PCT: Snoqualmie Pass Northbound – Days 1-2

I took a day off in Portland to give my knee a rest in hopes it would feel better. It did, and Matt and I headed out the next morning hike the 70-mile stretch from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass.

Day 1

We hit the road early to get the 4-hour drive out of the way and get us on trail at a reasonable time. The trail climbed immediately out of the parking lot and into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was cool, cloudy, and damp for most of the morning as we made our way ever upwards. When the clouds allowed, we were treated to big views of the surrounding mountains and lakes.

The trail wound its way along the ridge for the next several miles, eventually crossing a pass to leave the clouds behind us. From there it was several miles of downhill, past yet more lakes, to get to a great campsite along Spectacle Lake. My knee had been sore on the small downhills earlier in the day, but the last mile of descent turned into a slow painful mile leading to questions of whether to turn around tomorrow to hike the 16 miles back to the truck.

Day 2

I woke this morning with my knee feeling better than yesterday and decided to continue. We finished the last few miles of downhill early in the morning and then climbed for several miles on smooth, well graded trail. This stretch had plenty of flowing water, mountain views, and wildflowers. The day ended with several more miles of descent as we dropped down to Waptus Lake. Similar to yesterday, the last mile of descent was pretty miserable on my knee, but in comparison, we did do an extra 5 miles today. We found a spacious site on the outlet end of the lake and relaxed the rest of the evening.