Forum Index > Trip Reports > Pilot Ridge-PCT-NF Sauk Loop (Lots of pics!)
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics
Location: Arlington
Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 1:55 pm 
WOW! Jaw Dropping Scenery along the whole hike. Speaking of, i lost my jaw some where between Pilot Ridge and White Pass.....if you find it please PM me to return it. clown.gif Day 0 Anyway, i "got sick" and left work early on Thursday night. I arrived at the NF Sauk trail head just before 11pm. For a minute i though about camping at the trail head for an early start. Problem was when i scanned the first camp spot with my head lamp, there was already a tent pitched there. Rather than stumble around in the dark illuminating every tent at the camp ground i decided to hike in always in the dark.
Crappy headlamp night time photo.
Crappy headlamp night time photo.
I managed to stumble and trip my way to the Pilot Ridge log crossing by midnight, i half expected to stumble through someones encampment located on the trail. This was not the case. But on the other side of the river, looking for a place to jump off the log, my headlamp illuminated someones folding law chair, and bivy sack. I almost jumped off the log here, landing on the bivy. rolleyes.gif Yea this person was camped that close to the log crossing. I continued on a few hundred yards beyond and set up my Hammock for the night. Day 1. After drifting off to sleep some time after midnight, i awoke at 5am. I was pumped and ready to go! Broke camp and began the trail climb up Pilot Ridge, without eating breakfast. Soon after there was a pair of furry critters vocalizing loudly, and bouncing around the forest, it was almost cartoon like. What ever it was they effortlessly jumped from tree to tree and bounded about on the ground. The moved so fast it was hard to tell what it was. That is until one went bounding straight at me from behind a log, aimed to bounce off my head. eek.gif I had to hit the deck to keep it from colliding with me. It went sailing over my head, legs pinwheeling in the air looking for something else to land on. It's vocalization tone changed to one of I assume was alarm. Then they quickly vanished in to the forest. I had to look it up when i got home. This was my first Martin sighting. About an hour later, some other furry creature mad an accidental charge at me. It dropped a small mouse at my feet. It was yet another blur of fur. This time i saw, it hiding in some vegetation. Weasel, this time i switched lenses for a chance to photograph it. shakehead.gif I zipped in and out of my view finder scooping up the mouse before i could press the shutter button. embarassedlaugh.gif I stopped for breakfast a 9am. Just two packets of Oat meal at the first view point of Glacier peak. That's the only thing i had to eat until i reached Blue Lake. It's obvious the trail has had some recently been logged out....that up until this flag....total over kill. rant.gif
A couple of hours before reaching Blue Lake..the guy who was camped at the Log crossing caught up to me. This guy had an enormous pack. The chair itself looked heavy. crazy.gif But he passed my like i had no pack load!
Blue Lake
Blue Lake
The Pilot Ridge Trail is already dry. There's a few patches of dirty snow, as it melts it gets immediately absorbed into the ground. My 20/20 hind sight says i should have melted some of that dirty snow, and filtered it. But i did not. I ran out of water at the junction of Johnston mtn...and the trail down to blue lake. By this time i was already under hydrated. I had no more interest in bagging this peak. Instead i went for Blue lake, where water was plentiful. But the the trail makes this loooong sweeping switch back...it seemed like for ever to reach Blue lake. By the time i reached the lake. I as hot, tired, nauseous, and had a head ache. After retrieving water for filtering, i aimed for the first set of trees in the shade the appropriate distance apart for my hammock. Unfortunately like ten feet from the lawn chair guy already camped there. I was so exhausted i almost did not notice him there. He seemed alarmed at first, and abruptly said " Your NOT camping right here, are you?" I said no...just taking a break...i really really need to rest. He said something about "Are you Ok?" i vaguely remember mumbling something, then realized i was dozing off. With a little more energy from a brief bet of rest i moved on, to leave the poor guy some privacy. embarassedlaugh.gif I set up camp...it was no 3:30 pm...settled into may hammock again. Took more than the recommended dose of ibuprofen. And grabbed a bag of cashews, was asleep before i had a chance to open the bag of nuts. Woke up a 7. Feeling better, i ate dinner...and dozed off again serenaded, by Pikas , Marmots, and Crickets. Day 2. Woke up at 2 ish am. Crickets were still chirping, moon and stars were out. Got up walked around for a bit enjoying the moon lit scenery. Went back to bed...At 3 am, some clouds started to filter the moon, flashes of light reflected of the clouds.....lightening somewhere to the east....too far to hear. Soon the crickets fell silent. The moon disappeared in to the clouds, my view of the lake turned into fog. frown.gif I got back up, and set up the tarp just in case it started to rain. Wind started to blow. Made some hot soup just before sunrise. Thought about moving out under head lamp...but i resisted this urge, as it was still foggy. This was a sound decision i found later...as i took the High route out. As it turns out, the high route... rant.gif is a glorified mountian got path. paranoid.gif I consider it a bit exposed. While a trip and a fall probably wouldn't involve death....but it would certainly screw you up. I departed Blue Lake at first light...just as the fog was clearing.
Reflection Pond 2
Reflection Pond 2
Reflection Pond
Reflection Pond
White Mtn
White Mtn
During my hike away from Blue Lake i watched the clouds lift, and slowly form thunder heads. By the time i reached Indian Pass, it was already rumbling in the distance...even in day light i could see occasional flashes it the distance. Initially i planed to camp somewhere, between reflection pond and White Pass. But....as it was obvious the thunder cell was building west i decided to continue down to the Mackinaw shelter. There are two things i do not like on high open ridges.....high winds...and lightning storms. At the intersection of the PCT and NF Sauk i took a break, to eat and drink. That's where, nwhikers baddog, Josh Lewis and brother Michael, Gimpilator, and Redwic, caught up to me.
baddog & holly, Josh Lewis & Michael, Gimpilator, Redwic
baddog & holly, Josh Lewis & Michael, Gimpilator, Redwic
As i descended my feet began to hurt, the trail surface, is dry loose and crumbly, baddog offered me one of here trekking poles, at first i resisted...but after a slip on the loose surface resulting in a fall...i took the offer. THANK YOU!. Initially thinking i would sack out at Mackinaw...we took a brief rest there..i decided heck what's 5 more miles...with the aid of the trekking pole...i finished the hike. Even bumped into one more Nwhiker....Opus on the way out. Once at the car i chucked my pack in the car....and wandered over to the Sauk, removed my shoes...and soaked my feet in the cold water till they were numb. I later discovered why my feet hurt....i split the callous on both feet, exposing the sensitive skin underneath. Ouch. Trip stats. 9 liters of water consumed I have seen various mileage figures for this loop. But the My GPS track says 30.717 miles for the loop. With 21 miles on just day 2. Ouch. hockeygrin.gif

"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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veronika
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Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 3015 | TRs | Pics
Location: On the road
veronika
Member
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 2:21 pm 
Good job Hulk! Love the pics. Hope your feet get better! I, myself, have a pulled hamstring. mad.gif

Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping I may not have anyone rocking my world right now but, I don't have anyone messing it up either.
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Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis



Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 4830 | TRs | Pics
Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 2:26 pm 
Nice photography! biggrin.gif up.gif up.gif It was cool to see you in person. Glad we got out when we did, we heard thunder, and by the time we got to Darrington it rained a little. BadDog was great as well, she gave me some cheese. cool.gif

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veronika
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Joined: 25 Apr 2010
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veronika
Member
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 2:28 pm 
Oh, and the thunderstorms... probably in Cashmere/leavenworth. One rolled in around 1-2 am in Cashmere which I slept right through and then Saturday in Leavenworth, we had dime sized hail. That crap hurts. clown.gif

Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping I may not have anyone rocking my world right now but, I don't have anyone messing it up either.
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker



Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 2:33 pm 
Great pics Brian. Nice work. up.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Pass-n-Thru
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Joined: 07 Jul 2010
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Pass-n-Thru
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PostSun Aug 01, 2010 3:10 pm 
Very cool trip. There is nothing better than high medows right after they thaw. Was the grouse the only sign of wildlife you saw? I drove out the MLH today and met some bear hunters that said they were coming out of curry gap and had seen a few but passed on them. Again awesome trip.

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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
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Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 3:15 pm 
Great stuff Hulk! up.gif

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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 3:49 pm 
Pine marten, grouse, etc. Quite the trip up.gif That's funny about you taking a nap right next to the lawn chair guy.

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Opus
Wannabe



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 3700 | TRs | Pics
Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
Wannabe
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 5:39 pm 
Nice photos! And nice to meet some more NWHikers on trail. I had planned this same route but abandoned it because of the weather. Got rained on most of the night at Macinaw shelter after I passed you guys. The weather didn't break up and I didn't want to be camped up high with more thunder storms so I just ended up tagging Portal Peak and hiking back out.

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Foist
Sultan of Sweat



Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 3974 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back!
Foist
Sultan of Sweat
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 5:44 pm 
Awesome, thank you. One of my favorite backpacking trips ever. up.gif

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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics
Location: Arlington
Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
PostSun Aug 01, 2010 6:52 pm 
Opus, sorry you got rained on. But thanks for confirming i made the right decision to fast track my hike out. I wanted to stay one more night..but the weather just did not look right for it. Of course my legs and feet are now filing for divorce. clown.gif Quark...that was an attack grouse even. lol.gif It's one thing to have one explode out of the bushes trying to escape...quite another having one explode out of the bushes attacking you. I had to take a swat at it to get it out of my face. eek.gif It had chicks....shockingly the little ones could fly.....sort of.

"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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Michael Lewis
Taking a nap



Joined: 27 Apr 2009
Posts: 629 | TRs | Pics
Location: Lynnwood, WA (for now)
Michael Lewis
Taking a nap
PostMon Aug 02, 2010 12:15 am 
That last day was long for us too. My feet still hurt bawl.gif

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Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent



Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to the Prom(inence)
Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent
PostMon Aug 02, 2010 5:33 am 
It was good finally meeting you! Great trip report! Now I want to do that same loop, sometime! up.gif up.gif up.gif Also... I will keep a look out for purple pants. wink.gif

60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
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