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Walkin' Fool
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Walkin' Fool
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PostTue Jun 21, 2022 4:24 pm 
Probably a long shot, but since it looks like my planned trip to the Pasayten (Chewuch River, Remmel, Amphitheatre, Boundary Trail, Horseshoe Basin) will not be snow-free by mid-July, I'm trying to find an alternative. 70-100 miles, anywhere in WA, OR or Northern CA, snow-free or very minimal snow, sometime in the first 2 weeks of July. Car shuttle isn't an option. I thought of maybe yo-yo-ing the Kettle Crest trail, but I don't know....for some reason, maybe because of the out-and-back nature, that idea isn't really getting me all excited even though I've never been. Any and all suggestions appreciated! Or any resounding recommendations for a Kettle Crest yo-yo!

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Abert
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PostTue Jun 21, 2022 6:31 pm 
The Trinity Alps are very nice. It's not a real big area so I have no idea how many miles you could get by stringing together valleys and ridges. I'd much rather do it than Kettle Crest. CalTopo shows that it hasn't burned although much of the area around it has been hit by fires in the last 10 years. I can't find any current reports, but peakbagger has a report from Mt Eddy (at 9100') from May 31 that says there was minimal snow. Photos from a trip I did in 2012.

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jaysway
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PostTue Jun 21, 2022 7:49 pm 
Given your original itinerary I am going to guess that you wouldn't be satisfied with river valleys or coastal hikes? California's below average snowpack contrasts nicely with our above average snowpack, making somewhere there a great choice. If you are willing to drive further to Colorado, they have a below average snowpack also and many areas in the San Juans are free of snow. I'm not as experienced as many people here, but this is the closest I could come up with for a long loop in the PNW that will be reasonably free of snow although by no means entirely so:
64.5 miles (it will be a bit more, it looks like I messed up at the end), 13.7K' loss/gain. I believe that the Loowit Loop is typically mostly snow free by the beginning of July. You're going to run into snow in the Mount Margaret Backcountry section of this hike, but by avoiding the lakes area you shouldn't run into a ton of snow. If a lot of melting happens in the next few weeks you could add mileage and elevation by tacking on the lakes section. There will be snowfields from Saint Helens Lake to Norway Pass, but it should be manageable. This loop might be unfeasible however due to large distances between campsites, especially the section from the blast zone up to the ridge and down to Coldwater Lake where the closet camp would be Ridge Camp unless you leave the loop to camp or get a hotel somewhere and then return to the trail. Permits for the Mount Margaret Backcountry are also difficult to get and might already be gone for your desired dates.

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Walkin' Fool
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PostWed Jun 22, 2022 10:02 am 
Those are both great suggestions - thank you! I'm very familiar with the MSH/Mt Margaret area, and have hiked most of those trails, but certainly not in one push. Your loop would be excellent! As you mentioned, campsites might be an issue. I'll poke around some maps for the Trinity Alps. I always forget about that place! Thanks much!

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zimmertr
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PostWed Jun 22, 2022 2:29 pm 
You could definitely plan something in the Eastern Sierras... I just planned a 35 mile trip for this weekend in the Desolation Wilderness involving no snow and going up to 10k. Needed a wilderness permit for the first night but able to camp anywhere else in the area for every consecutive day on the same permit. Maybe start near Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness and head south adjacent to the PCT through the Mokelumne and Carson Iceberg Wildernesses towards Yosemite? Could easily hit 100+ miles in no time.

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rubywrangler
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PostWed Jun 22, 2022 7:02 pm 
Wallowas? The Trinity Alps are beautiful and will likely be snow-free or close to it, but my understanding is that many trails actually were impacted by last year's fires so it might be difficult to string together a 70+ mile trip. This was posted in a fb group dedicated to sharing trip reports and trail conditions in the Trinities:
Quote:
Popular primary trails that appear to be free of 2021 fire damage are: Canyon Creek Stuart Fork Stoney Ridge Long Canyon Eleanor Lake Bear Lakes Tangle Blue Lake Popular primary trails within the 2021 fire boundaries: Swift Creek* Poison Canyon* Hobo Gulch Boulder Lake Stoddard Lake East and Middle Boulder Lakes Fox Creek PCT (Carter Meadows to near Middle Boulder Lakes) Long Gulch/Trail Creek/Fish Lake Union Creek Big Flat China Gulch Coffee Creek *plenty of options from these trailheads to avoid burn
If you're willing to go further south to the Sierra, there are tons of possibilities though your starting point could be limited by permit availability. "Sierra North" and "Sierra South" are good for ideas. I just returned the e-books to Seattle Public Library if that helps smile.gif

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jaysway
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PostThu Jun 23, 2022 8:29 am 
rubywrangler wrote:
Wallowas?
It's a bit hard to see some spots due to clouds, but this is what the area around Eagle Cap looked like on satellite three days ago:
I've only been to the Wallowas once, it was the second week of July two summers ago and there was still a lot of snow in the Mirror Lake area and the lake refroze overnight. I believe that the Wallowas get a lot less snow than many parts of the Cascades, but the Wallowas are at a higher elevation than most of the Cascades and do a good job holding onto the snow they get.

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gnvb
exploring pnw



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gnvb
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PostSun Jun 26, 2022 9:38 pm 
I have been noticing the trip reports of Stuke the past week and have been wondering what all routes can be made there. That and the ongoing sps2022 project by Nathan Longhurst have now created an awareness and treasure trove of routes out there. What is your planned route, if I may ask?

There is a satisfaction in challenging yourself and doing something well.
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