Washington PCT hike

imported
#1

Hey PCT people I would like to hike one week of the PCT this late summer (well I would like to hike the whole thing but that isn’t going to happen.) Anyway I’ve got to put in vacation time later this month and looking for good advice on the best time to hike while still being able to meet a couple of PCT thru’s.
I would like to start at the northern termius and hike south, I have about 8 total days of hiking and would like to bring my dog. I’m thinking late Aug. or early Sept. Your advice please. What am I looking at milage wise?

SweetAss03

#2

It depends on how far you want to hike and how experienced you are. It took me 8.5 days to go from Snoqualmie Pass to Manning Park in 03. But, I had a lot of walking behind me that summer. Thruhikers won’t start to get to Manning until late-ish August, with the larger bulk coming in during early-mid Sept. I would start in late August and try to hike south to Skykomish, which somewhere around 180-200 miles. If that doesn’t sound ok, you’ll need to do some side trailing to get out of Glacier Peak. The border to Skykomish is about as good as it gets in WA on the PCT. Except for keeping on to Snoqualmie. And the Goat Rocks.

Suge

#3

Snoqualmie to Manning took me 13 days (one zero) in 2003, 14.5 days (2 zeros) in 2002.

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#4

So I’m looking at roughly 23-22 miles a day at suge’s pace or roughly 17 miles at yogi’s pace. What type of terrain I’m I looking at…Yes I’m from Washington but South Eastern Washington.
I’m a 2003 AT thru hiker, I have yet to get a guide book for the PCT so I haven’t yet looked into the trail head, and how to get dropped off nor have a researched where I need to get to in order to be picked up. I’m sure that I can do 20’s each day.
I’m I reading that you give this part of the trail a thumbs up?

SweetAss03

#5

Actually, it’s 31 miles per day at Suge’s pace, and about 22 miles per day for me. Seriously, Suge is tall, strong, and fast.

Washington is beautiful. Two thumbs up. You’ll need to pick up the Oregon/Washington Guidebook, which I think is being revised and is not available right now. I’d also recommend using the Data Book. You’ll also need to check on the re-routes in the Glacier Peak area. That part of the PCT was closed in October 2003.

The terrain will be a lot of up and down. You might even see some lingering snow from the last winter. The PCT doesn’t usually have the rocks and roots in the trail like the AT does, so the trail tread will be smoother.

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#6

The miles I listed were for Manning to Skykomish. It is another, roughly 70 miles from Snoqualmie to Skykomish. Sorry for the confusion.

Suge

#7

Thanks guys…I can’t wait for the summer to get here!!
If you still are reading this… No Problems with dogs allowed on the trail in this part?

SweetAss03

#8

I don’t think there is a problem, as all the trail is on forest service land. There is a big ford, or skinny tree bridge, in Glacier Peak, but I think the re-route avoids it. The Canadians might grumble at you, as might the Stehekin bus people (doubt it).

Suge

#9

When i started a s/b hike in 2000 i sat three days in M/Z for the weather to clear and that was the 10th of sept. If your goal is to hike and talk with nobos they tend to be in a hurry and may seem rude to you, a section hiker. I talked to 20 /25 hikers in that last section but i personaly knew almost all of them. dogs are ok in the park…maby only NP to allow them?

meadow ed

#10

I’m not too worried about them being rude or me proceiving them to be rude. I understand the hurry being so close to the finish…I might have been that way near Katahdin.
I do worry about the weather, just because it is my only chance to hike for that long at a time and would hate for it to be bad enough that I would have to sit it out.

SweetAss03