PCT: White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass – Days 1-2

I started this section hoping for great views of Mt. Rainier as I’d spend a couple days passing to the east of it.  What I got instead was rainy mornings and cloudy skies, but the bright side was temperatures were cool and comfortable.

Day 1

Angela drove me to White Pass to start, and it started raining almost as soon as we walked out the door in Portland.  By the time we got to Packwood, the last town before trail, it looked like the rain would let up later in the morning.  We decided to grab second breakfast in town before heading to trail. We picked up another hiker (Beekeeper) along the way who was hitching back to trail. It’s still raining when we get to the trailhead, and I eventually convince myself to don my raingear and get moving. 

I only hit light rain once I got moving, and with good tree cover hardly got wet from the rain.  This section was mostly wooded with several small scenic lakes along the way.  There have been reports of norovirus in some of the lakes and warnings to double treat water (filter + boil/chemical treatment) so water stops turned into a little more of a chore than they used to be. 

I cross into Mt. Rainier National Park in the afternoon, and while the clouds have mostly obstructed the views of Mt. Rainier, I’m still treated to plenty of lakes and serene meadows.  Despite the late start, I roll into camp near Dewey Lake after a 25-mile day.  Not long after getting into the tent for the night, it starts raining again and continues throughout the night.

Day 2

I wake to the sound of intermittent rain and pack everything except the tent while I wait for it to let off.  Once I’m on trail, it’s a short couple of miles to Chinook Pass, where I pass throngs of day hikers.  The grouse are out this morning and I startle, or get startled by, several in the first few miles. I start climbing soon after Chinook Pass on what feels like a neverending climb.  The views open up, and the clouds recede a bit as I near the ridge line.  I can see a little more of Mt. Rainier than yesterday, but also get sweeping views of green forests dotted with the occasional lake.

I hike through several miles of a burn in the afternoon, but in contrast to Oregon, this is the only burn I’ll pass through in this 100-mile stretch.  I end up hiking a little later into the evening than planned as I search for a campsite.  I decided to skip the popular Mike Ulrich cabin as it’s rumored to be one of the norovirus hot spots.  Due to lots of small trees and undergrowth, there really aren’t any good places to camp for a few miles.  I eventually find a small site nestled into the trees which gives me almost complete protection from the rising winds and dropping temperature.  The extra miles pushed me a little over 27 miles for the day.  I’m worn out after taking most of the last 2 weeks off, but feel pretty good otherwise.