Snoqualmie Pass to Whites Pass

This section (section I) was a tale of two trails. The first part was a misty green tunnel of hard work, and the second half was a family affair with innumerable tarns. 

Green Tunnel

The phrase “green tunnel” is one that I’ve heard used to describe the Oregon section of the PCT and most of the Appalachian Trail (AT). After hiking SOBO out of Snoqualmie Pass, I think I finally understand what is meant by the phrase. Part of this was due to the weather – if there were views to be had, all I could see were clouds, with the notable exception of maybe 6 total hours out of the 5 days. Add to that that the majority of the trail between Snoqualmie Pass and Chinook Pass is a “working forest” (a timber farm), and you’ve got a lot trees, and at times, not much else. 

Embracing the mysterious misty mountain vibes.

Not just trees abounded in this section  – the huckleberries were so numerous that there were groups of people out harvesting them. The mushrooms were pretty fabulous too. 

Many but not all of the fabulous fungi of section I.

The other things that made this section memorable for me were a cabin in the woods, hiking with a SOBO hiker from Germany named Irina, listening to the Fourth Wing audiobook, and the feel of fall in the air due to the dampness from the clouds and the chilly nights.

The clouds were kind of amazing. In this section, the PCT stays slightly more true to the actual crest of the Cascades than in other sections. Add to this the weather patterns of Western vs. Eastern Washington, and I could be hiking in Western Washington cloud cover so thick that a single tree could trigger precipitation, and then I could look out towards Eastern Washington and see a hint of blue in the sky. Alternatively, I found some clear skies on the east side to stop in for lunch (and drying off) one day, and I could look back and see the clouds clinging to the slopes to the west. Mountain weather is pretty neat.

The view towards Eastern Washington and dryness.

A Family Affair

My parents, aunt, and uncle picked me up at Chinook Pass on day 5, where I finally emerged from the clouds.

Sheep Lake was popular with the day hikers, and gave me a great spot to clean up a smidge before meeting family at Chinook Pass.

We left one car at Chinook Pass, and took the other down into Packwood. I finally had found my hiker hunger, so I may have been a little hangry with them until we finally went to dinner and I got to eat my hamburger. As I learned last year on the trail, sometimes a quarter pound of beef is what I need. (I don’t like this fact as I am keenly aware of both the horrific way we treat animals headed to slaughter, as well as the industry’s negative environmental impacts.) After we all checked and rechecked the weather forecast from the comfort of our rented cabin, a coming storm convinced us to stay in Packwood another night. To while away the time, we snagged a timed entry permit into Mt. Rainier National Park for the next day.

Mt. Rainier with its lenticular cloud hat.

On that second night, we felt really good about our decision to delay as wind, rain, and thunder shook the roof of the brewery we were eating dinner at. Definitely a storm that I was happy not to be in a tent for. 

The following morning, under mostly clear skies, we set out to White’s Pass and started NOBO towards Chinook Pass. We saw tons of tarns (small, sometimes seasonal alpine ponds/lakes), more mushrooms and huckleberries, and due to the cool evenings, had remarkably few mosquitos

Hiking NOBO meant looking towards Mt. Rainier as we hiked, and thus watching spectacular views unfold in front of us. 

Why do mountains never look as close in pictures as they do in person?

In addition to the views, my dad also spotted a couple Hoary Marmots on a rock far below the trail. As we watched, we noticed three small shapes moving around the rocks as well – it was a whole marmot family. I sat down, munching on huckleberries and gazing on is wonder and delight as my family hiked on. There is just something about marmots. My aunt remarked that this was my version of going to the movies. She couldn’t have been more spot on. The huckleberries were my popcorn, the gravel trail my chair and the marmots were the show. Best movie ever. 

The lake where we spent my final night on the trail for 2023.

Our final day of the trip ended after several beautiful lakes and chatting with some day hikers who got lost because they didn’t have a trail map. We pointed them towards Gaia as a source of free maps. Don’t die out there folks!

The family hiking train hiking through a light rain on our last day.

This was my last section for this summer, and I am excited to see what I can do next summer. Until then, happy trails!