bluff at the Fort Casey gun emplacements, contains displays of the forts history, biology, and geology. Volunteers from Beachwatchers keep the free-admission lighthouse open to the public April through October, 11 AM to 5 PM. lighthouse towers panoramic view. The picnic area at the ferry terminal boasts pay showers. Be sure to see the
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Chapter 9: The Olympic Mountains
THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS (Keystone Ferry to Bogachiel State Park)
Introduction
The Olympic Peninsula is the last major geographic feature of the Pacific Northwest Trail. Though a geological appendage literally arising out of the collision of tectonic plates, this region bursts upon the pilgrim like a revelation. So this is what you have been seeking all these months! It is a zone of contrasts. Whereas the rain forest Pacific Ocean coast receives up to 200 inches annual rainfall, the northeast lee of the Olympic Mountains is semi-arid. The area in the Olympic Mountains' "rain shadow" is so balmy that, especially near Sequim, it has become a magnet for retirees. Beyond Port Townsend's quaint streets, the PNT descends the Quimper Peninsula to the foot of Discovery Bay. Then it follows gravel roads across a series of hills to the Dungeness River and the Gray Wolf River. For a while, all thought of saltchuck beaches is forgotten as the Route follows rivers and ridges toward the glaciers at the center of the peninsula's spiral galaxy of great valleys. Halfway across, the PNT drops steeply into one of the finest of these, the Elwha River valley. Then, after hot springs, remote passes, and alpine spectacles, the PNT follows the wild Bogachiel River west out of Olympic National Park. From there the wilderness ocean beach of the next
298
chapter is only a short, rain forest hike west. The Olympic Peninsula has its own brand of herbivores, the Roosevelt elk. It boasts rare native plants along the PNT's high elevation slopes. Its marine life includes the mammals everyone wants to see (such as river otters and killer whales.) And the creatures everyone wants to eat (such as Dungeness crabs.) magic land with us. Dont wait! Join the PNT Association and explore this
Issues
The PNTA does not yet have a satisfactory route down the Quimper Peninsula from Adelma Beach. The Peninsula Trails Coalition is working to correct this problem. [Please
contact them for the latest information at Peninsula Trails
Coalition, P. O. Box 1836, Port Angeles, WA 98362.]
Here is a temporary alternative Monday
until the PNTs Quimper section becomes better established.
through Friday, you could take Jefferson Transit #1 (360/385-4777 or 800/436-7433) from Port Townsend to Brinnon. (The Dose bus stop offers the Brinnon Store, a restaurant, and a state park for showers and camping. The road to the Dose trailhead is easy to hitchhike.) Then follow the
Dosewallips west to the Bogachiel. This temporary alternate route has the benefit of both minimizing your exposure to the dangerous traffic on Highway #20 and putting you onto a more nearly continuous trail route across the Peninsula.
299
Without solving the Highway #20 issue, here is a possible alternate in the Port Townsend area. A longer route for beach lovers takes the coastal way north from Port Townsend to Fort Worden, then west from Fort Worden under the scenic bluffs, and around the northwest tip of the Peninsula to Adelma Beach; private clam lands block your progress after that. The allbeach route has no drinking water but it is extremely scenic! You will have good views, for instance, of Protection Island, a national wildlife refuge with about ninety species of Puget Sound nesting birds (including rhinoceros auklets.) If you wish to revel in the PNTs wildest flavors, take the beach route. An exciting weekend jaunt could involve a loop trip beginning and ending at Port Townsend. Combine the northern beach route with the Four Corners-Port Townsend railroad grade. Drinking water can be a problem along the high trails if you are not careful. Plan ahead to carry all the water you'll need. Sure, it rains a lot here, but you may be wet outside and thirsty inside. Weather in the Olympics can be much more dangerous than you might expect. Be prepared for the worst and always leave a copy of your schedule with a reliable person. For Olympic National Park information call their 24hour recording 360/452-0329. There are no official campsites on Hurricane Ridge or Hurricane Hill, destinations thronged by vehicles in summer. Plan carefully where you are going to camp.
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There is no need for you to join the crowds if you do not want to. Even in an area of heavy visitor use, there are ways to find relative solitude. For instance, in the Seven Lakes Basin you could camp a bit out of the way at Clear Lake, Long Lake, or Morganroth Lake (but not Lunch Lake.) At Deer Lake try the side valley behind the small hill where the creek enters the lake near the ranger's tent. Also, from your initial point on the Sol Duc River, you could go downstream 5.1 miles to the beautiful narrow canyon of Sol Duc Falls, then 1.5 miles farther to the Sol Duc Hot Springs resort and a refreshing soak. This spa is a great place to dry out and clean up after There are cabins, a small store, a swimming pool, a
weeks on the PNT.
ranger station, phones, and meals. From the resort it is only 4.3 miles via the Mink Lake Trail to the Little Divide and the main-line PNT. Another
variant would be to turn south at Sol Duc Falls on the 3.1 mile Deer Lake Trail to the Little Divide junction at Deer Lake. This deep woods route is a safe-from-storms choice when the high country is so socked in that the subalpine firs are holding on for dear life. Equestrians: The upper Bogachiel River Trail is now foot travel only. The PNTA has not yet devised a Stock Route in that area.

Olympic National Parks entrance fee is $10 per vehicle and is valid for seven days. The Wilderness Permit Registration Fee costs $5; each person
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must also pay $2 per night. Permits can be obtained at all ranger stations and at some self-registration trailheads. Most of the parks campgrounds
also charge a $10 nightly fee. For the latest news about permits, fees, and reservations contact the Wilderness Information Center at 360/452-0300 or www.nps.gov/olym/. Note that, Permits for the Hurricane Ridge area... and
all hikes originating from Obstruction Point and Deer Park must be obtained at the WIC. The Park Service also requires prior approval of your campsite Also, camping on the Seven Lakes
destinations in the High Divide area.
Basin Loop is restricted to designated sites only. Olympic National Forest still has no entrance fees or backcountry permits but Trail Park Passes are required year-round at developed trailheads. (An alternative, a Day Pass, costs $3.) 360/956-2400.
www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic
Dennis Boyd, Olympic Zone BCH, P. O. Box 1923, Port Angeles, WA 98362. 360/683-3630.
Supplies
Port Townsend (ZIP 98368), Sequim (ZIP 98382), Port Angeles (ZIP 98362), and Forks (ZIP 98331) provide full PNT-type services.
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For outdoor equipment visit the Port Townsend Cyclery, 100 Taylor Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360/385-6470.) Port Townsend has
several grocery stores, including the large Safeway at Haine Place on the main highway at the south edge of town. Downtown there are two bakeries, an ice cream parlor, and a classic tavern with an Old West bar. Check out the Bread & Roses Bakery at 230 Quincy Street (360-385-1044.) In the
marina district at the beginning of the Route, check out the daily special at the Blue Moose Caf (10:30 AM to 2 PM; 385-7339.) In addition, you may send cache boxes to yourself c/o Bette Auila, Weed World Creations, 190 Moa Hill Road, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360/385-7622.) Her store is located at the junction of State Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 101, next to Espresso Drive-Thru Hotdogs. Bette sells limited groceries and plenty of weed. (Burger fans please note that nearby at the main road intersection you will find Fat Smittys restaurant.) Port Angeles has the climbing-oriented Olympic Mountaineering and (on the same downtown block) Browns, a general backpacking store at 112 W Front St. (360/457-4150.) Even more important is the fact that PA has at least two bakeries: Bonnys Bakery and Ginas Bakery. The Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center will not accept your cache box. Their concessionaires do, however, sell meals and junk food. In the 1870's many Olympic Peninsula boosters thought that Port Townsend would become the "Key City" of Washington Territory.
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By the
time of statehood in 1888, that hope had been dashed; Olympia became the capital and Seattle (the Queen City) quickly outpaced every rival including Tacoma, City Of Destiny. Port Townsend slumbered on into the 20th It is now a busy,
century, shipping out limber, grain, coal, and fish.
progressive town and, by virtue of its splendid bluff overlooking Admiralty Inlet and its well-preserved Victorian architecture, a "must" for PNT aficionados. Plan to surrender to the town's spell and stay a while. Wash that laundry. Restore those feet. Ease those aches. Several types of lodging are available at Port Townsend. North of town at Fort Worden you can keep to your trusty tent at the State Park campground or bunk at the hostel. Or try in-town bed-and-breakfasts in
gingerbread houses. Inquire at the Chamber of Commerce, 2437 Sims Way (360/385-2722.) You may also wish to visit: the museum; the post office (in the old customs house); the commandant's house at Fort Worden; the clock tower tours and splendid views at the Courthouse; the fire bell tower; and the Rothschild House's 1860's period furnishings. Year round lodging is available at the Port Townsend AYH Hostel (Fort Worden State Park, #272 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368-3699 (360/385-0655.) Jim Conomos hosts a home hostel, 23 miles south of Forks and 8.8 miles south of the Hoh River Road on U.S. Highway 101 (between mileposts 170 and 169.) Contact Rain Forest Hostel, HC80, Box 870, Forks, WA 98331
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(360/374-2270.) Public transportation is available throughout much of Jefferson County (including Sequim and Port Townsend) via Jefferson Transit (360/385-4777 or 800/773-7788.) Greyhound offers connecting service (360/624-3456.) Downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport are linked daily with Port Angeles by Olympic Bus Lines and Tours. 3858. Public transportation is available throughout much of Clallam County (including Forks) from the Clallam Transit System (360/452-4511 or 800/8583747.) In winter they offer weekend rides to Hurricane Ridge on the days The bus leaves their Port Angeles Oak Street For reservations call 360/452-
when the ski area is open.
station at 9:15 a. m. and stops at the Pioneer Memorial Museum on Race Street at 9:30 a. m. The bus leaves Hurricane Ridge Lodge at 4:00 p. m. Advance tickets are available at Sorensen Sports, Harbortowne Mall, 222 N. Lincoln, Port Angeles 98362. West Jefferson Transit (800/436-3950) operates year round south from Tillicum Park in Forks. Tell the driver where you wish to be let off (such as Bogachiel State Park or the Hoh River.) If you are going north to Forks, you can flag down the bus. Information about the schedule of the Washington state ferries is available from 800/843-3779. The number for the Coho ferry (Victoria-Port
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Angeles) is 206/457-4491.

USGS Topographic Maps
Port Townsend, South Center Uncas Mt. Zion Tyler Peak Maiden Peak Mount Angeles Hurricane Hill Elwha Mount Carrie Bogachiel Peak Slide Peak Hunger Mountain Indian Pass Reade Hill Anderson Creek
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Route Description
Begin this PNT section at the ferry terminal south of Port Townsends Water Street business district. Go south along Water Street (or, at low tide, along the beach) past many small businesses. Continue all the way to the marina at the south end of town Near the railroad ferry wharf, begin to walk the railroad right-of-way that has been made into a trail by the Peninsula Trails Coalition. You may have to squuze through the wooden fence to access it. restrooms at the beginning of this trail. The trail follows the shore to the sandy bluffs near the paper mill at Glen Cove. From near the paper mill's former railroad entrance, you can There will be
follow a motorcycle trail uphill to a view-rich campsite (waterless) atop the sandy bluffs. (This informal motorcycle scramble course is not an official
campsite.) Other suggestions about camping include the high tide beach. And there is a park in the distance beyond the paper mill (but it is off the PNT route.) After 4.3 miles, the railroad grade trail reaches the overpass of Discovery Road. (Do not mistake this overpass for the earlier State Highway #20 overpass.) [Here you have a choice.
You could continue on the stress/traffic-free grade
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4.0 miles to just west of Four Corners. Or you could climb up the left bank and go left (south) 2.9 miles down quiet, rural Discovery Road to the Chevy Chase Golf Course at Discovery Bay. There you would turn left at a beautiful, white former inn and pass the Discovery Bay Camp Meeting on your way to the residential community of Adelma Beach (0.8 mile.) The two choices have about equal distances but the bluff-top road has views south to the Olympics and west to the Miller Peninsula's Cry Baby Hill.]
There is a serious gap in the PNT from Four Corners to the south end of Discovery Bay. Access to the PNTs original railroad
grade route has been blocked by adjacent landowners. Why not, you ask, take ultra-direct State Highway #20 all the way from Four Corners (which is a bit east of Adelma Beach) to the south end of Discovery Bay? Do not try it! Highway #20 is an often-shoulderless, high speed arterial. And by the way, do not be tempted to detour for camping to Anderson Lake State Park. It has neither camping nor drinking water. The PNTA hereby gives end-to-enders permission to take the bus across this Quimper Peninsula gap. At the foot of Discovery Bay, if you have sent a cache box to Weed World Creations, pick it up there from Bette Auila. basics for sale. Go south from the Weed World Creations 0.9 mile on the West Uncas Road. This road hugs the west side of the farm valley that contains both Salmon Creek and Snow Creek. This route westward will parallel Salmon She has a variety of
Creek. (After 0.2 mile we pass Casselary Road and a tan-colored farm home.
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The curvy, bucolic road affords a northward view of Discovery Bay.) After crossing Salmon Creek on the West Uncas Road, you will soon reach the top of a little rise. Look for the faded Houck mailbox between the creek and the high voltage power lines (0.9 mile from Discovery Bay.) Salmon Creek Road #2986 does not look like much just a dirt driveway. Stay left beside the barn; continue beyond the resting vehicles. Follow this former logging road 0.2 mile, traveling near the power lines and the cows to two cattle gates at the edge of the alder woods. Close the gates securely behind you. There is a small marsh immediately beyond the second gate. Continue 0.1 mile and cross under the power lines and to another cattle gate. Immediately after the gate you will enter a forest of brushy
alders and a cedars. Continue west 0.2 mile to an old clearcut. The old road is ditched with kellyhumps. But continue 0.1 through the 20-year-old Doug firs to a rusty steel gate that is constructed of a railroad rail. Enjoying occasional views of Discovery Bay and the Chuckanut Mountains, continue 0.5 mile across the clearcut to the edge of the woods. You meet a heavy duty logging road (which has arrived here from the Uncas Road, 2.8 miles east.) Toward the end of this segment there is a small
creek. And at the junction there is a good view of Discovery Bay and, to the northwest, a freshly-clearcut hillside. [An
alternate route from the West Uncas Road goes 0.9 mile to the Wycoff Road. Then
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climb 0.2 mile to a red barn, white fence, and a meadow. Turn right on an unmarked gravel road that soon climbs to a locked gate. You continue through the closed-to-vehicles Bordner
resource management area to rejoin the PNTs mainline route.]
Turn right onto the Pope Resources logging road and proceed 0.2 mile on this road along the left edge of the clearcut. There is a panoramic view across Salmon Creek to clearcut ridges and to Discovery Bay. Go west 0.4 mile through logged lands and woods. Cross a height of land at Big Skidder Hill and descend to Salmon Creeks concrete and wooden beam bridge at a riparian leave area. (Grassy camp spots are
available at old spur roads as we near Salmon Creek.) Continue from the bridge 0.05 mile. Climb, level off. Then the road makes a decided rightward rise. Turn left on a grassy, obscure track. Enter the alders and follow this skid road across the old clearcut 0.2 mile to the edge of the woods. (At the edge of the woods this obscure track is blocked by a red-painted cable.) Go through the woods on an idyllic, old logging road. The distance
from the edge of the woods to Spur 5 Road #2850-080 is 0.3 mile through 80-year-old Doug fir and some cedars. Go left on Spur 5 Road #2850-080 (MSE 721), a little-used, duffcovered woodland track. In 0.8 mile you will come to a washout on a small branch of Salmon Creek. In 0.4 mile you will encounter a steel gate in the forest. Take the right fork in the road. In 0.1 mile you will come to heavy
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duty Snow Creek Road #2850 at MSE 965. There ill probably be no road sign. [Throughout this area water supply was not a problem.] Turn right (north) onto Snow Creek Road #2850 and go 0.7 mile. It will take you to a marshy height of land at MSE 837 between the Salmon Creek drainage and the drainage of a tributary of Jimmy-Come-Lately Creek. (It is called Snow Creek Road because it actually does connect with Snow Creek much farther south.) Continue down wooded Snow Creek Road #2850 for 1.4 miles to Jimmy-Come-Lately Road #2855 at MSE 619. (This junction is immediately before a gravel pit.) Make a sharp left turn (southwest) on Jimmy-Come-Lately Road #2855. (Then soon at Road #070 continue straight ahead on #2855. You climb;
then you pass Interpretive Stop No. 10 and Stop No. 9) Eventually, at the Valhalla homestead, you travel the broad, settled valley of Jimmy-ComeLately Creek; the gravel surface becomes asphalt pavement. It is 5.0 miles from the Snow Creek Road via the lighter duty Jimmy-Come-Lately Road to the junction where you reach paved Palo Alto Road #28. (From here it is 5.0 miles north to U S. Highway #101. At the Palo Alto Road junction, go left. Travel through this grassy
valley on Road #28 (which soon makes a sharp left turn due south.) In 1.2 miles via Road #28 you reach the boundary of the Olympic National Forest. Leave the pastures and enter the forest at several signs.
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Palo Alto Road diverges from Road #28. Continue 0.1 mile on paved Palo Alto Road. Turn right on gravel Road #2880. (In the summer of 1999 this road was closed to vehicular traffic because of washouts.) Follow Road #2880 a 0.25 wooded mile to a junction. [The right-
pointing sign says, Dungeness Forks CG: 1. The left-pointing sign says, East Crossing CG: 3; Dungeness Trail: 12; Tubal Cain Trail: 16. After crossing Salmon Creek on the West Uncas Road, look
immediately for the Houck homestead between the creek and the high voltage power lines. Salmon Creek Road #2986 does not look like much just a dirt driveway leading back into the woods past the farm buildings. (On the topo map it is between the words Uncas and Creek.) Follow this former logging road 0.2 mile, traveling near the power lines and the cows to a cattle gate at the edge of the alder woods. Close the gate securely behind you. There is a small, swampy creek immediately beyond the gate. Continue 0.2 mile and cross under the power lines and pass through a second cattle gate. Immediately after the gate you will enter a cedar forest. Continue west 0.2 mile to a big clearcut. Continue 0.1 through the
clearcut to an orange, steel gate. Continue 0.5 mile across the clearcut to the edge of the woods and heavy duty logging Road (which has arrived here from the Uncas Road, 2.8 miles east.) Go right, enter the alder/cedar woods, and proceed 0.2 mile on this road to the beginning of the next clearcut.
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Go west 0.4 mile through logged land and woods to an elevated concrete and wooden beam bridge over Salmon Creek at the beginning of a clearcut. Go through this clearcut 0.1 mile to what looks like a skid road angling off to the left across the slope. Follow this skid road across the clearcut 0.2 mile to the edge of the woods. Go through the woods; the skid road is
actually an old logging road. The distance from the edge of the woods to Spur 5 Road #2850-080 is 0.3 mile. Go left on Spur 5 Road #2850-080 (721), a little-used, duff-covered track. In 0.6 mile you will notice a clearcut to the left of Spur 5 Road #2850080. In 0.2 mile you will come to a washout in the road. In 0.4 mile you will come to a locked gate in the forest. In 0.1 mile you will come to a triangular junction with heavy duty Snow Creek Road #2850 at MSE 965'. probably be no road sign. problem. Turn right (north) onto Snow Creek Road #2850 and go 0.7 mile. It will take you to a marshy height of land at MSE 837' between the Salmon Creek drainage and the drainage of a tributary of Jimmycomelately Creek. (It is called Snow Creek Road because it does connect with Snow Creek much farther south.) Continue down Snow Creek Road #2850 for 1.4 miles to There will
Throughout this area water supply is not a
Jimmycomelately Road #2855 at MSE 619'.

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Turn left (southwest) on Jimmycomelately Road #2855 and eventually go up the broad, homesteaded valley of Jimmycomelately Creek. It is 5.0 miles from the Snow Creek Road via the Jimmycomelately Road to the junction where you reach Palo Alto Road #28. At the Palo Alto Road junction, go oblique left. Travel through this
grassy valley on Road #28 (which soon makes a sharp left turn due south.) In 1.2 miles via Road #28 you reach the boundary of the Olympic National Forest. You leave the pasture lands and enter the forest. Continue 0.1 mile on Road #28 and turn right on Road #2880 (which may also be called Palo Alto Road at this point but not a little later.) Follow Road #2880 0.25 wooded mile to a junction. [The sign pointing right says, Dungeness Forks CG: 1. The sign pointing left says, East
Crossing CG, 3; Dungeness Trail, 12; Tubal Cain Trail, 16.] Remain on Road #2880 as it angles steeply downhill to the right. It is 0.9 mile down (with good river views) to the Dungeness River at the Dungeness Forks Campground. This is a Forest Service car campground
with a water pump and a small, covered, three-sided notice board which is suitable for use as a one-man shelter.) At Dungeness Forks you have rounded the north end of the ridge between the Dungeness and Gray Wolf rivers. From the Dungeness Forks Campground on Road #2880, climb steeply 0.9 mile to a junction with Road #2870 (880).
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Turn right on Road #2870 and switchback steeply down 0.6 mile to the Gray Wolf River Bridge (920). There is an informal campsite on the south side of the bridge. Go uphill on Road #2870 0.1 mile to a parking lot access to Gray Wolf Trail No. 834. Just 1.8 miles up Gray Wolf Trail No. 834 you reach riverside Twomile Camp and enter the Buckhorn Wilderness. On the way, this trail section
climbs through charming cedar-and-fir woods to an overlook with tantalizing views up the valley. The Gray Wolf Trail is in excellent condition. It is
sometimes high above the river to avoid cliffs but when it returns to the waters edge, there are a number of excellent spots to camp. (In salmon spawning season, look for thousands of migrating fish.) Beyond Twomile Camp the valley widens and Trail No. 834 follows a ferny, up-and-down route near the river. Follow it 1.1 miles to Cliff Camp (1250.) The valley walls beyond Cliff Camp are so abrupt and narrow that the trail in 0.9 mile must cross to the south side of the river to avoid a high, sheer wall of what looks like metamorphosed pillow lava Go 1.1 miles beyond the sturdy bridge.
[If you are worried about these
bridges having been washed away by floods, inquire about their condition at the Quilcene Ranger Station, Quilcene, WA 98376 (360/765-3368.)]
This very pretty section offers lovely
views of the river. The trail climbs high above the river and you reach a trail
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junction, formerly the site of the Camp Tony Shelter (1750.) Turn right down the side trail down to the river. A 0.05 mile walk
brings you to where a 4-foot diameter log was winched into place for this crossing in September 1983. In the winter of `95-`96 the log washed out; it has not been replaced. Fording at this place is potentially dangerous! (The best campsite in this vicinity is across the creek and a short walk downstream along the trail.) The 900' elevation gain to Slab Camp and Road #2875 (2540) on pretty Slab Camp Creek Trail No. 838 takes 3.1 wooded miles. [The Forest Service does not recommend this trail for horses due to narrow tread and cliff exposure. The maximum grade is 30 percent. Mountain bikes are You leave the
prohibited.] The last part of this trail is level to the road.
Buckhorn Wilderness in the company of lovely rhododendrons. The swamp offers a westerly view of the PNTs ridge route to Deer Park. When you reach Road #2875, look across it to your left for unsigned Trail No. 846. Walk 150 to the trailhead from the parking area. [Because there is no reliable water on the 5.0 mile climb west to Deer Park, you should tank up here at Slab Camp Creek.] Although Trail No. 846 is steep and offers neither camping nor reliable water, its semi-open environment is a heady change from the valley bottoms. From the trailhead view of Gray Wolf Ridge, climb quickly from 2540' at the trailhead to 5411' at Deer Park, crossing from Olympic National Forest into Olympic National Park.
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Steep
sections grades may exceed 35 percent.
This trail is where the Olympic
Mountains, the San Juan Islands, Mount Baker, and Puget Sound all begin to come into focus in the type of long vistas for which the PNT is famous. Once you arrive at Deer Park, you are at last upon the heights of the Olympic Mountains. (This, like most alpine areas in the park, is a stove-only zone.) In clear weather, do not miss the short climb via an old road to the 6007 summit of Blue Mountain. It is one of those memorable spots along the PNT where several weeks of PNT adventure are visible all at once. You will be able to encompass everything from Mt. Shuksan in the North Cascades to the High Divide of the Olympic Mountains. Plus the northern islands of Puget Sound, the Olympic coast, and Victoria, B.C. The Deer Park Road provides automobile access to Port Angeles, about 20 miles north. A national park ranger is stationed at the Deer Park car
campground all summer; backcountry permits are available here. Because there is no water ahead, be sure to fill your canteens at the ranger cabin's spring. This spring arises behind the garage/shelter and is piped into the cabin. The 5.5 mile trail to Elk Mountain is an extremely scenic ridge path. This trail not only has open slope, unobstructed vistas but also is the highest part of the PNT in Olympic National Park. This up-and-down route takes us over Green Mountain (5622), Maiden Peak (6434), and the east end of Hurricane Ridge (highest at 6779' on Elk Mountain.) A height of 6779' may
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not seem very high in relation to many other sections of the PNT, but tree line in the Olympic Mountains is lower than in, say, the Rockies, the Selkirks, or the Cascades. The West Peak of Mount Olympus, highest point in the
park, is only 7965'. What these mountains lack in raw elevation they more than make up for in alpine scenery, flowers, and wildlife. Continue 2.0 miles to Obstruction Peak (6450.) People are easily fooled by these mountains' relatively gentle appearance and altitude. Trail conditions here can be very dangerous
because of the weather's unpredictability and the storms' severity. Ridgetop visibility on even a sunny day can quickly shrink to zero during sudden whiteouts. Drenching rain and/or sleet, of course, is a constant
possibility in an area subject to amazing amounts of precipitation. Hypothermia conditions are always just around the corner. During snowy years the Deer Park - Obstruction Peak Trail may be snow-free only from mid-July to Labor Day. In case of a bad storm, get down off the exposed ridge or, better yet, do not venture west from Deer Park without signs of favorable weather conditions. On this waterless, exposed trail between Deer Park and Obstruction Peak, low impact, hypothermia-wary pilgrims should plan carefully where to camp. Camping is not allowed within a mile of Obstruction Peak. This route has a number of potential places for dry camping. One is Maiden Lake and another is Roaring Winds. Maiden Lake is stagnant by late July and Roaring
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Winds is waterless except for seasonal snowfields. Don't forget, too, that the steep east face of Obstruction Peak is often solid ice in early summer until the park staffers dig out the trail. Before
then, you could bypass this part by going down into Badger Valley and then up to Grand Lake and up East Ridge, an 8.3 mile side trip. Dangerous
weather is another reason to think about dropping a thousand feet down into lush, green Badger Valley (no badgers, plenty of marmots) about 5 miles west from Deer Park. The Badger Valley Trail passes good water and many campsites down in the timbered bottoms. And farther south, in Grand Valley, there are several attractive lakes. You could even make a loop from them back to the Gray Wolf River via Grand Pass and Cameron Creek. Another alternate route to consider is the connection between Three Forks on the Gray Wolf River and Deer Park, a 4.5 mile trail that has one water source en route and would give you more time on the river. As always, you should regard the main-line PNT as a white-colored thread in a fabric of potential routes. Despite its high summer visitation and its lack of water and developed campsites, Hurricane Ridge is a PNT highlight. To enjoy its grand scenery, go northwest 4.5 miles from Obstruction Peak to the Waterhole Picnic Area (5000) below Eagle Point (6247.) Camping is no longer permitted here, nor is the water source reliable. The road crosses wildflower meadows studded with scenic copses of subalpine firs.
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The farther you continue, the more
amazing the views of the deep Lillian and Elwha valleys become and the more primeval glacier-clad Mount Carrie and Mount Olympus seem. But to all this must now be added a third element - northern seascapes, beyond Port Angeles, of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and of B.C.'s provincial capital, Victoria, on Vancouver Island. [In the 1950's this trail had been scheduled for conversion
to an extension of the Hurricane Ridge Road. However, the unstable slopes at Obstruction Peak literally blocked that scheme. Probably the best solution would be to close the Obstruction Peak road to automobiles and to leave it to the foot-powered set and to shuttle buses. In any case, the scenery from this road is spectacular - the Lillian River valley; McCartney Peak (6784);and, of course, glacier-white Mount Carrie (6995) and Mount Olympus (7965.)]
Continue northwest 3.9 miles to the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center. Halfway, you will pass Steeple Rock (5567) which, when you look back, does look like a church tower. The 18-mile Mount Angeles Road connects the Visitors Center with the Heart O' The Hills park headquarters and with Port Angeles. (No bus service except for tour buses.) The visitors center is great for modern restrooms and for its limited but non-freeze-dried food. You may wish to take a side trip up the paved trail to the old lookout site atop Hurricane Hill (5757) to enjoy some of the best views in the park. Unfortunately, no hiker/horseman camping facilities have been provided anywhere on the ridge. However,
Olympic National Park does not restrict backcountry travelers to designated campsites; use common sense to find a low impact spot.
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From the Visitors Center follow the road through meadows 0.8 scenic mile, dodging vehicles of all sizes. You will reach the old fire protection
road, now the 8-mile Wolf Creek Trail. The first water on the Wolf Creek Trail is 1.9 miles farther. Though there are no campsites along this path, its width is usually wide enough to accommodate bivouacers. As you descend the
long road-type switchbacks to the Elwha River Valley note the landscapes's mix of dark old growth and lighter, fire-produced second growth. You will reach a major trailhead at the Whiskey Bend Road 1150) where there is trail access south into the interior of the park. The Whiskey Bend Road is a one lane, windy, gravel, up and down road with turnouts. The name "Whiskey Bend" commemorates the bottle of booze given to the Civilian Conservation Corp's highest-mileage road locator in a Depression-era contest to decide the route of this old road. But it's
water, not liquor, you'll find if you take the mile side trail from the Whiskey Bend Road to the campground where the Elwha River joins Lake Mills. Be sure to turn the corner up the creek to see the waterfall at the head of Lake Mills. From the large parking lot follow it northwest 0.4 mile through
viewless forest to the Lake Mills Trail (1025.) (This 0.4 mile trail accesses a lakeside campsite.) In 0.4 mile more you will pass Wolf Creek. There are no open views but you will be able to see out between the trees into the valley. Eventually you will be able to see Lake Mills through the trees. At 3.2 miles
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from the Wolf Creek trailhead there is a viewpoint (but no bridge) at the Lake Mills dam MSE 605. Then at 3.7 miles there is a creek. After the Upper Elwha Dam, you will drop down to the Elwha River gorge. At mile 4.2 from the Wolf Creek Trail you will pass the junction (450) for the Hurricane Hill Trail. In another 0.1 mile there is a horse corral. And in the final 0.1 mile you will reach the Hot Springs Road(425.) (Note that the Elwha Ranger Station is 0.2 mile downstream from this junction; unless you already have your permits, that is the place to register and pay for backcountry camping since you cannot do so at the Hot Springs trailhead. And, if you wish to leave the park, it is 3.9 miles north by this road to U. S. Highway 101.) Turn left at the Hot Springs Road. Go 0.2 mile south along the Elwha River to the Elwha River Bridge (450) and its scenic vista. Immediately after the bridge you will find the large Altaire (fee) Campground. From its pleasant setting amid cottonwoods, maples, and alders, turn upstream on the Olympic Hot Springs Road; go 1.1 mile to the Lake Mills Dam (605.) You will climb steeply through forest with only one view and one water source. [By the time you arrive at the Upper Elwha Dam it may have been broached for
the purpose of salmon run restoration.]
Climb 2.5 more miles through woods to Observation Point (1500) where you will have a very good view of the upper and lower Elwha Valley, including snowy Mount Fitzhenry.
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At Observation Point, the Hot Springs Road turns west up Boulder Creek. You will encounter good views and possibly one intermittent stream. 0.6 mile up you will pass the Happy Lake Trail (1750), a scenic overnighter loop (via Boulder Lake and the hot springs) with great views of Appleton Pass, Mount Olympus, and Mount Carrie. Go an additional 1.5 mile to the Appleton Pass trailhead (1825) via views of the upper Boulder Creek Valley. The road is closed to vehicles at Deer Creeks popular trailhead. Go southwest 2.4 miles on the fir needle-covered asphalt of the Appleton Pass Trail. In 0.3 level mile you will reach the washout at Cougar Creek. Olympic Hot Springs (2061) once boasted an elaborate concession of cabins, pools, and piped waters. Today there are seven, primitive, shallow pools of sulphurous water of 85 to 105 F. They reportedly have high levels of bacteria and high proportions of nudity. Across the bridge from the falls and up the hill you will find the Hot Springs Campground, formerly a car camping site but now a popular, walk-in destination for bathers. From Hot Springs Campground climb 5.2 miles to Appleton Pass (5000.) Begin at the upper end of the campground and walk 0.5 mile to a junction (2075) with the Boulder Lake Trail. This park-like section features open stands of cedar, hemlock, and fir. There and subsequently there are plenty of creeks along the Appleton Pass Trail except at the pass itself. Camping is good at both the pass and at several other places such as Upper
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Boulder Creek Falls and where the trail first emerges from the deep woods into the brushy creek-and-basin country. However, note that campers have often suffered from bear problems in the hot springs/Appleton corridor. If you camp in the Appleton Pass area, you may lose property and there is a possibility of personal injury. The first 4.5 miles to the pass are in hemlock, cedar, and Douglas fir woods as the trail crosses the creek twice and intercepts numerous smaller brooks. Finally, after switchbacking into alpine meadows and basins, you
reach good views of Mount Olympus and of the High Divide. Oyster Lake is a scenic pool in meadows atop this ridge. From Appleton Pass your next destination - the High Divide - is not as near as it seems. You must first descend 2.6 miles through dense Douglas fir forest to the Sol Duc River (3100.) From there the beautifully-
reconstructed PNT climbs 0.5 mile to Seven Mile Camp and switchbacks 3.1 more miles to the High Divide, passing plenty of water and campsites (but no shelters.) Neither words nor photographs are adequate to portray the beauties of the High Divide Trail. Where you meet the High Divide (5050) above the meadows of Heart Lake and turn west past glacier-scoured Seven Lakes Basin, you are at the scenic focal point of the Olympics. [If
you have time and good visibility, go east on the High Divide Trail to enjoy its Hoh
Valley/Mount Olympus views. In 2 miles you will reach Cat Basin above Cat Creek valley. A 0.3
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mile way trail connects with the creek. Continue 2 miles farther to the end of the High Divide Trail on the trailless ridge at the south side of Cat Peak. Camping and water are very limited on the last 2 miles of this trail. But here you enjoy unexcelled views of Mount Olympus. Plus, for end-toenders, there is now the thrill of looking out the Hoh River valley to the no-longer-distant Pacific Ocean!]
From the Sol Duc River Trail junction above Heart Lake, the PNT follows the High Divide's open meadows west. Expect stunning views not only of Mount Olympus (due south) but also of the deep, U-shaped green trough of the Hoh River valley. north of us. Almost equally lovely is the lake country Despite unimaginative
(Watch for summering elk herds.)
names like Lake No. 8 and No Name Lake, the dozen or so ponds of the highly glaciated Seven Lakes Basin attract legions of fishermen and campers. The basin was misnamed and miscounted by its discoverer, Chris Morganroth, since immortalized by the name Morganroth Lake. One of the best places to appreciate the Olympics is the former lookout site atop Bogachiel Peak (5474.) A short side trail leads up to the summit. [This viewpoint is one of those PNT favorites from which many days of walking can be
seen all at once. And if you have brought up water and a strong tent, you are possibly in for an epic ocean sunset. Nearer at hand, the immense bulk of Mount Olympus seems to shimmer
within reach. But if you wish to touch its Blue Glacier, youd need to make first a Herculean side trip 6.5 miles down to the Hoh River and second a further 7.1 mile climb to the foot of the ice field.]
From the trail junction at a saddle immediately below Bogachiel Peak,
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go northwest away from the Hoh River valley and around the headwaters of the main fork Bogachiel River (parallel to the Hoh) on the Little (Low) Divide. The Route follows the ridge northwest between the upper Bogachiel and the Seven Lakes Basin. In 0.9 mile of superb scenery the Bogachiel Trail
reaches a way trail down into the Seven Lakes Basin. (Round Lake is 0.8 mile this way.) However, the Route continues along the ridge for another 3.3 miles to Deer Lake, mostly in the meadows of the upper Bogachiel Basin but eventually descending into the forest near Deer Lake. Deer Lake is on the north side of the ridge between the Sol Duc and Bogachiel valleys. (There is no shelter here now.) Because the trail made a detour off the ridge to reach the lake, you must now climb back up. The trail up to the Little (Low) Divide starts at a boardwalk at the boggy south end of Deer Lake. This 3.6 mile, meadows/subalpine fir forest Bogachiel Trail offers no reliable on-trail water. And Bogachiel Lake is too far below the path to be a convenient source. However, a short downhill side trip north on the Mink Lake Trail would bring you to a creek, which drains an ice-cold tarn. After your long climb from Deer Lake, the trail breaks out of the forest at Knob 4304' for more Mount Olympus views, plus views of forest-ringed Blackwood Lake and of the whole magnificent Upper Bogachiel valley. Then zigzag down the narrow ridge and leave it at forested Slide Pass (3600.) Whereas the High Divide north of the Hoh River averages five to six thousand feet in elevation, the Low Divide between the Bogachiel and the
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Sol Duc gives us only 3500' to 4100'. Furthermore, at Slide Pass the PNT turns northwest between Misery Peak and Slide Peak into the headwaters of North Fork Bogachiel River. In other words, instead of continuing to follow the ridge north of the river's main branch, the trail loops around north to settle into the North Fork valley. At this point a very interesting cross-
country hop would take us 6 miles from Slide Pass's silver fir and hemlock woods along this trail-less, 3500' high extension of the Little Divide, over Sugarloaf Mountain (3365), and down to the Fifteen-Mile Shelter footbridge near the junction of the river's north and main forks. That ridgehop would make an excellent circuit hike if joined with the PNT's next superb valley section, seven miles of the remotest rain forest in the park. To reach this special environment, drop down 5 miles from Slide Pass (3600) to the "emergency use only" Hyak Shelter (1400.) [A good
campsite along this forest stretch is at Twenty-one Mile Shelter (2214), where the trail finally levels out into the valley bottom.] The Hyak Shelter is an excellent campsite at the edge of a beautiful riverside meadow, where you can see up out of the great trees to the ridges beyond. [ Legendary
horse
packer Minnie Peterson used to warn us in summer to watch out for yellow jackets along the Bogachiel Trail because there are more nests there than on any other trail. They bite your horse and it is bucking and jumping and then it's ride èm cowboy! You'd better just hang on and try to get through that nest as fast as you can.]
From Hyak prepare for a lazy day moseying the 7.1 miles down to the
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Flapjack Shelter site. This is prime rain forest valley bottom which, unlike the Hoh River valley, has not been developed. Admittedly, this valley is not as total a rain forest as the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault valleys because it has a greater proportion of Douglas fir and silver fir than they do, and fewer mature colonnades of trees that have grown from "nurse logs." However, the Bogachiel's lush growth and enormous Sitka spruce certainly do spell rain forest. Its park-like retreats must seem ideal enough to the elk, who keep them open with winter and spring browsing. Near the 15 Mile Shelter (where there is a tiny tent site next to a huge tree below the outhouse), cross a footbridge to the North Fork's north bank. Giant Douglas firs dominate the bench here near a delightful waterfall. Your trail continues via the north shore and soon reaches the place where the Bogachiel's main branch and North Fork join. river Aoceanward. The distance is only 8.3 miles from the site of the late, lamented Flapjack Shelter to the park boundary. (There is a good swimming hole mile upriver from the Flapjack site, near a cliff on the south side of the river.) The trail's easy, slight ups and down are initially in old growth forest. From the Bogachiel Shelter (and ranger station) it is 4.2 miles to the park boundary. Near the park boundary youll encounter mossy stumps. Part of this area had been logged years ago, and in 1983 the old logging road route was
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Follow this single, mightier
partially changed to include a new trail section up to a new extension of Bogachiel Road #2943. From the park boundary to this road totals 2 miles. Then, after 5.3 miles of road walking, you finally reach Bogachiel State Park and U.S. Hwy #101. Bogachiel State Park (203) sells car campsites, walk-in campsites, and showers. A public phone is available just across the river bridge at the
Bogachiel Resort store. West Jefferson Transit will make a flag stop at Undie Road/Bogachiel State Park. The fare to Forks is $0.50. They also connect three times a day from Forks with North Shore Lake Quinault.
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Chapter 10: Pacific Ocean Wilderness Beach
PACIFIC OCEAN WILDERNESS BEACH (Bogachiel State Park to Cape Alava)
Introduction
This section has no dramatic elevation changes but PNT pilgrims will be struck by the complexity of its land/water environment. The coast's total effect upon the hiker is one of constant surprise and enticement. The sea's full horizons draw us into their mysteries. Everywhere there is something of interest. Each cliff greets us with its own character. Some have the rocky solidity of geologic time. Others are sand, clay, and pebbles - erodible stuff from which alders and other trees tumble to the beach. Everywhere the ceaseless play of natural forces is at work before you - in the adaptations of shell shapes, in the types of sand and rock you walk upon, and in the wildlife, both above and in the water. Here, too, a PNT hiker quickly becomes a beachcomber, an opportunist of Japanese glass ball fishing floats, of notes in bottles, and of the beach's endless trove of flotsam and jetsam. Here is the stuff of memories: the first sound of the ocean's roar; the rainbows arched across primeval headlands; the high-pitched cries of ospreys; the driftwood smoke of evening campfires.
Issues
Remember that this Routes lack of elevation changes is not a guarantee of security. Merely being at the seaside does not necessarily You can get into a lot of trouble fast on this
make you safe from harm.
coasts wilderness beaches. In fact, the first thing to appreciate is that sea level varies a lot. Carry a watch and a tide chart with you. Some headlands cannot be rounded at high tide. Don't be caught with your back up against the cliffs. Some headlands must always be crossed by inland trails. "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." That may be your conclusion from the tea color of the area's creeks and rivers. But don't
worry, because the dark hue is only harmless tannic acid that has leached from the rain forest's vegetation and humus. Beware, however, of the
reportedly polluted water at Cape Alava, Scott Creek, and possibly elsewhere. This is not Disneyland, and those cute critters can ruin your trip if they get into your food supply. At night beware of skunks, mice, raccoons, etc. You should be especially cautious about bruins; ask Park Service folks and other hikers for the latest local information. Although this area is famous for its rain, you may hit the sunshine jackpot and eagerly begin working on a tan. Be careful. Water-and-sandreflected rays and direct sunshine can quickly cause debilitating sunburn. Be sure to bring a good sun screen. If you do learn from hard experience why this is called a rain forest,
nothing is lost if your raingear, tent, and sleeping bag are up to the challenge. But conditions here can deteriorate unexpectedly. Especially
cold, blowing rain. Remember that the air temperature need not be below freezing for hypothermia to set in. method. In 1994 Olympic National Park began placing overnight quotas on the Ozette backcountry. Between July 15 and Labor Day, a maximum of 300 (1) anywhere from the Yellow Dress appropriately. Use the layer
total daily visitors were permitted to camp
Banks to just north of the Ozette River and also (2) anywhere along the Ozette Loop Trail. In 1998 assigned campsite reservations were required; call 360/452-0300 during business hours. much as thirty days in advance of a trip. Reservations were available as Only backpackers with written
confirmation of their reservations were guaranteed backcountry permits. Transportation: public buses do not run to Ozette Lake Ranger Station. But West Jefferson Transit (800/436-3950) operates year round south from Tillicum Park in Forks. Tell the driver where you wish to be let off (such as Bogachiel State Park.) If you are going north to Forks, you can flag down the bus. If you are going to the mouth of the Hoh River, they will let you off a mile west from #101. If you are going to Ozette, Clallam Transit (800/8583747) will take you west along Highway #112 to where the Ozette road branches off toward Cape Alava. The number for William Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles
is 360/452-5095.

No permits, reservations, or fees are necessary to cross lands of the Department of Natural Resources. For Olympic National Park permit/fee information contact the Wilderness Information Center at 360/452-0300. Their address is United States Park Service, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362 or www.nps.gov/olym/. Camping
The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Centers number is 360/374-6925.
quotas are maintained daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day and weekends in September. Advance reservations are required for Such
camping along the Ozette coast from Duc Point to Yellow Banks.
advance reservations are available by phone from WIC no more than thirty days in advance.
The PNT ocean beach route is not recommended for horses because of its rocky sections and its difficult headland crossings.
Supplies
The following have post offices and general stores: Forks (ZIP 98331); La Push (ZIP 98350); Beaver (ZIP 98305); and Neah Bay (ZIP 98357.)
Forks is a major town with full facilities (including a hospital.) Across 5th Avenue from the hospital, the Chinook Pharmacy sells health foods and some hiking gear. In La Push, groceries are available at the Lonesome Creek Store on the way into town at 490 Ocean Drive (360/374-4337.) The post office is next door. (This building is next to the cabins resort.) You cannot arrange food drops at Bogachiel State Park. However, you can buy food nearby at the very small general store at the Bogachiel Resort. You can send a food cache box to yourself at the Ozette Lake Ranger Station, Box 39A, Clallam Bay, WA 98326.
Declination 19.5 to 19.6 E

USGS Topographic Maps Reade Hill Hoh Head Kalaloch Ridge Destruction Island Anderson Creek Toleak Point Quillayute Prairie La Push Allens Bay Ozette
Route Description
This chapter is short and its hiking is easy. But dont rush it. You have
finally arrived from the Continental Divide more than a thousand miles to the east. At the mouth of the Hoh River, the Wise Person would sip the
marvels of these last few days the way a connoisseur savors a fine wine. Getting to the wilderness beach is your first goal. The Practical Route follows logging roads from U.S. #101 a bit southwest of Bogachiel State Park. Lagitos Hill (680) and the surrounding area belong to the state These lands are managed for timber
Department of Natural Resources.
production to provide money for the state's schools, and they are a maze of clearcuts and logging roads. To begin, continue south 0.9 mile from Bogachiel State Park (203), crossing the Bogachiel River Bridge, and going uphill to a paved right (west) turn opposite Kallman Road. In other words, from U.S. #101 turn onto DNR Road #G2000 (280). (This Anderson Ridge Road is directly west across
#101 from Kallman Road.) #G2000 winds and climbs south past a quarry and climbs over Lagitos Hill. [After 1.3 miles the road turns to gravel at MSE 692.] Continue west on #G2000 for a total of 3.0 miles to a junction (840) with Road #G2400. Continue west on #G2000 0.7 mile to #2500 at MSE 803. [Sometimes
these dirt roads are dangerous because of high-speed logging traffic.]
Turn left downhill off Road #G2000 by a cedar swamp onto #G2500 at MSE 803. #G2530. Follow #G2500 1.2 miles west to a junction (830) with Road
Turn left. Climb 100 feet before you head downhill again. Follow this Road #G2530 along a ridge south 2.9 miles to Road #3200, a T junction (360) in young second growth spruce/cedar woods. (At 0.6 miles you have a good view of the Pacific Ocean; you soon encounter eastward views to Mount Olympus.) Turn left on Road #3200 and go 1.0 mile to a T junction (90) with Road #3000. Decades earlier you could have followed the now-obliterated Goodman Creek Trail to reach the ocean at the mouth of the creek. However, you now have to turn left on Road #3000. We very soon cross the Goodman Creek Bridge (100). Immediately beyond the bridge, Road #3000 goes left. (You may wish to camp at this junction at an exposed grassy spot because of the water available from the nearby creek.) Continue southeast 8.0 miles on #G3000 through private timberlands.A Much of this gravel road passes through the valley of Mosquito Creek. There is nothing particularly attractive about this route except that it is direct and lacks traffic. It reaches the Oil City Road at MSE 393. Follow the Oil City Road southwest 9.0 miles through the Hoh River Valley. You pass old homesteads, a cemetery, and occasional views of the river. The rainforest road ends at an Olympic National Park trailhead 0.6
mile from the mouth of the river. [There are no facilities.] Follow the Oil City Trail west through spruce and alder forest to the
mouth of the Hoh River. This is a pleasant hike where the excitement of the nearby ocean builds step by step. After 0.6 mile, the Hoh River Trail ends where the river surges through an opening in the wave-formed talus. Though there are a few Hoh Indian Reservation buildings on the south shore, the river mouth feeling is one of boundless wildness. The saltchuck beckons with its perfume and call. The funk of sea wrack, barnacle, and brine tickles the nose. And the sound! Forest-tuned
Plangent comings and goings liven and roil this new world..
eyes open to the vast horizon. The river surges free, the gulls whirl, and you cross the pebbles, sands, and driftwood. Here on the edge of the continent your senses of smell and hearing come alive. Do not rush. The 38.1 miles from the Hoh River north to Cape Alava are a meeting of the larger-than-life with the life unseen. As you walk north, the temperate rain forest will be your constant backdrop. The coastline will erode the
coasts sandstone/conglomerate one grain of sand at a time. The tide pool life will be more fecund than you ever imagined. Tracks of many creatures will greet you at dawn. According to Park Service data, the distance from the mouth of the Hoh to the Third Beach trailhead (near La Push) is 17.3 mi/27.8 km. This includes 2.6 miles to Hoh Head, 3.5 miles to Mosquito Creek, 2.2 miles to the Goodman Creek Trail, 1.5 miles on the Goodman Creek Trail, 1.0 mile to
Toleak Point, 3.4 miles to Taylor Point, 1.2 miles on the Taylor Point Trail, 0.9 mile along Third Beach, and 1.4 miles inland to the Third Beach trailhead at the La Push Road. Obviously this 17.3 miles is not a great distance. Just
remember that the more slowly you go the greater will be the rewards. Begin at Oil City - no city at all but an investment scam for oil seep acreage. Leave the Hoh Rivers sand spit and walk north to Hoh Head. Near Diamond Rock (before Hoh Head) round a small point on algae-covered conglomerates. retreating tide. This is a good place to get in the habit of waiting for a And a good place, too, to judge your progress by the
diminishing size of Destruction Island on the southwestern horizon. At sandy Jefferson Cove, climb from the beach on fixed ladders to shortcut impassable Hoh Head. Two thirds of the way up this bluff there is an attractive campsite for someone who has carried water. finding a campsite along Jefferson Cove.) This Hoh Head Trail is an attractive path through Sitka spruce and western hemlock. This High Route offers multiple brooks and several (Dont count on
excellent campsites. But, at least in good weather, you are likely to have more fun on the beach. So watch for an intermediate connector trail (shown on the topo) down the bluff. This way will give you more than two additional miles beside the waves. beach section.) The Hoh Head Trail ends on the south shore of Mosquito Creek. (There is a small-but-good camp spot along this
Because of its constant water supply this is a logical place to camp (perhaps near the outhouse in the woods on the south shore of the creeks outlet.) But carrying water to out-of-the-way places up the beach will guarantee greater solitude. The next goal is the Goodman Creek Trail after a lovely, 2.2 mile walk north. Offshore from this sandy, crescent beach look for the pinnacle islets known as seastacks. In fact, these Quillayute Needles are part of the The largest offshore feature is the large,
Washington Islands Wilderness.
flat butte named Alexander Island that 6,000 years ago was supposedly part of the mainland. At the sandy bay south of Goodman Creek you can look back to Hoh Head. Closer in, you see a seastack shaped like an off-center arrowhead,
and, to the north, the impassable peninsula of Goodman Creek. Goodman Creek is tidal at this point and you may arrive to find its wide sand and gravel bars exposed by the slowly receding waters of its curved channel. Mists are likely to be hovering over the creek's banks of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western red cedar. Of course, you may find the flow reversed as the level rises under pressure from the not-sodistant sea. Stand on an overhanging river bank and look for schools of fish in these greenish depths and for chattering kingfishers in the air above. The trail around the tidal mouth and mossy cliffs of Goodman Creek is marked by a large, multicolored "target." (If you miss it, you will have to
negotiate the bluff at Goodmans outlet and go upstream on the informal salal trails.) Climb the steps and follow the trail inland. At high tide you must ford three times: at a small side channel; at Goodman Creek; and at Falls Creek. (The old shelter is gone but you could camp on the gravel/sand bar opposite the mouth of Falls Creek.) Beyond Falls Creek's small but pretty waterfall, climb a very good trail (with nice trickles) through lush vegetation. Youll see some of the largest western red cedars in the world and, at the other extreme, epiphytes, ferns, salal, huckleberries, willows, devil's club, and salmonberry. You walk only
0.8 mile in this dense forest before the sounds of the coast rise to greet you. Just 0.5 mile north of the creek's mouth you break out of the deep green world of cedar and fern into the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. The
foudroyant instant when you first hear the breaking waves, scolding gulls, and Pacific winds is one of the PNTs most adrenalin-stirring moments. Truly a Ten Best. Your first approach to the wilderness beach is down the ladders and steps on an excellent trail. The sand, clay, rock, and gravel cliffs extend for almost this entire coast. Sometimes we pass a driftwood-stacked dune.
Elsewhere, we go for miles beside cliffs as high as 200'. Occasionally, this beach route runs out of passable margin between cliff and tide, and you must again climb over a headland on a ferny trail. [A surprise
for Olympic beach newcomers is the irregular way Nature has sheared away so
much of the continent.
Jagged remnants remain scattered everywhere.
For instance, a short
distance offshore from where you clamber down that first time from the Falls Creek Trail, there is a tall, pierced islet, a typical example of what is poetically called a seastack, a column of harder rock, an evader of the doom that has already carried away all of the original land around it. Grasses, trees, salal, and flowers give its vertical sides an incongruous green cap. Seabirds swirl in
incredible numbers around many such sanctuaries, and their cries add to your sense of primordial peace and beauty.]
Goodman Creek funnels into the ocean beside narrow rock walls, the reason that the trail crossed well inland at Falls Creek. However, once you have reached the north beach, you may wish to walk southeast to explore the tide pools and rocks at Goodman Creek's outlet. You renew your coast walk on a sand beach, which shimmers westward 1.0 mile to Toleak Point. Jackson Creek's brown water joins the sea near Toleak Points resort quality sand. At the creek there is an emergency A-frame shelter. Sandy campsites abound. A new marine view opens up beyond the reefs, seastacks and sands of Toleak Point. From here you can suddenly see all the way north to Teahwhit Head. Strawberry Point is northwest across a 1.2 mile sandy, crescent beach. Like Toleak Point, it is easily rounded. In 0.7 more Robinson Crusoe miles you pass another point, this one nameless and opposite the reefs and seastacks known as the Giants
Graveyard.
Here, you must watch your tide tables to go around the
obstruction at low tide. Yet another 0.5 mile brings us to Scott's Bluff, a sheer cliff, which you must climb over. The trail begins near the Scott Creek Shelter. Do not try to save time by going around on the ocean side! (Also, Scott Creek is known to have infected some campers with giardia.) A short, crescent beach brings us in 0.6 mile to Taylor Point, a major obstacle; the mandatory trail across it is 1.2 miles long. Locate its entrance by a round, orange and black marker, and follow the path through the forest. The meanders, footlogs, and great trees of this trail are fun, and the inland detour enables us to approach the ocean anew. (There are two potential
camp spots on the bluffs at the north end of this trail.) The beautiful final section descends beside cliffs and finally reaches the beach via steps and ladders. Third Beach is a very popular destination for tourists from the La Push Road; happily the waters of Strawberry Bay daily cleanse the strand of visitors' traces. The Taylor Point Trail hits Third Beach near some giant You then amble 0.9 sandy mile to a
boulders and a cliffside waterfall.
stairway trail up to the road. [Lacking a way to 1.5 mile-long Second Beach, you are forced
onto the road - unless you want to try your luck against the salal jungle of the trailless interior. Warning: salal is a springy, almost malevolent, evergreen bush more ornery than almost anything else on the Pacific Northwest Trail except maybe devils club.]
The trail now begins at the site of the former Third Beach Shelter,
where there are a creek and a good campsite. In 1.4 miles you reach the La Push Road (240), a paved route between the Soleduck and Bogachiel forks of the Quillayute River. Follow this road 2.2 forested miles to the Quileute Indian Reservation and the town of La Push on the Quillayute River. La Push has a Coast Guard Station, marina, and Indian Reservation housing. There are several resorts, including La Push Ocean Park (360/3745267 or 800/487-1267), which has camping and cabins. Immediately before this resort you will pass the Lonesome Creek grocery store and the adjoining post office Many of the fishing boats whose lights you see at night are La Push-based. Stop by the docks to listen to the latest scuttlebutt about the weather or about who is catching what. And don't be shy about asking
boatmen for a ride across the wide mouth of the Quillayute River. You may even wish to venture out to former Indian fortress, James Island. [If
you cannot persuade or pay someone to ferry you across the river, your inland road
detour will total eleven miles. (You will have to go inland on the La Push Road 7.0 miles to the junction (MSE 94) with the Mora Ocean Beach Road. Cross the new bridge and go west 5.0 miles to the end of the Mora Ocean Beach Road at the Mora campground.]
Your final Pacific Northwest Trail destination is Cape Alava, the westernmost point hereabouts. Happily this final 20.8 mi/33.5 km coast walk is exceptionally wild and remote. The first challenge is to reach the north shore of the outlet of the Quillayute River. [The PNTA hopes to find a local person to provide shuttle
boat service for PNT pilgrims.] On your walk north, sea lions, seals, whales, river otters, bald eagles, ospreys, bears, skunks, and a host of sea life will add to the elemental excitement of light, sound, smell, form, and color. Your ears will grow
accustomed to the waves' roaring advance and sibilant withdrawal on smooth sands and rumbling cobbles. For a while you may tune out the
breakers, riffles, and swells entirely and catch instead the odd notes of the long-billed, black oystercatchers or the hard, scuttling sounds of the fiddler crabs. But before long the ocean's powerful bass notes will thunder across the beach. The timpani of its wavelets may remind you what a great
privilege it is to be alive at this time and place. From the Quillayute River, follow the beach 1.0 mile north to Ellen Creek. If you begin at high tide, you will have to scamper over the
humongous driftwood at the margin of the forest. Camping is not permitted on Rialto Beach itself, but the national park does have a pay campground inland at Mora. Also, at the end of the road just behind Rialto Beach, there is a very convenient and modern restroom. Rialto Beach is notable for immense quantities of mega-driftwood. Of the enormous trees that grow along mile upon mile of Calawah, Bogachiel, Soleduck, and Quillayute river banks, some inevitably are washed out to sea, only to be deposited like giant beached whales here. bleached carcasses often make great impromptu shelters. Their polished,
Ellen Creek is just beyond the no-camping zone and is a suitably scenic stopping place, with dozens of rocks offshore. (Here again, the creek's tealike color does not necessarily mean that it is bad to drink.) Continue north past appropriately-named Cake Rock, which is more than a mile out to sea. Close at hand, between the trees and the surf, you pass a romantic buttress, very easily rounded at low tide. Note the sea-
gouged opening named Hole-In-The-Wall, a name reminiscent of the beginning of the PNT back at Brown Pass on the Continental Divide. 1.5 miles after Ellen Creek, you will probably have become mesmerized by the beautiful sandy beaches and by the constantly changing scenery. But the spell may be broken by a headland, sometimes called Point No. 1, which can be rounded at low tide or climbed over. Point No. 1 is the first of five promontories in the Cape Johnson complex. You encounter long stretches of flat tidal plain, actually upright
sedimentary layers rubbed smooth by eons of wave-worked erosion. Walking this grooved, wave-cut terrace is not as easy as its flatness would suggest. Crabclaw kelp grows everywhere, and footing on the wet, slick, kelpy rocks is uncertain. Black or brown "tar" rocks are especially slippery. Step carefully. Look carefully, too. In addition to the obvious purple or orange starfish and the fiddler crabs, small tidepools are full of easily-missed lives. Also, be sure to walk out to some of the rocky fissures in this odd land-seascape, and listen for the barks and flipper flaps of basking sea lions. Their great
overstuffed, blubbery bodies look deceptively awkward. Once in the water, they can move very quickly. But more likely they will swim and periscope you for a while, then clamber back onto their barnacled lounges. From Chilean Memorial, stay close to Cape Johnsons cliffs. There is usually a gravelly upper-beach route to follow to avoid the slipperiest rocks. When you are finally beyond Cape Johnson's slow, rocky going, the strand broadens into a paradise of fine sand, hard near the water's edge, and shifting and dune-like high up the berm. The breakers roll in straight and
free; you are in a beachcomber's Eden. In 2 miles you can climb over Point No. 2 on another one of the World War II Coast Guard trails. [This
point is a perfect lookout from which to enjoy the rolling Pacific. Wind-wracked
conifers atop this 200' high proto-island provide shelter from the winds and offer shade (if you are lucky enough to have sun.) Enjoy the antics of seals below in the kelp beds. And train your
binoculars on fortress-like Jagged Island, where whirling, soaring sea birds create an ageless spectacle of boundless energy. Their purposeful orbits symbolize the clockwork cycles of tides, sun, moon, and life that govern the coast. Jagged Island is part of the 117-acre Quillayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Washington Islands Wilderness. This magnificent sanctuary covers a total distance of more than 30 miles. Its reefs and rocks are home to nesting seabirds, including: glaucous-winged western gulls; glaucous-winged gulls; western gulls; double-crested cormorants; pelagic cormorants; Brandt's cormorants; pigeon guillemots; black oystercatchers; common murres; tufted puffins; fork-tailed petrels; Leach's petrels; rhinoceros auklets; and Cassin's auklets. During autumn and spring migrations the refuge's bird population sometimes totals one million. In addition, there are: sea lions; fur seals; Pacific harbor porpoises; harbor seals; piked whales; gray whales; Pacific right whales; humpbacked whales; and sea and river otters. Public
access is not permitted.]
At the end of the Needles area you pass a minor point, from which eagles can sometimes be seen in the trees of close-in seastacks. Cedar
Creek (where there is a shelter) is 1.8 miles up the coast from Point No. 2. Cedar Creek is another Ten Best site but much of the PNTs coastal route fits that description. Pass a good campsite 0.2 mile beyond Cedar Creek just past Point No. 3. (Look for the old lookout cabin atop this point.) The Norwegian Memorial is a granite obelisk in memory of eighteen sailors of the three-masted bark Prince Arthur, wrecked here in January 1903, one of the many ships lost on this dangerous coast. Kayostla Beach is also a popular camping spot. Note the shelter at a creek where the Allens Bay Trail comes in from Lake Ozette. (This is a dead end trail unless you have a boat at the campground on the lake.) At Norwegian Memorial, leave the sands for a long spell of shipwreck country. Care is required as you step from one slippery cannonball-sized
ankle-sprainer to the next. Plan to do this slow section at low tide, when you will have the greatest opportunity to complete it all at once. Carry water, too, because there is none until the point that marks the south entrance to Yellow Banks Bay. From Norwegian Memorial to this Point No. 4 totals 3.6 miles. This rocky, kelpy, creek-less environment may be beautiful but you will certainly be happy to sag off the rocks onto the sands at Yellow Banks.
The crumbling, overgrown clay cliffs at Yellow Banks have water and good camping. To go beyond this bay, you must wait for low tide. Then
Point No. 5 is easily negotiated, partly through a cave in the fallen headland's jumbled boulders. Sand Point is a gentle, wide arc of lovely beach 1.5 miles north. It is an excellent camp spot - but beware of possible trouble. Bears! Also, it would not hurt to boil or otherwise treat local water because of the large number of visitors who make the Ozette Ranger Station/Sand Point/Cape Alava loop. A little knob at the tip of Sand Point provides a good view of the PNT's last 3.1 miles to Cape Alava and the Ozette Indian Reservation. [The
Indian
settlement was abandoned here in the 1920s under pressure to send its children to school. But clues abound here as to the villagers prehistory. Some petroglyphs are easily found 1.5 miles up the beach. One design looks like a whale, a reminder that the original inhabitants were not mere cheechakos like us but skilled hunters of seals, whales, and other creatures. They gathered
berries, roots, and mollusks and wove intricate patterns in cedar bark and spruce root fibers. The 1970's archaeological excavations of the slide-ravaged Cape Alava prehistoric village revealed thousands of details about a civilization forever lost to us. (The Makah Indian tribe displays these artifacts at its museum at Neah Bay.)]
At this westernmost point in the PNT our tale ends with Ozette prehistory just as it began with Kootenai prehistory on the Continental Divide. Along the way you will have experienced enough of contemporary America and seen enough timeless scenery to enrich your life forever. At Cape Alava there is no more land ahead, no more trail to walk. Only the 3.3 mile boardwalk inland to the Lake Ozette Road and ranger station.
But traveling the Pacific Northwest Trail is only the first part of the PNT journey. Saving it for others is the ultimate challenge.
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PNT Recipes
PNT RECIPES
Let onion atoms lurk within the bowl And, scarce suspected, animate the whole. Sydney Smith [1771-1845], Recipe For Salad
Max the garlic, Dr. Ron! Rick Mr. Risk Russin at a wilderness gutbuster on Mount Henry in 1982
Every distance hiker knows the true import of food in the woods. Thruhikers often consume 6,000 calories daily as they walk toward dinnertime under a 60-pound pack. Thus a guidebook should provide the best in
recipes as well as the best in geographic directions. Modern distance hiking looks to Ed Garvey as its gorpy guru. In 1970 his Appalachian Hiker arrived at the dawn of gutbuster history. When the diffident Virginian recommended Citadel spread, his legions of followers soon spread its fame from Georgia to Maine. Eds egregious mix of peanut butter, powdered milk, and honey roiled the innards of two generations of end-to-enders. Not to be outdone by the effete Easterners, I here offer ten recipes
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PNT Recipes
that have been tested and refined by our volunteers. The Pacific Northwest Trail owes a debt of gratitude to these distinguished epicures for sharing their knowledge so generously. Their mantra is, You cant find this in any restaurant. (1) It is only fitting that the first of these recipes should come from Paris Walters (1905-1999) of Newark, Delaware. In 1962 Paris (along with Earl
Shaffer) was the first to thru-hike Washingtons Crest Trail. His grub shows his Tarheel upbringing. His Fart Like A Bull Soup is primarily yellow corn meal, the same ingredient thats in white lightning. Paris showcases this
hearty grain in a gruel of split pea soup mix, adds garlic, dehydrated onion, and crinkled bacon bar. The effect is truly explosive when Paris, though in his nineties, still visits his old haunts in the Cascades every summer. (2) Our food chain victor, Backcountry Donna of Seattle, Washington, is wont to carry fine crystal and sterling silver on her jaunts. preaches la cuisine minceur, each of her backcountry Though she meals is a
distinguished exception where the calories flow freely. She invented a PNT Cacciatore of Portuguese linguisa, garlic kielbasa, and other preserved meats. She combines them with steaming Ramen noodles that swim in gobs of butter. Needless to say, fine wines and cheeses are never too heavy to carry on one of Donnas gustatory treks. (3) More Spartan are the Big Rangers annual food themes. Chris
simplifies a years dinners to one choice such as Ramen noodles. The genius
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PNT Recipes
of his Kounkel Kchen is the use of Potato Buds to soak up any excess liquid. (4) Microsofts Trapper Robbins turned to his Vermont heritage when he programmed his Ramp-up Ramen. His little container of maple syrup gets multi-threaded in a way that makes his stews a lot more than mere Spam on the information superhighway. (5) Linda Stehlik of the Yaak in Montana is a wild game maven. Her
Grouse la Ramen is a clever and tasty variation on the knock-èm-on-thehead-and-cook-èm game birds. Because her log cabin is practically on the Pacific Northwest Trail, her backcountry creations often include delicacies such as wild mushrooms. Moose burgers and venison steaks are some of her and Dicks favorites. Their husky dogs will mush a mile just for Lindas table scraps. (6) Rasta Johan of Telluride, Colorado has solo skied the length of Norway. As befits a bald, wanna-be Scandahoovian, Johan favors a smorgasbord of cold cuts for his dinner. He carried no stove on his PNT thru-hike. He mailed no supply packages ahead to himself. Yet the rascal complained at every town when they would not sell him lutefisk. He is a self-proclaimed extreme ectomorph who eats the Three Ds: Dogs, Doritos, and Dunkin Donuts. (7) Miss P is Puget Sounds very feminine fourth grade teacher who
knows how to set the table for any PNT occasion. Her take on Ramen would not be complete without freeze-dried jumbo shrimp, canned chicken,
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PNT Recipes
imported capers, Cajun spices, and a half dozen cloves of garlic. Her spiritual interests and quest for self-betterment Atonement Noodles. (8) Mr. Risk (of Moon Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) cannot leave home without real Pennsylvania grinders. For his PNT dinners he puts a are evident in her Day of
heros ransom worth of cold cuts, onions, sliced cheeses, olive oil, and garlic into his Ramen. Formerly a punk music devotee in the early 1980's, he Nowadays he also
subsequently went through a period of Christian rock. eats less garlic.
(9) Ted Mr. Ted Hitzroth of Bellevue, Washington has taken a life-long anti-vegetables stance. Dont talk to him about broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and corn on the cob. He believes in the Four Food Groups
meaning burgers, fries, pizza, and cookies. Thus his noodles may seem a bit plain. But he has the satisfaction of knowing that he has not killed any green things. (10) Ron Dr. Ron Strickland, yours truly, is a sensible eater. I began as a disciple of Paris Walterss yellow corn meal stew. But I progressed to the ne plus ultra PNT fare, Ramen Ronaldo. Dice an onion and drop it into
boiling water. Peel a head of garlic and toss in the cloves. Sprinkle curry if you wish. A can of tuna is optional. Crunch up the Ramen noodles in their package before you drop them into the water. The trickiest part of my Ramen Ronaldo is the flavor packet. Please
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add this magic to your stew with an appropriate flourish. And last of all, do not hesitate to thicken the glop with Potato Buds in the manner of the Spokane School of Kounkel Kchen. Top it all off with a boiled butterscotch pudding and you will have something to write home about.
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About The Author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ronald Gibson Strickland first proposed creation of the Pacific Northwest Trail in 1970. Dr. Stricklands books include:
PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL GUIDE. (Seattle: Writing Works, 1984.) A 300page guidebook to the 1100-mile Pacific Northwest Trail. THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL: FROM THE ROCKIES TO THE PACIFIC. (Seattle: Pacific Northwest Trail Association, 1998.) The second edition of the official guidebook to the 1100-mile Pacific Northwest Trail. SHANK'S MARE: A COMPENDIUM OF REMARKABLE WALKS. (N. Y.: Paragon House, 1988.) A literary anthology of twentieth century walking including everyone from Winston Churchill to the lunar astronauts. "A fine collection of modern walking adventures." Conde Nast Traveler, August 1992. RIVER PIGS AND CAYUSES: ORAL HISTORIES FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. (San Francisco: Lexikos, 1984.) "A superbly readable index of the human presence in the Northwest" Western American Literature (Vol. XXI, No. 1.)
WHISTLEPUNKS & GEODUCKS: ORAL HISTORIES FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. (New York: Paragon House, 1990.) "A rich and fascinating portrait of Washington life... Author Ron Strickland has done a remarkable job of gathering and editing these reminiscences, drawing forth the most telling information from each narrator. In keeping with the spirit of the book, Strickland adds his voice to the others, but in a way that never feels intrusive. His quiet introductions weave the narratives together in a powerful harmony of memory, reflection, and wisdom" - The Seattle Times, November 18, 1990. ALASKANS: ORAL HISTORIES FROM THE LAST FRONTIER. (Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1992.) A self-portrait of Alaska in the words of Native Alaskans, homesteaders, miners, mushers, artists, etc. "The main strength of Strickland's book is that after the author's introductions, the portraits come from the individuals
About The Author
themselves. Strickland's lead-ins give readers, especially nonAlaskans, a context for understanding the speaker." - Diane Raab, Juneau Empire, November 12, 1992."A convincing portrait of what Alaska looks like in the eyes of its people." - Debbie Carter, Fairbanks Daily News Miner, November 8, 1992. "This is a book every secondary school library needs to buy to present good role models for young girls. The women here are in-charge kind of people. Homer News, January 21, 1993. "Strickland has already demonstrated a deft touch in his previous Northwest oral histories, River Pigs And Cayuses and Whistlepunks & Geoducks." Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 17, 1992. "`Searching for the essence of Alaskan-ness,', writer/outdoorsman Ron Strickland captures a sense of that elusive quality in the myriad personalities he shares in his oral histories." Journal Of The West, January, 1995. TEXANS: ORAL HISTORIES FROM THE LONE STAR STATE. (New York: Paragon House, 1991.) 50 Lone Star folk explore the essence of Texanness. "Strickland shows his strength through the diversity of the subjects he features...a colorful tapestry" - The Houston Post, October 27, 1991 "All of these folks, whether you like them or not, are a cut outside the ordinary. And when you listen to these people talk to Ron Strickland about their lives and you get to know them, you are reminded again of the vitality that is all around us all the time and sometimes even in the dullest of ourselves." Francis Edward Abernathy, Dallas Morning News, December 1, 1991. VERMONTERS: ORAL HISTORIES FROM DOWN COUNTRY TO THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1986; Hanover, NH: University Press Of New England, 1998.) "Strickland is a skillful writer whose introductory paragraphs lead the reader smoothly from one character to the next. Here are the logger and the auctioneer, the rural schoolteacher, the country doctor, the quilter, the beekeeper, the dairyman, the sugarmaker, the ice fisherman, the horse trader, the dowser, and many others... These glimpses whet the appetite, tantalize the curiosity, for more" - Vermont Historical Society, Winter 1988.
A.
The PNT's Goat Haunt/Brown Pass/Kintla Lake Practical Route is both a hiking and a stock route. (However, horses are not permitted overnight at Hole-in-the-Wall or Boulder Pass.) Water is readily available along this section except in the middle (woods) part of the Kintla Lake trail. Be prepared to follow an alternate route if this one is closed for fire, bear, weather, or other reasons. Glacier National Park's policy (unless you pay a $20 surcharge) is to issue campsite reservations no earlier than the day before a party or person wishes to begin. That means that even if the Boulder Pass trail is open, you may not be able to beat the other peak-season hikers and horsemen to a reservation. In that case, try Alternate #1 - Bowman Lake route from Brown Pass to Polebridge. It also has superb mountain vistas of Hole-in-the-Wall Falls and of Bowman Lake's Cerulean Ridge. A backcountry campground is at the upper end of the lake, and an automobile campground and ranger station at the lower end. Of course, the same problems of permits and fire/bear closure apply to the Bowman Lake trail. Fewer such problems affect Ideal Route Alternate #2 - which also begins at the Waterton Townsite. However, this route is still only an Ideal Route, not a practical reality (though it physically exists) because we have not worked out a method for PNT pilgrims to check in with customs officials. Instead of entering the United States via Waterton Lake, Ideal Route Alternate #2 crosses the Continental Divide in Canada at Akamina Pass and descends Akamina Creek and Kishinena Creek (spelled Kishenehn on the U.S. side) through Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park and through the upper northwest corner of the American park to the ford at Abbotts Flats. This Alternate #2 is the most direct link between Waterton Townsite and the North Forks Abbotts Flats ford. Alternate #2's trailhead is located 9.5 miles along the Akamina Highway along Cameron Creek's scenic canyon to Cameron Lake. Cameron Lake has excellent campgrounds and a bungalow camp. But 0.2 mile before the lake, follow the signed trail 0.5 mile up to Akamina Pass (5835.) Continue along Akamina Creek and Kishinena Creek 22 miles to the North Fork. [To approach this trailhead via trails try the 12.5 mile Carthew Trail from near Cameron Falls at Waterton Townsite to Cameron Lake; this excellent, scenic route reaches a height of 7900' at Carthew Summit. Or take the Boundary Trail from Waterton Lake on the American side of the border to Summit Lake and to Cameron Lake. The two trails (Carthew and Boundary) meet at 6500' Summit Lake.] To avoid the snows of Boulder Pass this Akamina Pass alternate will be an excellent early season choice when we have worked out the customs formalities. This long, wooded, easy pass is normally snow-free by mid-June. The route is in excellent condition. Most of the Akamina parks section is closed to vehicles but it is excellent for walkers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. The Kishinena Road is open to vehicles but you will encounter very few. This route has the advantage of rich wildlife, lots of scenery, and a palpable feeling of wildness. The old road has been blocked to vehicles at numerous points. So move northwesterly along Akamina Creek between the Continental Divide and the Grizzly Gulch country. When the route evolves to follow Kishinena Creek southwest of South Kootenay Pass, pass between the rugged massifs of Mount Yarrell and Starvation Peak. The trick is to be alert for the logging road in Section L 7110. Follow it northeast and then south to a large white sign that is 600' downhill beyond yellow kilometer post 98. The sign says, Flathead Access Plan: Vehicle Use Prohibited. Follow the logging track behind the sign southwest at about the 4300' contour. This route becomes indistinct as you approach the international border. But continue in the same direction at roughly the same contour. You will pass through a dozen-year-old clearcut and reach the international border at Monument 265. At the border swath you will be very close to Kishinena Creek on its west side. [Dont attempt to find the old eastside trail marked on the Sage Creek map.] At the border, the Kishenehn Trail is marked by only a white, oblong U.S. Boundary sign on a tree. That 4.7 mile trails blowdowns are cut out each autumn by the U. S. Park Service; however, the tread is sometimes indistinct in meadows. This lovely, wellcontoured route ends at the Kishenehn Patrol Cabin (usually unmanned.) The route is sometimes marked by orange metal markers. Follow the route from the cabin to Abbotts Flats on the North Fork of the Flathead River. [The North Fork Roads customs station was closed in 1997 because of a road washout.]
B.
The Ideal Route here consists of a future trail that will follow the ridge that parallels Camp Creek to the south. A connection could be made onto this ridge at MSE 5113'. It would then include Knobs 6255', 6451', and 6450'. This route would exchange 3.5 miles of unexciting road walking for a high route. C . To eliminate some of this road travel the Ideal Route diverges at MSE 4955' onto alder-choked Road #7090. After a short distance we veer west and then northeast up through the overgrown clearcut on #7090 side road. We will convert this brushed-in logging road to a trail and extend it all the way up to MSE 5988' and the No. 89 trailhead.
D.
The PNT blazes here (painted in 1982 by Mr. Risk) were some of the first painted anywhere. To minimize road travel the PNT needs an Ideal Route that would go toward town via St. Clair Creek. To begin this route, go gradually downhill northwest on Road #7077 ??-mile to #7077A. Go left downhill ??-mile to the end of the first switchback. Contour down to St. Clair Creek, a refreshingly cool, moist bottomland of western red cedars. Follows this creek downstream (sometimes along its western ridge) ??-miles to an old skid road. Follow this track west ??-miles to the junction just south of another junction at MSE 3215'. Follow this Road #7125 south to MSE 3046' at paved Road #?? Go west on the paved road to the ridge that begins on the southwestern edge of the Ksanka Peak quad. Contour southwest at about the 3,000' contour along this open ridge to eventually rejoin the Sinclair Creek Road. [This entire Ideal route would crosses private ranch lands where easements have yet to be negotiated.]
E.
Look west from the Webb Mountain lookout at the three mountain knobs stretching to the horizon. Due west is wooded Thirsty Mountain, with clearcut Boulder Creek valley to your right. The next higher point is Boulder Mountain. Beyond and to the right is cone-shaped Mount Henry. Keep this picture in mind if you cross the abandoned, indistinct trails of the Ideal Route. Because of the lookout access road and the numerous logging roads and clearcuts farther west, Trail No. 248 is no longer used except by animals, hunters, renegades, and PNT pilgrims. To find its mossy, abandoned track go down the road
about 100 yards and look for a red-blazed tree on the left. Enter the lodgepole pine woods and find the old trail along the ridge. [The Forest Service may revive this part in 1998.] Thirsty Mountain (which is as dry as its name implies) is two miles west along the indistinct, blowdown-choked old trail. Our PNT Association must create a new link between Thirsty Mountain and Boulder Mountain Trail No. 248 to replace the abandoned and cut-over route. For now, a brush-bucking unsatisfactory way to go is to contour north, short of Thirsty mountain, into an overgrown clearcut and then follow the edge of the trees west to the Boulder Creek road (5400.) From the road your next destination is the 7058' summit of Boulder Mountain 3 miles west. The Boulder Creek road contours south through the pass between Boulder and Thirsty Mountains and curves west. Look for a logging track leading to the right up into a clearcut. (If you reach a branch of the Little North Fork, you have gone too far.) Follow that logging track out across the stumps to where it becomes the Boulder Mountain Trail No. 248. Rejoin the Practical Route by following this trail over the summit of Boulder Mountain (7062; 2153m). Boulder Mountain's wooden lookout tower was foolishly destroyed. However, the sagging walls of a log cabin still stand, a potential shelter-restoration job for PNT volunteers. Boulder Mountain will help to orient you to Webb and Thirsty Mountains and the view is especially important as a rare, relatively close-up view of Mount Henry, our next destination and the highest peak in this area. We continue on the Boulder Mountain Trail to a junction with the Boulder Lakes Trail (that climbs to this point from the northmost of the two Boulder Lakes.) [Combining the logging roads, the Boulder Lakes trail, and the Boulder Mountain trail makes a good loop hike.]
F.
From the junction near Turner Creek Falls you could continue west 3 beautiful miles via Vinal Creek to Vinal Lake Road #746 (with access to the hamlet of Yaak, Montana.) Vinal Creek has a beautiful rocky canyon, with firs above and red cedar and giant larches along the water. Actually, the mainline PNT does not go that way, but be sure to make a side trip 175 yards downstream, past the beaver dam, to the dramatic pools and chutes of Turner Creek Falls. The falls and its good campsite are always a welcome relief in hot weather. From the Turner Creek Falls junction you could also go mile north through dense cedars to the narrow, talus-walled Fish Lakes and 5 unmaintained miles farther north to Okaga Lake (private) via Windy Creek Trail No. 397. This is another way to reach the Vinal Lake Road.
G.
To avoid having to use the Cut-Off Road we would like to follow the Bunker Hill Trail below the Vinal Road to an historic wagon road. We'll turn right on the wagon road and follow it to the road at Bruce McConnell's ranch buildings. [The problem with this existing, excellent route is that the final 3/4 mile is on private land for which (as of November 1997) we have no permission to use.]
H.
The Ideal Route should cross the West Fork Yaak River Road as near as possible to the Upper Ford Guard Station buildings. The problem is that Champion (formerly St. Regis) has sold its narrow strip of land on the west side of the road to smallholders. In 1998 we obtained access across this strip from one of the new owners. We need to ascend the old, overgrown Waper Creek Trail. Once on Waper Ridge, we need to follow the trail-less ridge west. We will then connect into the overgrown, heavily-clearcut Lapp Creek Trail and follow it to Garver Mountain. I. The Practical Route from Garver Mountain to Northwest Peak spends too much time on vehicle-accessible roads. To improve matters we might use Trail No. 33 to Mt. Obermayer. Then wed follow the Garver Creek Road #747A and #747. Then Roads #5894, #5896, and the Rampike Creek Road. Then Trail No. 171. Then wed follow the Jungle Creek Trail's many switchbacks up to the 6440' ridge between Cooney Peak and Marmot Mountain. Next wed have a 2-mile bushwhack traverse. Turn south and siwash along this wooded, easy ridge to the 6921' summit of Marmot Mountain; turn southwest down along the height of the ridge to the Winkum Creek Road in a little pass at MSE 6378'. (In 1997 the old trail on the west side of Marmot Mountain was very grown over as were most local roads such as the Hawkins Creek Road.) J . The all-road Stock Route has arrived here directly from the Yaak River Road. However, in 1998 the Yaak Trail Club worked on an improved Stock Route that will involve less road riding and that will go through the southern end of the Northwest Peak Scenic Area. [correct ??] This route departs #338 and follows open-to-vehicles #5902 level, west 1.9 miles to cross the West Fork of the Yaak River. (The bridge is intact but there is a kellyhump immediately before it to block motor vehicles.) Follow #5902 another 1.0 mile up through a clearcut. Find the old trail in the middle of Section 32 and go southwest 2.0 miles up to Rock Candy Mountain Trail No. 174. Follow No. 174 northwest 2.0 miles to Canuck Mountain. (In 1997 much of this Stock Route from the bridge to Rock Candy Mountain was heavily overgrown..)
K.
The Ideal Route from Bussard Mountain will someday offer a much more scenic approach to the Kootenai River Valley than the Danquist Trail (which drops too low on the north side of the Bussard/Tungsten ridge.) We will route the Ideal PNT slightly on the south side of the ridge along a course pioneered long ago by the colorful miner, Tom Moran. His exact way is hard to find (though some of Bill Tillys cairns still exist.) The trail mixes panoramic views, rocky, wildflower-covered slopes, and brushchoked draws. The Tom Moran Trail, is, however, the way to go for a good map-and-compass pilgrim. Follow the ridge and your topographic map to the glory holes of the Tungsten Hill Mine. The jeep road Practical Route connects that mine south via Rock Creek to the Camp Nine Road which takes us northwest to MSE 3443 near the Bethlehem Mine. However, instead of following all those roads, the Ideal Route should contour directly down the southwest slopes of Bethlehem Mountain to the Bethlehem Mine and to Brush Lake. Brush Lake sits in a bowl which has reforested from a 1943 forest fire; hence the name "brush." Brush Lake offers swimming, fishing, and unimproved , automotive campsites. It is
easily reached via a compass course from the Camp Nine Road. Altogether, this Ideal Route between Bussard Mountain and Highway #95 would have water, directness, views, and campsites. But for now it is a challenging cross-country trek. Due west of the Brush Lake Road is a swamp, which eventually drains into Mission Creek. By following this drainage, the Ideal Route would avoid all highway walking. Yet U.S. Highway #95 would be available for supply trips into Bonners Ferry 16 miles south. Mission Creek emerges from the hills onto the dramatically different, totally flat wheat fields of the Kootenai River Valley. The creek hugs the field/hill margin; we follow it north to the Copeland Bridge atop a farmland dike. A left on the Wallen Road returns us to the Kootenai River, here flowing north toward Canada and its meeting with the Columbia River.
A.
Instead of the Parker Peak Trail No. 221, the Ideal Route combines valley bottom walking with alpine ridge hops and high lakes. The Ideal Route includes our highest point in northern Idaho, Knob 7709. Parker Creek Trail No. 221 Ascends Parker Creek 2.8 miles to about 3680 in elevation. There it crosses to the south side of the creek and climbs continuously 2.7 miles to a junction (7360) with a short trail to the summit of Fisher Peak. (Fisher Peak at 7580 elevation is a must for a superb overview of this part of the Selkirk Mountains.) The Ideal Routes next destination is Big Fisher lake Trail No. 41. Ridge walk southwest from Fisher Peak 3.0 miles via Knob 7682, Knob 7709 (north Idahos unnamed high point), Knob 7239, and Knob 7530. You reach the Big Fisher Lake Trail No. 41 between Knobs 7484 and 7530. At this junction (7400) of our ridge traverse and Trail No. 41, good camping and supposedly fishing are available only a mile side trip down at Big Fisher Lake (6732.) From our junction (7400), follow Trail No. 41 southwest 1.7 miles down to Trout Lake (6352.) This is another good campsite. Go 2.0 miles farther southwest across mostly open slopes to rejoin the Practical Route at a trail junction (6480) south of Pyramid Pass. This Ideal Route totals 12.2 miles.
B.
To Stay high for the views we hope to restore the historic Prouty Peak Trail. It climbs northwest from south of Gypsy Meadows to the Prouty Lookout site on Green Mountain. Then it connects with our trailhead at Bear Pasture. When restored, the historic Prouty Peak Trail will make a splendid loop in combination with the Leola Creek Trail.
C.
State Highway #31 parallels the scenic Z-Canyon of the Pend Oreille River. The former is a high speed thoroughfare but the latter is lovely backcountry, mostly in Forest Service ownership. The Ideal Route will contour along the canyon bluffs all the way to Boundary Dam.
D.
The Ideal Route from Boundary Dam will follow a new trail directly west up to the Frisco Standard Road. This new trail will continue up Russian Ridge to intersect with the Hooknose Ridge Trail. This new trail could incorporate the existing Russian Ridge Road #338. And Hooknose Roads #335 and 339. From the upper edge of the dog leg right clearcut at the high point of #339, the existing Hooknose Ridge Trail follows the ridge south to Hooknose Lake Pass. (Tank up with water along wet, overgrown Road #339.) [As of 1999, green and/or yellow ribbons mark the Hooknose Ridge Trail.] If there was ever a trail between this dark pass and the pass between Hooknose and Knob 7003', it was obliterated in the massive conflagration that incinerated the area. So we have a gap of one birds eye mile that adds up to a thousand feet of elevation gain. A carefully-routed new trail must be built up the dog fir slopes. And we need a 1.0 mile ridgetop connector to the existing trail on the northeast side of Abercrombie Mountain. Once built, this Ideal Route will rescue the PNT from many miles of low country asphalt.
E.
To keep high for the views and to avoid the long Leadpoint road walk, the Ideal Route continues south along the ridge from Abercrombie Mountain. At Sherlock Peak it drops down to the North Fork Deep Creek Valley along the Republican Creek ridge. Then it climbs west along Sherlock Creek ridge to reach the Lind Ranch via Lime Creek Mountain.
F.
The Ideal Route will go cross-country from the Lind Ranch across Stone Mountain and Grass Mountain. Both belong to D.N.R. We reach the Columbia River near Deadman's Eddy. We proceed downstream via Steamboat Rock, Sand Point, and Smelter Rock. This new Columbia River section will eliminate a long slog on paved roads. The ecological diversity and riverside scenery of the Columbia River Section will make it one of the most exciting parts of the entire PNT.
A.
The Ideal Route will eventually include the west bank of the Columbia River and a view-rich climb to Flagstaff Mountain (4253.) A series of other mountains can then be connected westward. There is far too much road walking at the beginning of this chapter. Fortunately we have federal land all the way from the Columbia to the Kettle River. Lets get the PNT off the roads and onto the heights!
B.
The Ideal Route shortcuts the Practical Route's long Green Mountain section by following this Road #9576-240 2.6 miles southwest up the South Fork of Little Boulder Creek to a locked gate. Continue beyond the gate to the road's junction with Road #265. Follow that west 0.4 mile to Road #266. Follow Road #266 1.0 mile west to Jungle Creek. Siwash west 0.9 mile to the Noonday Spring spur road #6120-480 and the Practical Route.
C.
The Stock Route eschews the brushbucking of the Hall Creek Ponds route and remains on established trails and roads. Instead of turning west on the Edds Mountain Trail, go southeast ?? miles on Trail No. 13 to the junction (6275) of Barnaby Buttes Trail No. 7.
(There is a reliable creek about two miles from Barnaby Buttes.) Follow Barnaby Buttes Trail No. 7 7.0 miles to Road #680 . Go south on this road to the junction of Hall Creek Road #600. Follow it uphill northwest to Trail No. 23 .
D. E.
From Hall Creek Pass the Ideal Route will someday shortcut southwest via Granite Mountain (5836) to the Shelberg Cabin at MSE 4256'. The PNT philosophy is always, "Stay high for the views." Unfortunately Trail No. 23 approaches Thirteenmile Mountain not across the beautiful open ridges of Knobs 4672' and 4601' but much lower to the south. The Ideal Route will rectify this error. If you choose to bushwhack via Knobs 4672' and 4601', go slowly along these ridges to savor the views. The Quartz Mountain Lookout tower is a prominent landmark to the north. This section crosses a semi-desert ecosystem consisting of sagebrush and rock gardens (cactus, phlox, penstemon, scarlet gilia, lupine, harebells, and bunches of sunflowers). (Reliable water is, we believe, unavailable along this ridge.)
F.
The Ideal Route leaves the Practical Route a quarter mile along Trail No. 23 and follows the Cougar Mountain ridge north about 2 miles to Cougar Mountain. Traverse west about .7 mile to a gap at 3560', continue west 1.2 miles, gradually descend northwest 1.0 mile to a draw just east of map spot elevation 3397'. Then follow a canyon 2.5 miles southeast to the Sanpoil River Valley. We contour north 0.7 mile to a log bridge [TO BE BUILT LATER ??] at the Tenmile Campground.
G.
Eventually a new route should be built to link Ferry Lake with the Wauconda area. It could include Sheep Mountain (3825), Coco Mountain, Cornell Butte (5088), Corner Butte, Fir Mountain (5689), Turner Lake, Snyder Spring, Mount Annie (6054), and Little Bonaparte Mountain (4559.) By getting the PNT off the roads, this greatly improved PNT section would become richer in high country views.
H.
We hope to spice up this section with a new trail that would make the most of the scenic possibilities of Corner Butte and Fir Mountain. The latters magnificent bluffs are a rocky highlight of this forested region. Fir Mountain can be climbed now on the wellmaintained trail to the summit site of its long-gone lookout. The PNTAs goal is to connect this existing trail south to Corner Butte and thus replace boring Road #31 with a superb, new ridge route that is high for the views.
A.
The Ideal Route would skirt this valley and remain on public land in a high for the views newly-constructed trail. It would string together Maple Mountain (5210), Horseshoe Mountain (5498), the Turner Creek Road, a new Cache Creek trail, Irene Mountain (4780), Cumberland Mountain (4699), and a new trail across Knobs 4386', 4401', and 4482'. You would end at the height of land pond on Bunch Road #4975.
B.
The Ideal Route would shortcut the long Eden Valley/Haley Canyon route. Instead of going north on the Dry Gulch Road, it would wend west to MSE 3299. The west half of Section 36 is DNR land through which a stock road runs north. An unsigned DNR campground (with outhouse) is located in the first copse of pines. The Ideal Route (Havillah quadrangle) follows that stock driveway up through Sections 26 and 23 to join the Forest Service Haley Canyon Road west of Wilcox Mountain. [This Ideal Route already exists physically but we have not secured permission to use it.]
C.
Though Road #100 does offer occasional valley panoramas, the Ideal Route stays high longer on your way to Oroville. It continues up Road #3525 to Summit Lake (where there is an excellent primitive campground.) At the northwest end of Summit Lake, walk from the end of the road 200' to a large log, half resting in the water. This log is recognizable because there is a hole burned into it. Climb above it, passing the old lookout telephone wire. Continue uphill 5 minutes to a draw on the west side of Mount Hull. Follow a good trail north (not the equally good one southwest.) This view-rich trail contours the 1300 m. level to drop off the Mount Hull massif. After a defile beyond Mount Hull, climb to Knob 1292 m. This superb viewpoint showcases the Ideal Route from McDonald Mountain to other open rocky slopes northwest to Blue Diamond Lake. The Ideal Route picks up these islands of scenery and strings them into a necklace of pines, clouds, and dreams. From Blue Diamond Lake we follow the ledges of the Oroville Palisades 2.0 miles south to where Knob 801 m. hits Whistler Canyon Road #100. The Ideal Route stays high for the same views - the Mount Hull to Pasayten Wilderness panorama. Your perspective is shaped by the contrast between dry Okanogan Highland slopes and verdant fields and orchards. Between backcountry and town (Oroville and Osoyoos.) Between immense lake and even bigger mountains. This spectacle keeps changing as we descend from the broad perspectives of Mount Hull to the more intimate wildness of lakes and mountain sheep aeries. This region is one of those areas where the human and natural environments come together in a grand PNT spectacle.
D.
US Highway #97 is a major international transportation corridor. To preserve the wilderness feelings engendered by weeks of backcountry travel the PNTs Ellemeham Mountain Alternate Route would cross #97 as quickly as possible. After descending scenic Whistler Canyon, youd cross Highway #97, cross a channel of the Okanogan River to Eyhott Island, cross the rivers west channel,
follow an easement west up through the orchards, and climb the jeep road west to Pentland Lake. This new route would avoid miles of high speed road corridor. And it would showcase both the Okanogan River Valleys scenic slopes and fragrant bottomlands. The PNT would stay high for the views and it would avoid the mood-breaker highway and town. [This new route would require two new bridges and numerous easements.] From Pentland Lake wed follow Knob 852' Ridge north to the Golden Road. The Golden Road would take you west past the ghost town site of Golden to a road access up toward the Spokane Mine. After Knob 1016' youd follow the view-rich spine of Bullfrog Mountain to the northwest. Youd cross Longacre Draw to Ellemeham Mountain. Then youd descend Ellemeham Mountain to the flats north of Palmer Lake. This Alternates series of high ridges will create one of the PNTs Ten Best views where you descend into and climb out of the Similkameen River Valley. This will be a spectacular introduction to the Pasayten Wilderness farther west.
E. The Ideal Route will avoid the long Palmer Lake road slog by rising from Edwards Slough directly to either Chopaka Mountain or to
Grandview Mountain. The former route would use existing switchbacks and a steep ridge to Bowers Lake. The latter route would involve the historic Native-American switchbacks between the northwest shore of Palmer Lake and Knob 1200.1m. Either of these routes would offer some of the finest views on the entire PNT. F F. The Ideal Route from Chopaka Lake will immediately depart the dusty roads and stay high for the views! You will follow the northwesterly ridge of Chopaka Mountain to just below Joe Mills Mountain.
A. The Ideal Route reaches the Snowshoe Cabin vicinity much more directly and much more scenically from the early meadows of the
Joe Mills Mountain Trail. Siwashing cross-country, we follow cattle trails west onto Disappointment and then contour through incredibly beautiful meadows northwest along the ridge toward Olallie Creek. (Along the way, there is at least one spring in these pastures.) Continue contouring the south exposure meadows until you reach the steep, forested drop to Olallie Creek opposite Goodenough Park. Follow your compass west-northwest (280-290 degrees) down through lodgepole pines to the vicinity of Snowshoe Cabin. "Bucking the brush, that's my pleasure." This, two-mile cross-country route has no trail indicators; do not attempt it in bad weather.
B..
Across the Chuchuwanteen Creek log crossing, very slightly uptrail, you will see the beginning of the Chuchuwanteen Creek Trail. There is no sign for this Ideal Route to Hopkins Pass. In a short distance you will see the ruins of two classic trapper cabins. (The half roofless one once belonged to Keith A. Hendrickson and is urgently in need of repair as a refuge for PNT pilgrims.) The Ideal Route continues beyond them on the pretty Chuchuwanteen Creek Trail 4.8 miles to Hopkins Pass (6122.) The Chuch is primarily a forested trail until it ascends avalanche chutes on the west side of the valley. Though the trail is well-located and nicely constructed, its lack of maintenance meant that even an experienced pair of PNT thru-hikers took 6.5 hours in 1998 to negotiate the 4.8 miles. However, the Chuch rewards us with beautiful creekside spots and a shortcut to the Cascade Crest.
A..
For thru-hikers the PNTAs Recommended Alternate Route west from Devils Junction or Hozomeen is to cross Ross Lake by boat, avoiding the loop south to the dam. This alternate preserves the wilderness feelings engendered by a week or more of roadless walking west from the Okanogan. But how to get a boat? The most obvious solution is to arrange for water transportation from the operators of the Ross Lake Resort. (This would be easier if someone installed a solar-powered phone at Devils Junction or Desolation Peak.) If you boat north 3 miles to the Little Beaver trailhead, you will be surrounded by the full magnificence of the North Cascades. You will leave Jack Mountains glaciers in the south, pass scenic Cat Island, and glide past Desolation (where Jack Kerouac spent the 1956 Season as a fire lookout.) The impossibly craggy peak just to the north is Hozomeen. The Little Beaver Creek campground is equipped with: a shelter; bearproof storage bins; outhouses; and numerous sand boxes to use as tent platforms. From the campground, the trail switchbacks steeply after a short shoreline push north. We rise above cliffs to views of Jack Mountain and of the outlet of Little Beaver Creek. This trail goes 17.5 miles to Whatcom pass, mostly contouring gently near or above the creek. Until Perry Creek Shelter the only water is where we cross the base of a talus slope. Prepare to immerse yourself in the grandeur of giant cedars and hemlocks. Magic light filters down through their needles to the vine maple and devils club on the forest floor. At Perry Creek, even the stroll to the pit toilet (near the creekside campsites) is inspirational. After traveling through the ferns, skunk cabbages, and cedars of an extensive swamp of beaver dams, we regain the shore of Little Beaver Creek. The trail then keeps mostly to somewhat higher ground above the flood plain. But even by the time you reach your junction with the Beaver Pass Trail we have still only risen marginally from Ross Lake. If you are going to Whatcom Pass, the Little Beaver Alternate has the obvious advantage of avoiding Beaver passs unnecessary elevation changes. But its true charm is its greater backcountry solitude on Ross Lake and in approaching the parks high country. This is symbolized by the valley-filling roar of turquoise, glacial water. This Recommended Alternate Route offers: lakeshore; peekaboo snowfields; whitewater; massive pileups of fallen trees; grand cliffs; hobbit boulders; swamp magic; and idyllic colonnades of great trees. If you are a thru-hiker, try not to miss it.
B.
Our Chief Trail Locator, Max Eckenburg, has long wanted to develop an Incredible Passage that would (1) showcase the Nooksack Cirque and Mount Shuksan and (2) create a non-highway connector from Hannegan Pass westward to Mount Baker. Todays most realistic guess at such a route would have it drop directly from Hannegan Pass to Ruth Creek. It would climb the opposite creek in the timber to reach a promising low point on Nooksack Ridge. From there it would descend one or more timber fingers (as Max calls them) to the existing trail along the North Fork of the Nooksack River. From that point on the valley bottom, a side trek south could
showcase the Nooksack Cirques wonders that you saw from the heights. The Incredible Passage would follow the existing North Fork Nooksack River Trail northwest to a bushwhack around the north end of the Mount Baker Wilderness boundary. The route would cross first the North Fork, round the wilderness boundary, and then cross White Salmon Creek. The new trail would go south on the left (west) bank of White Salmon Creek to where the creek forks southwest of Knob 4210'. Wed rise west along near the indefinite boundary to the ridge known as Shuksan Arm to connect with the Lake Ann Trail. This future Incredible Passage would have the advantage of avoiding the heavy tourist traffic on the Ruth Creek and Mount Baker roads. It would maintain our pilgrims feeling of backcountry peace. Spectacular views of the North Cascades would be available from Nooksack Ridge and Shuksan Arm. And the Incredible Passage would connect near Austin Pass with Ptarmigan Ridges Ideal Route and with our resurrected Practical Route down Swift Creek.
C.
The Ideal Route from Mount Baker Lodge goes 9 miles from Heather Meadows via a good trail past Bagley Lakes (4240) and Chain Lakes, and out along the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail to Camp Kiser. Camp Kiser (6000) - a small, undeveloped campsite - is the end of the constructed trail until we reach Baker Pass, 17 miles farther. This cross-country section meets many glacial streams, which are best forded in the early morning when the water level is lowest. Because Mount Baker is a dormant volcano, conditions are unpredictable including rare "Red Zone" closure by the Forest Service at Boulder Creek because of volcanic danger. And early or late in the season, beware of potential snow, mud, and rock slides in every gorge. On a beautiful sunny summer day, however, you are unlikely to be thinking about such dangers at Avalanche Gorge, Lava Divide, Park Creek, Boulder Creek, Crater Moraine, and Sulphur Moraine. At Mt. Baker, the PNT High/Ideal Route contours below the glaciers southeast around the great mountain until it reaches the upper end of the east branch of the Schriebers Meadow trail (5200') about a mile south of Crag View and the Squak Glacier. [We wish the Ideal Route to connect farther to Baker Pass (4962'), then ridgehop 7 miles southward along the South Fork Divide to Loomis Mountain (5598') and to Wanlick Pass.] But this Schriebers trail is a very convenient access to the high country. At the Schriebers Meadow roadhead (3364') there is a shelter and a network of snowmobile trails. Via the Schriebers Meadow Road #13 on the north side of Sulphur Creek it is 5.1 miles down to Road #12 (1898'). Often this Ideal Route will be impassable because of snow banks and/or inclement weather. When that happens, our Traditional Alternate uses the Swift Creek Trail, valley roads, and a connector via Wanlick Pass and Dock Butte to Goat Mountain and the Practical Route. Turn right on Road #11 at the junction where we have arrived from Road #1144 and go 2.0 miles to Boulder Creek Campground. Early on we pass our only view of Baker Lake - and a possible overnight spot where the stub end of an old road leads into the reservoir. From Boulder Creek Campground, travel south 3.1 miles through the forest along Baker Lake Road #11 to Sulphur Creek Cutoff Road #1114 (MSE 958.) (This junction is about 100 yards beyond a small knoll past the "In The Shadow of the Sentinels" nature trail.) Follow the Sulphur Creek Cutoff Road #1114 1.3 miles to Road #12 (1520). The Practical Route follows Road #12 for 0.4 mile to Road 1200-011 (1640.) Follow Road #1200-011 north for 2.0 miles. It is a winter ski-touring route unsuitable for horses until summer-use improvements are made. This ski route goes west, beginning at a bridged crossing of Rocky Creek. The only problem with this route is that its middle third is a bushwhack (fairly easy.) We exit off this ski trail back onto Road #12 (MSE 2242.) [Of course, your alternative to the rough 2-mile long ski trail is to remain on Road #12 which is only 0.3 miles longer.] The Traditional Alternate Route climbs 2.0 miles on Road #12 to Wanlick Pass (MSE 2930.) [At the road junction and small creek at Wanlick Pass, there is a clearing suitable for rough camping. Years ago bits of the Bakerview section were well-blazed with the PNT's white blaze but dont depend on our incomplete markings anywhere in the Wanlick Pass (MSE 2930)country. Wanlick Pass is a divide between a massive Mt. Baker ridge and our next major PNT feature, the Josephine/Lyman/Anderson system that will lead us to Samish Bay. About two miles due south of Wanlick Pass is Dock Butte, our entrance into this new high country.] Begin traveling the Bakerview Section by ascending south 1.0 mile via Road #1230. Turn right uphill at MSE 3170 onto abandoned Road #1231. The view ahead on this easy road is of Washington Monument's steep spire. There is a good creek at this junction. (The first section of this abandoned road is well-watered and includes a dramatic view back to Mount Shuksan.) Go 2.5 miles on this abandoned Road #1231, mostly through clearcuts. We pass some lovely cliffs. At the end of a little switchback in a clearcut (3720) we have another chance to appreciate the joys of bucking the brush. Bushwhack 1.0 mile around the west side of Dock Butte at about the 4,000' contour. This route (as of August 1994) was flagged but not brushed out. The first 3/4 of the distance is very rough (briars, devils club, salmonberry, huckleberry, dog fir, and blowdowns.) The last part, mature forest, opens out finally into a former logging landing (4200). [We can now see the summit crag of Dock Butte above us to the east. Opposite across an alpine valley is the clearcut spire of Washington monument. We have left the national forest and are now on a mix of DNR and Crown Pacific lands. Here we begin to have good views of Mount Baker, impossibly majestic across the Wanlick Creek Valley. You are on the Bakerview section of the Pacific Northwest Trail that will include Dock Butte (reached by a side trail to the summit), Goat Mountain, and Mount Josephine. From now on we will be on logging roads for many, many miles to the west - often with excellent views as we travel through cleared areas. Much of this land until well beyond Mt. Josephine belongs to Crown Pacific Ltd., a wood products and land company. Obtain a free access permit at their guard station on the old Scott Paper mainline road near Hamilton or at their office at Milepost 77 on Highway #20 near Hamilton. The guard station is staffed from 6:00 AM to 10 PM seven days a week. (206/826-3951 FAX: 360/826-3954 .)] Go 1.0 mile along Road #350 to a junction at a pond (MSE 4078.) (This is a possible but not ideal campsite on or near the logging roads.) Continue south 0.4 miles to a boggy low point in the road (3960) where slightly uphill south from this spot we turn right (west) into the woods.
Follow this ribboned bushwhack 0.6 mile southwest across natural meadows and up and over a ridge. [There is a headwaters branch of Wanlick Creek in a ravine at a boggy meadow campsite. This route is essentially a shortcut to minimize our road experience. From the ridge (4480) at the southwest end of this route, we can see our route ahead across Goat Mountain.] We reach Road #353 at about MSE 3987' and a road above the headwaters of Grandy Creek. Go southwest 0.3 miles to a logging road junction (4000). Continue south and west 0.1 mile to a junction with a spur road (4000) where we turn south uphill off the main road to begin our climb up the north end of the Goat Mountain massif (4280). Follow this logging spur 0.2 mile up the ridge to its end (4160.) Navigating cross-country, go southeast to and over Goats NE outlier ridge. Pass a scenic pond. Continue around Goats forested southeast quadrant. Try to arrive at the logging landing (4280) immediately southeast of Knob 4530'.) Although the historic Springsteen Lake trail went this way, today (1997) this is a bushwhack route because of disuse and recent clearcuts. Be prepared for map, compass, GPS, and altimeter navigation. [Our first goal is to reach the northeast arm of Goat at about the 4400' level. Angle south 0.7 mile, contouring gradually upward, initially in firs and then on the margin of forest and logged slopes. (Previsualizing this maneuver from the earlier higher ground at the headwaters of Grandy Creek will make things easier.) From this northeast arm of Goat Mountain, you siwash down to a pond (4160) beneath the eastern cliffs of Goat. Then continue south across meadows. Contour around the southeast quadrant of Goat to drop to a skid road in a big clearcut (4040). This second part of the bushwhack totals 0.8 mile. The trick is not to descend too fast; do not go too far south or you will enter the clearcut prematurely!] Follow the logging roads south on the south side of Knob 4530 via MSE 3788 and MSE 3385 to a main road junction south of Goat at MSE 2997.
A.
The Ideal Route would follow the bayside levees after the PNTA arranges for easements. The Ideal Route would start 0.2 mile south of the Colony Creek Bridge at a dirt road on the west side of Chuckanut Drive. Youd follow it 0.25 mile northwest to a tiny spit of land at the mouth of Colony Creek. Youd follow the levee top to Edison. [Begin walking southwest on the dike at water's edge. This is mostly easy road walking except for a hundred foot stretch of rose thorns at the beginning. This levee runs 2.4 miles to the second of two sites marked "ruins" on the topographic map, though nothing in particular is visible there. Next follow a road 1 mile beside a dike and a telephone line south to a gun club. Continue into Edison.] At low tide the incredible mud flats of Samish Bay frame the first part of this section. At high tide waterfowl abound here during the migration season, as attested by the many hunting blinds along the levee. Remains of the old wooden pilings still follow the shore, now a strong earth and riprap structure.
B.
If you wish to shortcut the March Point/Anacortes section of the PNT chose the following alternate. From the intersection of State Highway #20 and the Padilla Heights Road, go 0.8 mile west up a long grade to a sharp right turn. Bicyclists should continue right and then downhill left to join Reservation Road; then go along it to the bottom of the hill. Walkers and horsemen can shortcut this 0.7 mile loop by following a dirt continuation of the Padilla Heights Road downhill 0.1 mile (at the above-mentioned sharp right turn.) Continue west on the Stevenson Road past small homesteads and a grange hall to Summit Park. At 697 Stevenson Road, seafood lovers will want to visit Ken Thibert's crab market for fresh crabs, oysters, and fish. The PNT jogs right at a Puget Power substation, then immediately left at a church. Go west on Summit Park Road to a junction with Christiansen Road near a veterinarian's office. Parallel the golf course south on Christiansen Road to Similk Beach. By road it is 3.5 miles from State Highway #20 to Similk Beach. Camping and stores are not available along these roads. However, with a _ mile detour north to the Christiansen Road/State Highway #20 junction, you can hit a restaurant and a grocery store at the foot of Fidalgo Bay. Similk Beach and its golf course front scenic Similk Bay. Ordinary supplies are not available here, but one glorious treat is. Visit the unpretentious Oyster Shed on the beach - its hours are irregular - for delicious oysters on the half shell or unopened. (The Pacific Northwest Trail is probably the only long distance trail that can offers fresh oysters!) If the water level were to rise a tiny bit here, the beach and the whole golf course valley behind it would be flooded and Fidalgo Bay joined to Similk Bay. We climb from this flat valley about 200 feet (and 0.8 mile), past many houses that hug the west slope of the golf course, pass MSE 194, and ascend to Howards Corner and the junction (180) of Gibralter Road, State Highway #20, and Miller Road. Follow Miller Road 1.2 miles, passing the Fern Hill commercial campground, rejoining State Highway #20, and traveling downhill on #20 to a right turn onto Campbell Lake Road (70.) Go 1.5 miles west on Campbell Lake Road to its junction (MSE 108) with Sharpe Road and Donnell Road at a cemetery. [Lake Campbell is a 40-acre, fresh water fishing hole. Its low elevation (44) contrasts with that of nearby, forested Whistle Lake (432.) Near a picturesque old barn with a fading, painted advertisement for Centennial flour, there is a public access road to Lake Campbell, providing fishing, swimming, boating, and latrines. This fishing spot has no camping, supplies, or non-lake water.] REMOVE FOOTNOTES FROM THIS ENDNOTE ??
A.
The PNT will reach the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Hoh River. The Practical Routes goal is to arrive there with as little asphalt and traffic as possible. Thats why the Practical Route follows the Bogachiel trail, little-used DNR roads, and the western end of the Oil City Road. However, the Hoh River trail and road constitute the most direct choice to connect Bogachiel Peak westward to Highway #101. This route already exists but unfortunately most of it is asphalt. It begins with a good trail that switchbacks down from Hoh Lake to the Hoh River Valley (near the Olympus Guard Station at MSE 948.) Then it follows the Upper Hoh River Trail out to the rain forest visitors center. The asphalt road takes us to #101. The gravel continuation of the Hoh River Road finally takes us to the mouth of the
Hoh River. To avoid those many miles of vehicle traffic there should be a new trail, an Ideal Route, down the Hoh River Valley. Perhaps part of such an Ideal Route would follow the divide between the Bogachiel and the Hoh rivers. In the meantime until the PNTA solves the Hoh puzzle, its roundabout Practical Route offers you more of a backwoods feeling than does the Hoh River Road as you make your final push to the saltchuck.
A.
The future Hoh Valley or Hoh/Bogachiel Divide routes (mentioned in Chapter 9) end on DNR land at Highway #101 north of the Hoh River. From near the Hoh Oxbow Campground, this Ideal Route will follow the Oil City Road out to the mouth of the Hoh River. Eventually a trail should be built to get the Route off the Oil City Road.

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THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

FROM THE ROCKIES TO THE PACIFIC

Ronald Gibson Strickland

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

LARRY REED (1937-1993)

PARIS WALTERS (1905-1999)

MEADOW BLOOM (1977-1995)

WORDS FROM THE TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

Nick Gelesko, `81 Ft. Myers, Florida

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

Foreword by Harvey Manning

FOREWORD BY HARVEY MANNING

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

Foreword by Harvey Manning

Harvey Manning, 2000

The Pacific Northwest Trail

The Pacific Northwest Trail

The Pacific Northwest Trail

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

Trapper Robbins is another irrepressible soul.

His trademark gaudy

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

Woolleys chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen.

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

Happy trails, Ron Strickland, Earth Day, 2000

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

A Word About Maps

A WORD ABOUT MAPS

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

A Word About Maps

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

A Word About Maps

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

A Word About Maps

Colville National Forest, 695 S. Main St., Colville, WA www.fs.fed.us/cvnf/

The former annotate

The latter concentrate on certain multi-quad

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources publishes a

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

A Word About Maps

about road closures because of fire hazzard call 800/562-6010.

The Pacific Northwest Trail

A Word About Maps

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

The Romance And Challenge Of The Pacific Northwest Trail

THE ROMANCE AND CHALLENGE OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

The Romance And Challenge Of The Pacific Northwest Trail

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

The Romance And Challenge Of The Pacific Northwest Trail

Association. 1987 and 1988 British Army volunteers constructed the

Blanchard Hill section. 1989 Dedication of the newly-constructed South Chuckanut

Mountain section. 1992 Extensive Skagit and Whatcom County relocations

(including, for the first time, private lands). Completion of the

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL

The Romance And Challenge Of The Pacific Northwest Trail