[pct-l] alternates

[griffin at u.washington.edu (Tom Griffin)]

The Glacier Peak Detour was in much better shape last year than it was 
in 2004. I took it and most of the brush is gone (except some patches 
along the Indian Creek trail and the east side of Little Giant Pass). 
Those thru-hikers who took the original PCT in 2005 instead of the 
detour were very fortunate to have one of the lowest snow accumulations 
in history in that part of the Cascades. That made crossing the Suiattle 
River without a bridge possible in September. WE ARE HAVING HUGE AMOUNTS 
OF SNOW THIS YEAR IN THE CASCADES. Do not assume that you will be able 
to cross the Suiattle this September. As "Suge" noted in one of his 
e-mails, it is too dangerous in a normal year. Take the detour instead.

For an account of the detour, including tips on how to take four miles 
off the distance by crossing the White River, see

http://staff.washington.edu/griffin/pct2005/index.html

and

http://staff.washington.edu/griffin/pct2005/white_river_crossing.html


Tom

Tom Griffin
Seattle
PCT Pages http://staff.washington.edu/griffin/pct.html



garretchristensen@yahoo.com wrote:

>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Date:
>> Sat, 4 Feb 2006 15:23:33 -0800 (PST)
>>
>> To:
>> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>>
>>
>> This purity discussion has made me interested to hear
>> about alternates that I didn't happen to end up doing
>> on my '04 hike for no particular reason.
>> 1) for the few miles that the JMT and PCT diverge
>> around 1000 Island Lake, does pretty much everybody
>> think the JMT is prettier and that's what I should've
>> done?
>> 2) The Glacier Peak detour. When I did the detour in
>> late July '04 it was very poorly maintained. How much
>> has that changed? Lately have people just ignored the
>> detour and done the real PCT, and if so, what are the
>> trail conditions (and crossing the Suiattle) like?
>>
>> thanks,
>> the onion
>>
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