What is the best book to buy in order to set up my hike? I will be section hiking starting with Washington.
Any suggestions will be great. I’m looking for data with detail. The data book I have has no details about towns or resupply.
Captain Patagonia
If your section hiking WA and want some details, the Wilderness Press OR / WA Guidebook is the place to start. This has the same data points as the Data Book, which is sounds like you have, but with a reasonably detailed description of the trail (plus extra commentary on the flora, fauna and other ramblings of the authors).
BUT, it’s somewhat out of date with respect to resupply strategies, addresses and the like.
If you want to buy something, I’d suggest Yogi’s book - pcthandbook.com It’s pretty good and will give you pretty up to date information.
In general, Washington is done:
Cascades Locks to White Pass, with optional resupplies at Stablers Store (~ 30 miles / 1 1/2 days north of Cascades Locks) and at Trout Lake (~75 miles through the 150 mile section.) At White Pass, it’s a large convenience store that is a rural post office so you can receive packages. If memory serves, it’s letters only outgoing.
White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass is ~100 miles. No resupply along the way. At Snoqualmie, there’s a post office in the Chevron, but with limited hours, limited services, etc - it’s a bit funky. Do your research on this one. The Summitt Inn also apparently holds packages. Conflicting stories on if they charge or not. There are 2 large convenience stores, the Chevron and Summit Grocery (I think that’s the name). A thru hiker can resupply at these two stores for the 3 1/2 days or so up to Stevens Pass. A section hiker…perhaps…depends on how picky you are.
Snoqualmie to Stevens Pass. ~74 miles. No resupply along the way. At Stevens, hitch west to Skykomish. Real post office and convenience stores (don’t recommend you try and resupply at them, they’re pretty small). You can also hitch east (much further) to the tourist town of Leavenworth for full resupply from large grocery stores.
Stevens Pass to Stehekin. A tough 100 miles with lots of elevation gain. Trail and bridges are still washed out since the storm in 03. “Original” route is passable for the experienced and adventurous - not recommended for weekend warriors who should take the designated alternate route. At Stehekin, there is very limited supplies but a real, although small, post office. Excellent fresh baked goods (bread, pies, etc) can be had at the bakery to supplement what you mail yourself.
Stehekin to the finish. 89 miles. No resupply, although you can bail at either Rainy or Harts pass and hitch east to Mazama or Withrop for supplies.
Token Civilian
If you don’t want to do the haul between Cascade Locks and White Pass, hitch into Trout Lake. It’s a nice town and very hiker friendly. For me it was probably the easiest hitch I had on the whole trail. At White Pass, if necessary you can also hitch into Packwood.
Also in regards to the bailout possibility. I’d recommend bailing at Rainy Pass, not Hart. Rainy is on a
pretty major road with a big parking area and popular trailhead. Hart Pass is not much more than a forest service road, very little traffic. This is a just in case sort of thing, of course.
The Summit Inn held a package for me in '05 and didn’t charge me anything but it might be because I got a room there as well, or because I flirted with the cute girl at the front desk. I’d like to think it was the latter but given the way I smelled at the time, probably not.
I personally believe that you’d be set with Yogi’s PCT Handbook for town info and the PCT data book for trail info.
Hope this helps. Washington is beautiful, have a great hike!
ducky