[Bernardo]

Late July, I enjoyed the adventure and physical challenge of hiking Section K of the PCT from Rainy Pass to Stevens Pass. It was tough but rewarding. I covered the 127 miles in six days (Sunday 12:41 pm to Saturday 12:33 pm). I tried the route last year but I was in rough shape after Red Pass and exited via the North Fork Sauk River. This was in part due to my lack of a satellite communication device that would have allowed me to update my family about my status and timeline. I also had developed some foot issues. This year a carried an InReach Mini and it worked very well, allowing me to report periodically on my location and status. I turned the device off between messages and did not track so one charge lasted the whole hike. On the first attempt, I started on a late July Sunday at the Bridge Creek TH off highway 20 and hiked to Stehekin via Rainbow lake. This was a tough hike that entailed crossing an extra 6,200-foot pass and a difficult creek ford. During the night at my first camp at the lake, my pack, boots, and clothing were gnawed on by ground squirrels, one of which joined me under my tarp. In the morning, I found my t-shirt across the camp and full of holes. When I arrived at Stehekin, the bulletin board said it was 104 degrees. My hike down from Rainbow Lake passed through some beautiful flower-filled meadows, but also a brutally hot burn zone. I was pretty roughed up before the long hike really started by this side trip. High heat changes everything. After staying a night in the lodge at Stehekin, I took the bus to the High Bridge Trailhead and began to hike south on the PCT at about mid-day. That afternoon I found a smoldering campfire that had burned into the ground. It took me over an hour to dig it out and put it out. During the trip, I traversed almost a hundred miles of beautiful terrain over six very hot days. This year my focus was on completing the section. I ended up about two days ahead of my previous year's pace along the way by not going to Stehekin but instead hiking straight through. This year I was heading south from High Bridge on Monday morning. The previous year I left High Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Of course, this whole issue could be avoided by starting at Stevens and ending with a nice meal and bed in Stehekin. This is certainly not a bad option. The key to understanding this hike is the elevation profile for the approximately 25K of elevation gain and loss as depicted in this graph:

Source: https://www.postholer.com/databook/Pacific-Crest-Trail/1/2479.3 Ignore this at your peril! Day 1: Rainy Pass to High Bridge (19.4 miles)

Day 2: High Bridge to PCT Miners Ridge Trail Junction (20.7 miles)

Day 3: PCT Miners Ridge Trail Junction to Grassy Point Cirque (22.1 miles)

Day 4: Grassy Point Cirque to Glacier Creek (15.2 miles)

Day 5: Glacier Creek to Indian Pass (16.2 miles)

Day 6: Indian Pass to Grizzly Peak Shoulder (19.5 miles)

Day 7: Grizzly Peak Shoulder to Stevens Pass (14.4 miles)

I met a lot of nice folks out there and had some good conversations, with more encounters near Stehekin or after Red Pass. I did see people every few hours at a minimum during the day. Hello to anyone who I met who may read this! Equipment and Food Notes: I carried about 14.5 pounds of equipment and 12 pounds of food. I brought back four pounds of food so I ate only 1.25 pounds per day. For breakfast, I had muesli and powdered milk. Lunch was peanut butter on crackers and then eventually peanut butter mixed with crackers. I ate one Cliff bar and one Lar bar per day. Pretzels were my go-to for salt and getting some calories. Dinners were homemade dehydrated meals with red sauce or white cheddar sauce. Each dinner included ground beef or tuna. Dried apples, nuts, and snickers bars were core snacks. I made coffee three times but otherwise didn't use my stove. I just ate everything cold. I also drank milk (Nido) at dinner and sometimes at lunch. Other notes: I never was cold and could have used a lighter quilt. I had an Enlightened Equipment 20 degree. Swimming in Pear Lake was great, but I did need to heat up afterward. There was less water on the trail and in the creeks than last year but water sources were plentiful. The creek crossings were not difficult at the times I crossed. Mosquitos and flies were abundant and swarming in some places. All pictures were taken with my iPhone. I carried an Anker 10,000 mAmp battery to recharge twice. Luxury item: extra hat. I would like to thank my family and friends who supported me and made this trip possible. Conclusion: This is a spectacular and physically demanding hike. There will be pain and there will be rewards for anyone who undertakes it. Looking back from high passes toward where I had come from, I saw that the feet can walk farther than the eyes can see. A lot of life is like that. You have to just pick up your pen or tools and start sometimes. You will be surprised how far you go or what you accomplish!

[williswall]

Excellent report! You have the equipment dialed in…reminding me to get at these WA sections.

[bobbi]

congratulations and what a super fantabulous adventure! I'm sure you're excited to cross that K off your list! thanks for sharing

[Sallie4jo]

Great report, thanks 4 sharing...and that part of glacier peak wilderness is a place that has stolen my heart over and over again.

[zephyr]