Trail Reports and Hiker Stories

As people "through-hike" the Pacific Northwest Trail or large portions of it, their experiences and reports are a valuable addition to the growing information that is available on the trail. Some of their reports are documented on this page. This is a good place to check for up-to-date information on the trail, and is a supplement to the official trail guide.

If you have experienced an adventure on the PNT, and would like to share your stories, please email the webmaster, and we will gladly post it for you. Here are some stories for your enjoyment.

The PNTA Message Board remains the best place to receive up to date trail information.

2007

2006

2005

2004

2002

2001

Mike Dawson

Trip Report for Pasayten Wilderness
From August 18 to 31, 2002 Keith Smith, Mary Fauci (both of Moscow Idaho) and Mike Dawson of Vashon, WA made an attempt to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail across the Pasayten Wilderness from Horseshoe Basin to Ross Lake at Highway 20. That trip was altered due to fires in the Pasayten along the PNT that closed the section of the trail (and several other trails) between Peeve Pass on the east and Bunker Hill at the intersection of USFS trails 533 (which is the PNT and the Boundary Trail) and trail 458. Other trails that were closed included 451 from its intersection with 502 on the east and the East Fork Pasayten River on the west, 548 between 502 and 451, the Deception Pass loop from 477. On our detour we climbed to the top of Sand Ridge south of Peeve Pass and saw four separate major smoke plumes. We had views of fires from several points on the remainder of our hike. Some of the fire locations were on Quartz Mountain, Bunker Hill, and Island and Middle Mountains east of Hidden Lakes. When we went through the Hidden Lakes area on our detour we found the ranger cabins and the outhouse encased in heavy aluminum foil to protect them in case the fire backed down the mountain. Anyone contemplating a hike in the area in 2002 should contact the Okanogan National Forest to get the latest closures. All should take the utmost care in the use of fires in the area and I urge the use of backpacking stoves and the willingness to forego campfires. The fires are all lightening strike fires and are being allowed to burn as long as they don’t threaten to leave the Wilderness. I support this action and hope that it will help undo years of bad (though well meaning) management on the part of humans. The route that we took to circumvent the fires was as follows from east to west: from Peeve Pass go south on 502 to 502B between Nanny Goat and Billy Goat Mountain. Take 502B southwest to 477. Follow 477 northwest until it reunites with 533. All these trail numbers are taken from the USFS map for the Pasayten. There are of course many other ways to complete the east-west traverse of the Pasayten, but our desire was to use as much of the PNT as possible. The route change took that trail section from 12 miles to 32 miles and therefore added 20 miles to our trip. Since we were tied to 14 days we finished our trip by continuing south on the PCT (which is also the PNT from Castle Pass to Holman Pass) and ended at Hart Pass.

We found all of the trails to be easily followed and reasonably well maintained, some better than others. The reasonably experienced and prepared backpacker will find this an excellent trip with little or no influence from outside the Wilderness. We use Green Trails maps, the PNT guidebook, which had good info on campsites and local history, and the USFS map for the Pasayten. There is some confusion between the PNT guide maps and the USFS maps. At some point the USFS changed the location that they call the Boundary Trail (#533) and then reshuffled the rest of the number designations of trails. This is not reflected in the present PNT guide, but anyone who is aware of this and map proficient should be able to figure it out. The combination of the text in the book and the Green Trails maps worked best for us. Maps were reasonably accurate and the big plus of the GT maps is the mileage between points. One of the changes in the trail that surprised us was additional switchbacks and mileage between Woody Pass and Rock Pass on the PCT. We missed it in the guide text, but it was there. The GT mileage is 1.5 and the real distance was 2.7. This is due to an unstable scree slope that has forced the trail to be built lower and lower between the two passes. You can see all the old trails above you and where they end in various rock slides. The other pleasant surprise was the descent from Frosty Pass to Castle Pass as the PNT meets and joins the PCT. All the maps show an enormously steep trail that we dreaded all day, only to find wonderful graded switchbacks all the way down.

Here is a more detailed description of the route we took and what we saw as highlights:

We entered the Pasayten from Fourteen Mile Camp, which has a nice primitive campground and took the Fourteen Mile Trail (375). The road to the camp was rough, but we did it in a Neon with no damage. The trail was in good shape and there are more switchbacks than show on the map. The section across state land is clearcut, but the trail is cleared out. You reach the Boundary Trail below Horseshoe Pass and the PNT route comes in from the west and Cold Springs Camp at the pass. There was little or no water until you get to Horseshoe Pass and we camped and got water in a little well watered basin just west of trail 375 about a mile before the 375/533 intersection. We found a campsite on the far side of the basin with a spectacular cliffline view of the North Fork Toats Basin to Chopaka Mountain. There is lots of water between Horseshoe Pass and Louden Lake and it is wide open for camping. Louden Lake was low and muddy at the shore, but scenic. From here 533 is the Boundary Trail and the PNT route all the way to the PCT. The section on the Tonasket Ranger district all the way to Cathedral Pass featured excellent grades, interesting geologic formations in the Teapot Dome area, periodic water (even in August) – overall an excellent hike. We stayed at Dome Camp (which is not below Teapot Dome, but another beautiful dome formation), and Tungsten Mine where we spent a rainy night in the old mine buildings. The tungsten mine area is rich in the cultural history of the mineral exploration that lead to exploration and trail development. The buildings at the mine are colorful icons of the long history of recreation use that have to be seen to be believed. A hike through here would be the poorer not to include a night at the mines.

Cathedral Pass brings you to the Methow Valley Ranger District. The pass itself is a landmark for days in either direction (we could see it several days later from Lakeview Ridge on the PCT). The lake basin below the pass was one of the most congested areas that we saw on the trail. We were there for awhile as Keith and Mary caught trout for dinner, and we saw half a dozen groups including two large pack trains and what appeared to be a base camp for climbing. We camped at Spanish Camp where there is a ranger cabin and we wanted to see the PNTA trail crew that was in for ten days of trailwork. It was there that we got the fire news. The next day started with nice high trail but the descent to and ascent from the Ashnola River was fly hell. Small, slow, biting flies were present by the millions. We had planned a long rest at the river but the flies were terrible and we ate as fast as we could and climbed for all we were worth. The prize at the top was worth it. The high basin west of Peeve Pass in the area of Barker Brown cabin is one of the prettiest camps I have ever used. Big open grassy meadows were punctuated by clumps of old growth spruce. Water was plentiful. Mule deer grazed into camp. The views back to Cathedral Pass were painted with a palate of colors as the sun went down. From Peeve Pass to Larch Pass was great trail and beautiful scenery on 502 and I would recommend taking a detour where the trail gets close to the top of Sandy Ridge where we had views all the way to Mt. Baker over the North Cascades peaks.

We then proceeded through a series of walks down valleys and up valleys to get around the fires. This was definitely my least favorite part of the trip, buried down in the trees with only limited views, but it did show us a different aspect of the Pasayten. At the Hidden Lakes area, Cougar Lake was definitely the gem as far as far as aesthetics. The Hidden Lakes were low and had a big bathtub ring of mud . Of them Big Hidden Lake was the best and we found a great campsite on a point sticking out into the lake, but the timing was off to use it. The USFS camp area between Lower and Middle Hidden Lakes at the ranger station was well organized and convenient with separate areas for packers and hikers (the hikers camp has a big picnic type pavilion to use), but not as scenic as either Big Hidden or Cougar.

We used Harrison Camp and some fallen trees made it really hard to find, and then camped near the Chuchuwanteen Cabin Ruins. The trail intersection at the old airstrip was hard to find and was the only place on the trip that we had to hunt for the trail. The trail up Soda Creek toward Dead Lake was one of the most overgrown of the trip and badly needed brushing, although we found new puncheon work through boggy areas in that section. The mapping here is also poor, showing the creek crossing much farther up the valley than it occurs. Dead Lake was aptly named and full of what appeared to be leeches. The Trail up Frosty Creek is a problem. The valley is wide and flat until switchbacks take you up high. Even in August there were big mudholes that were obviously much bigger in the wet season. A relocation of that entire trail to the lower slopes of the mountain on the north side of the valley should be considered and this trail abandoned. Again, the climb up to Frosty Pass made it all worth it as we rose up to views back toward the east and ended with great views west across the Cascades to the clear snowy bulk of Mt. Baker. Spread out around you is a lifetime of backpacking all in one place.

After dropping to Castle Pass and then climbing back up on the crest we were in the high ground for the rest of the trip. Some highlights included fishing at Hopkins Lake (on an unmarked but well used trail ¼ mile south of Hopkins Pass), Lakeview Ridge which had the most spectacular views of the trip – 360 degrees, and camping in the beautiful grassy basin between Rock Pass and Goat Lakes.

All in all I am sure that 10 years hence I will look back on this trip as one of the best of a wide ranging outdoor career. It had solitude, compelling landscapes, spectacular views, historical interest and great trail. Looks like I’ll be forced to go back out there to see the route over Quartz Mountain and Bunker Hill that I missed! Not to mention finishing the PNT from Holman Pass to Ross Lake and beyond through the North Cascades National Park.

2001 Reports:

Leslie Croot

In the summer of 2001, Leslie Croot from Bellingham WA hiked from Glacier National Park in Montana to Ross Lake in the North Cascades National Park in WA. Below is her report on the conditions of the trail and the accuracy of the Guidebook between those two points. The report is organized into the sections of the Guidebook, pages, and paragraphs. When exact mileages are known, they will be incorporated into the Guidebook Changes page.

Section: MT1
Page: 8, 9
Paragraph: 4 & 5 (page 8); 1 (page 9)
Observation: The addition of miles in these paragraphs does not add up properly. 0.5 to Waterton Lake Trail # 135, 2.0 to Lake Janet, and 2.8 to LakeFrances should add up to 5.3, but the guidebook suggests that one mileafter this 5.3 marker, one has traversed 5.8 miles. Subsequent mileages in the text are based on the 4.8 miles to Lake Frances, while the summary chart on page 28 is based on the 5.3 miles.

Section: MT1
Page: 28
Paragraph: MT1 chart
Observation: Immediately out of the Forest Service Station near Goat Haunt, the mileages in text do not match the cumulative mileage in text, the cumulative mileage in text does not match summary mileage of same section, and summary mileage does not match other literature.

Section: MT2
Page: 11
Paragraph: 2
Observation: The mileage listed from the Brown Pass backcountry camp site to Bowman Lake may be a little shorter than it actually is.

Section: MT4
Page: 16
Paragraph: 2
Observation: I could not find the trail straight past the pond during the ascent to Tuchuck Mountain. There is an overgrown trail to the left, after one turns right at the pond down a drainage. This trail became a bushwhack for a short stretch. I am uncertain if this is the correct trail or not, but I could not find the suggested trail in the guide.

Section: MT4
Page: 17
Paragraph: 2
Observation: One should expect to traverse through the "beargrass, huckleberries and alder-choked skid roads" until a specific route through less vegetated areas can be found, if there are, in fact, less vegetated areas.

Section: MT9
Page: 47
Paragraph: 2
Observation: The guidebook says that the Webb Mountain Trail is 5 miles, but the Forest Service signs at both ends of the trail indicate that the trail is 3.5miles long. Though I am uncertain which is correct, the combination of overgrowth and blowdowns on the trail will make the trail seem to be even greater than the 5 miles suggested in the guidebook. There is no indication in the guidebook as to the trail's condition. Unless recently and significantly maintained, this trail is taxing.

Section: MT10
Page: 51
Paragraph: 6 & 7
Observation: The junction of Trail #91 and Trail #251 is not discernable. Trail #251 to the south is non-existent and should not be used as a landmark. Trail #251 to the north is not evident either. Just expect that somewhere in that vicinity you will be transitioning from Trail #91 toTrail #251 without actually turning off of or onto any new trail.

Section: MT10
Page: 52-53
Paragraph: 5 on page 52; 1 on page 53
Observation: The 1.5 to 2.0 miles prior to Turner Creek Falls on Trail #9 was in a fire in 2000 and is very difficult to follow or there is no trail at all. Look for downed trees with old Forest Service blazes in them to guide your way.

Section: MT10
Page: 53
Paragraph: 1
Observation: From Turner Falls I would recommend Trail #9 to Vinal Lake Road. It is just beautiful and is worth the extra roadwalk. The overall mileage is not considerably greater.

Section: MT11
Page: 55, 72
Paragraph: 2 (page 55); map (page 72)
Observation: There is also a new section of Trail #8 that goes up to the lookout tower. If you are not bypassing the lookout tower, this shortcut can be accessed by east-bounders on Trail #8 prior to the Trail #8/road #5867 junction, or by west-bounders just below the lookout tower on Road #5867 after it splits from Trail #8, almost at the top of the mountain. The junction is very evident but unmarked.

Section: MT11
Page: 55
Paragraph: 5
Observation: After reaching the west fork of the Yaak River, Road #5902 almost immediately becomes a bushwhack of alder and pine. The proposed trail thereafter is a bushwhack as well. The statement in the guide that this route "was scheduled to become a maintained trail" has not been realized.

Section: MT12
Page: 57
Paragraph: photo
Observation: The sheepherder's cabin at Canuck Peak that is portrayed in the picture has since collapsed and it cannot be used for shelter.

Section: MT12
Page: 57
Paragraph: 2
Observation: Canuck Peak to Spread Creek Road is greater than 1 mile as listed in the guidebook. It is perhaps 1.25 miles or so.

Section: Map
Page: 77
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: The side road just above Hwy 95 symbol and to the left of the "RD397" text is shown as connecting eventually with HWY 95. In fact, it does not connect to HWY 95. It continues to wrap up around the mountain.

Section: Chapter 3
Page: 79-82
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: In the introduction to chapter 3, or in the appropriate place within Chapter 3, it may be useful to insert a note about the Time Zone change. This is of interest to trail users trying to reach the post office for their mail drops on time.

Section: ID7
Page: 92
Paragraph: 3
Observation: The UTM coordinates for Trail #37 are incorrect. I do not know the correct cooordinates.

Section: ID8
Page: 96; 105chart
Paragraph: 3-5
Observation: The hike from Upper Priest Road #1013 to trail #308 is described and totaled at 4.2 miles. It is listed as 4.4 miles on the summary chart on page 105. However, the sign at the beginning of the road says it is 8 miles to trail #308. I suggest that it is somewhere in between, but am uncertain as to the exact mileage.

Section: WA1
Page: 97
Paragraph: 4
Observation: There are no longer downed trees to ford the Upper Priest River it is a wet river ford regardless of season.

Section: WA1
Page: 97-98
Paragraph: 4 on page 97; 1 on page 98
Observation: The trail up to Little Snowy Mountain is in great condition one to one and a half miles up. After that point the trail is in poor condition. In shaded areas there are a tremendous number of blowdowns and in open areas there is a considerable amount of overgrowth.

Section: WA3
Page: 102
Paragraph: 3
Observation: The water and campsite listed as 1.9 miles up the trail is OFF of the trail at a switchback. It can be easy to miss and is probably 20 or 30 feet off the trail. In seasons when foliage is thick, listen for the water, rather than look for the site.

Section: n.a.
Page: 105chart
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: Individual mileages and total mileages in the ID5 summary chart do not add up properly. I am uncertain as to which is correct.

Section: Map
Page: 109
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: Road #342 is listed on supplementary maps as Road #432. I am uncertain as to which is correct.

Section: Map
Page: 119
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: Trail #502 continues as the main trail to the summit of Abercrombie Mt. rather than there being a side trail to the summit that is depicted. "Trail #19" is actually an offshoot of the main trail #502. However, "Trail # 119" in the guidebook is actually "Trail #117" on the sign at the trail junction. The description of this in the guidebook is on page103.

Section: Map
Page: 122
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: The route is depicted fairly well at Deep Creek School. However, Grass Mountain Road and the side road come together equally from each side and hit Road #700 at the same time. Grass Mountain Road does not hit the side road first at a perpendicular angle and then hit Road #700 second.

Section: WA4
Page: 127; 147 map
Paragraph: 5 (page 127);
Observation: Road #875 is listed in the text as a landmark, but it is not listed on the map and can therefore not be used as a landmark. Actual location of Road #875 is unknown.

Section: WA4
Page: 129
Paragraph: 2-3
Observation: This area sounds like there may be potential camping and a cabin, but everything is private and barbed wire. Sand Creek Road and Pierre Lake Road are listed as having the same road number, #4013. This may be correct or it may not. I am uncertain

Section: WA5
Page: 131
Paragraph: 1
Observation: A simpler version of directions to the water source: Go to Hwy 61and look for the wood fence that is perpendicular to the highway's guardrail. Go through the fence it has a sign that says "water" and follow the trail to water.

Section: WA7
Page:135
Paragraph: 2
Observation: The "45 mph" sign is no longer there. However, this road crossing is now equipped with true trailhead signs for the Kettle Crest Trail.

Section: WA7
Page: 136
Paragraph: 2
Observation: Edds Mountain Trail #3 is listed as being poorly maintained but well marked with cairns. It is likely that this trail is no longer maintained a tall and some of the cairns have fallen apart or are not visible from one cairn to the next. Route finding will be required in some places.

Section: WA7
Page: 136
Paragraph: 3
Observation: For the description of the stock route the mileage cumulates to 11.2 miles. However, mileage for Trail #13 from the junction with Trail #3 to Trail #7 is not listed. The stock route is 11.2 miles plus this additional mileage.

Section: WA13
Page: 173; 187 map
Paragraph: 2 (page 173);
Observation: Eden Valley Road #4759 is actually Dry Gulch Road #4759, located in Eden Valley.

Section: WA17 toWA18
Page: 201-215
Paragraph: n.a.
Observation: On the Boundary Trail all signs at trail junctions list distant destinations, not trail numbers. The guidebook, on the other hand, lists trail numbers but not destinations. Using the Pasayten Wilderness Map in conjunction with the guidebook for this stretch of trail will compensate for this problem.

Section: WA18
Page: 204
Paragraph: 5
Observation: The mileage of 2.6 miles from Scheelite Pass to Tungsten Mine may be a slight under estimation. Exact mileage not confirmed. The sentence "Take the upper trail to the cabins and the lower trail to the mine" should read "Stay on the Boundary Trail to the cabins, take the lower trail to the left to the mine". There is no "upper trail" off of the Boundary Trail. There is now a very developed campsite in excellent condition at the junction of the Boundary Trail and the trail to the mine. This junction is just a couple hundred yards from the Tungsten cabin and cookhouse via the Boundary Trail. The Tungsten cabin and the cookhouse are in dilapidated conditions. The floorboards are unstable and they are both rodent infested. Though a very interesting view, you probably will not get a good night's sleep in either of these buildings. There are plenty of flat spots in the surrounding area to camp.

Section: WA18
Page: 205
Paragraph: 3
Observation: Just about 0.1 mile before the Lower Cathedral Lake Trail junction is an extremely well defined but unmarked Y intersection. This is not in the guide or on the Pasayten Wilderness map. Be certain to turn RIGHT, following the Boundary Trail to its junction with the Lower Cathedral Lake Trail, where you then turn left to continue on the Boundary Trail.

Section: WA18
Page: 207
Paragraph: 2
Observation: Just about 0.1 mile before the Quartz Lake Trail junction is another extremely well-defined but unmarked Y intersection. This is not in the guide or on the Pasayten Wilderness map either. Be certain to turn RIGHT, following the Boundary Trail to its junction with the Quartz Lake Trail, where you continue straight on the Boundary Trail.

West Tuchuck Mountain Traverse Montana MT4

Thru hikers have experienced difficulty with this section of the Trail. Read Nathaniel "Fleischman" Strauss's account dated 6/18/2001 on the Thru-hiker page. Thru-hiker Leslie Croot reported difficulty in sleet and icy conditions. PNTA Board Member and experienced climber/hiker Mike Woodmansee met thru-hiker Bruce Prior in Montana in July to check out this traverse. Read "ISSUE #3MT4" under Mike Woodmansee's section on the Thru-hiker page for their findings. Here is Nathaniel "Fleischman" Strauss's response:

I would like to comment on Mike Woodmansee's appraisal of the west Tuchuck Traverse MT4. I think the initial descent from the summit to Knob 7215' warrants serious discussion.

Mike says that this section isn't difficult, just rugged walking, unless you're inexperienced or the weather is bad. I disagree 100%. When I did this section the weather was good (overcast), and the rocks were dry. And I don't want to get into a debate over my experience, but I have thousands of miles of hiking experience in the last few years in a variety of terrains, conditions, and seasons.

I still found this section to be exceedingly dangerous. Of all the terrain I have EVER hiked, this is the type I want to avoid the most. It's not the rock outcroppings that are bad, but the amount of loose slate that's all around. Every step creates a miniature landslide. Steep, heavily eroded, loose rocky terrain it's exactly what mountaineers try to stay away from.

Mike, Ron Strickland, and I all survived, so it can't be too bad. But I still honestly believe that there could well be a serious accident here. I guess what it comes down to is, would I ever go back? No way.

The Guidebook author, Ron Strickland, offers an alternate route to this traverse on page 18. See Mike Woodmansee's description of this alternate route in Mike's section described below.

Tuchuck Mountain: the west traverse via cross-country (photo: Mike Woodmansee)

Tuchuck Mountain: the east approach via trail (photo: Mike Woodmansee)

Bruce Prior

A fantastic trail report system is taking place. Bruce is hiking the PNT trail starting in Montana. He sends trail descriptions to a ham radio operator via satellite. The ham operator emails the message to Bruce's wife, who forwards the message to Jeri Krampetz, the PNT executive director, who forwards the message to Duane Melcher, the PNT Chair, who forwards the data to Ken Russell, the PNT web master, who posts the trail reports on this page.

08 September
Brush Lake ID. Camped at Brush lake. Will hitch to Coeur d'Alene Sunday and bus to Seattle.

07 September
A chilly day of recording way points and an afternoon hike to Buzzard Mountain. Sleeping at summit shelter tonight. A worrysome fire in the Kootenai River Valley below appears to be waning. Escape routes are plentiful if needed. Location 11UNQ 56288 15604. Elevation 1819 meters.

06 September
Bussard Mountain ID. Nice hiking down and up. Camped about 3 km northeast of Bussard Mountain summit. Bad satellite geometry caused major data gap on lower part of Bussard Mountain Trail. Location 11UNQ 58693 17014. Elevation 1324 meters.

05 September
Ruby Ridge ID. A fine walk in subalpine old growth and parklands. Camped on wooded knoll above Road 2517. Will attempt to climb Bussard Mountain tomorrow. Location 11UNQ 64279 17121. Elevation 1717 meters.

04 September
Ruby Ridge ID. Thank God for Montana spring water. I carried 6.5 liters of the precious liquid to a scenic camp site on Ruby Ridge. Blueberries for dessert.
Location 11UNQ 68304 19038. Elevation 1863 meters.

03 September
Radio trouble at Alpine Ridge camp. Location 11UNQ 70868. Elevation 1940 meters. Critical junction on Trail 51 is at elevation 1236 meters at coordinates 11UPQ 03842 14104.
About fire-damaged Trail 51: first continue up a gentle grade bearing 10 degrees. The prominent trail turns sharply due west and leads eventually via a logging toad to Road 746 southeast of the southern trailhead of Hoskins Lake Trail. That is the way through hikers should go for now. Trail 51 can be followed only with considerable difficulty through the extensive burned area.

02 September
Bunker Hill MT. Fire-damaged Trail 51 problem solved. Details later. Camped at 11UPQ 03801 15014.

31 August
Bonners Ferry ID. Safe and sound after walking 25 km along logging roads. Not one vehicle passed me. I want to go back to Yaak to finish the missing link on Bunker Hill. I will try to find someone to get me there as I cannot rely on hitching in that area of such little traffic. My data is really complete except for the missing link. I want to be sure of getting everything done so that Montana is finished.

30 August
Canuck Peak MT. Over 12 hour trek was inspiring. God's Earth is a symphony of rock, water, and life. Camping on summit of Canuck Peak. Location 11UNQ 71659 20548. Elevation 2107 meters.

29 August
Spent an entire fine day at the summit of Northwest Peak. Catching up on map waypoint chores. Looking forward to the traverse toward Kounkel Pass tomorrow.

28 August (Conditions difficult so message not complete)
Northwest Peak MT. Slow but mostly gentle climb of spectacular Northwest Peak. Sleeping in lookout tonight. Carried 8 liters of water to summit to complete the traverse. To Canuk Peak. 160 Trailhead 700 meters too far northwest. The old __ement___ is not maintained and I don't recommend it. Location 11UNQ 75513 ___759. Elevation 2348 meters.

27 August
Winkum Creek, MT. A pleasant descent from Garvel Mountain on a well maintained trail 8 with a plethora of cairns and only a few steep parts near the bottom. The rest was hot road walking. I am camped near the mouth of Winkum Creek with blisters under control. Location 11UNQ 81710 22702. Elevation 1412 meters.

26 August
Garver Mountain, MT. I carried enough water for a second night at dry Garver Mountain camp. Explored summit area to solve map and description problems in the PNT Guide. Finished waypoint manual recording. Nursing blisters on both heels. Plan to continue to Winkum Creek and the Northwest Peak to Davis Mountain traverse exiting via Spread Creek Road 435 from Kounkel Pass or Canuck Pass.

25 August
After finishing my GPS waypoint chores, afternoon and evening hiking brought me to a ridge near the summit of Garver Mountain. Location 11UNQ 88677 20924. Elevation 1621 meters.

24 August
Gorgeous, in a beautiful forest. I did not move today. Spent all day actually recording GPS waypoints and still not finished. Will hike toward Garver Mountain tomorrow with full 6 liter water load in case French Creek is dry. I may return from there or exit down Pete Creek via Road 338. I hope to revisit Bunker Hill via Vinal Creek before hitching to Bonners Ferry to resupply.

23 August
I had hot dinners for lunch and supper. Sporadic light showers might help forests. Camped near the west fork of Yaak River off Road 5857. Continuing west toward Bonners Ferry. Food cache 3.8 kilometers east of here was intact. Location 11UNQ 93304 20761. Elevation 1049 meters.

22 August
Staying at same campsite as last night on short rations. Food cache will be a fairly easy hike from here in the morning. Fire has badly damaged the upper portion of Trail 51 so it is barely discernible. Wood portion has been well maintained. I did not complete the circle and solve the trail puzzle. After retrieving food, I must decide whether to return via Vinal Creek or push on the the west.

21 August
Thank you for your big help. Major route finding problems. I veered two points four kilometers too far south to Road 746. Lunch at Hoskins Lake was a bonus. I will backtrack Trail 51 tomorrow from camp with lighter load. Location 11UPQ 00009 17888. Elevation 1102 meters.

20 August
Back on the Trail. Camped above Vinal Creek on the ridge of Bunker Hill. No smoke in the air. Trail is in excellent condition. Location 11UPQ 03557 14431. Elevation 1338 meters.

17 July
Report from Bruce's wife Margaret: On Tuesday Bruce and a PNT official successfully checked out a better route into Eureka. Wednesday they did the Mt. Tuchuck traverse area which Bruce was able to document on his GPS including the last half mile to the road. He thinks that tangled bushwhack could be a reasonable route in the future. Blisters caused by road walking have caused his plans to change for the time being. He is finishing off the missing bits in that part of Montana and then going to attend a ham radio festival in East Glacier at the weekend and then coming home for a break to rest his sore feet! Hooray! He hopes to rejoin the trail again at Yaak in early August. So until then....Margaret Prior.

10 July
Report from Bruce's wife Margaret: Another week gone by. This has been quite eventful; at least from this end of it! Bruce and Shawn got into Eureka with some difficulties route finding and as a result of phone calls to the PNT headquarters it was decided that he would backtrack with a person from the PNT to reconsider the route in a couple of problem areas. That should take place this coming week. Shawn returned home and his place was filled by two young persons, Emilie and Christopher. After a day sorting out gear and returning more unwanted stuff home they finally set off on July 3rd along a very easy trail to a public campground. I was amazed to receive phone calls from the hike! So far, so good. Next day we heard that it was extremely hot and that they were by Lake Koocanusa, getting ready to hike a very steep section of dry trail, carrying all their water needs. Apparently during the night Christopher became quite sick from the heat, which had been 105 degrees the previous day! It was decided that he and Emilie would return to Eureka to recuperate and then return home, much to their disappointment. Bruce was fine and continued up the steep trail. Needless to say, when no word was heard from him that next night, we were concerned, but finally a message came that he had reached Boulder Creek (which means water supplies) and so a large sigh of relief followed! The next night he camped just south of Mt. Henry in the Purcell Mtns. and was enjoying the scenery. On Sunday evening I had an unexpected phone call from Yaak. He had pushed himself to get there in order to get a cabin to be away from the bugs! He had a lot of GPS data retrieval work to do before meeting up with the PNT person. It has been reported that Bruce is looking great with only a small blister to far.

7 July
email message from ham in Spokane "A fine day for a walk in the Purcell Mountains. Trail sometimes faint but recently cleared of deadfall. Camped one kilometer south of Mount Henry. Location 11 U PG 08825 14609. Elevation 1907 meters."

6 July
email message from ham in Idaho "Bad radio conditions Thursday so no message sent. Christopher sick so he and Emilie returned to Eureka Thursday. Camped by Boulder Creek east of trail 62. Five women just left bicycles here and donned backpacks. They are going to Boulder Lakes. Location 11U PQ 15645 10584 Elevation 1672 meters"

5 July
no formal message but phone call from his 2 young companions to say that they had left the trail as of that morning, as Chris became quite ill last night. Diarrhoea, and signs of heat exhaustion. In the morning the situation was assessed and it was decided that he was not well enough to continue on. It was 105 degrees that afternoon. Bruce was doing just fine. The kids were back in Eureka recuperating at the campground at the edge of town. Later heard that they are on the way home.

4 July
email message from ham in Spokane "Still alive, absolutely boiling hot.... At base of Webb Mt. Trail by Lake Koocanusa. About to do hardest part but looking forward to it. Location 11U PQ 25450 08686"

3 July
phone calls from both Rexford Bench Campground [location 11U PQ 34896 17872] and Mariner's Haven Campground. Bruce luxuriating in another hot shower. Said the trail from Eureka almost wheelchair accessible!

2 July
phone calls from Eureka. Getting packages sorted out and planning future reconnoitre of some problem sections from the previous week. It has been a challenging week route finding. Water has also been a problem with creeks dried up where there should have been substantial run-off. Spectacular views from Weasel Divide and Mount Wam. No mention of grizzly bears yet!!! Now in Eureka and reveling in hot showers and soft beds!! Shawn will be leaving Bruce today and Emilie and Chris will replace him for a week or two.

1 July
phone call from Eureka -- all well but had very difficult time struggling with the route into Eureka. It would have been MUCH better if the guide book had UTM coordinates on the maps as Bruce originally suggested!

30 June
Delayed email message from ham in Spokane "Am at glorious end to a fine day traversing the Galton Range. We are camped by a logging road amidst route finding problems five miles from Eureka. Looking forwrd to showers tomorrow. Location 11 U PQ 50570 18285 --Bruce '

29 June
No message

28 June
Email message from same ham in Idaho " MOUNT WAM MONTANA JUNE 28 ATTAINED MOUNT WAM WITH REAL EFFORT CARRYING FULL WATER LOADS. TREMENDOUS VIEWS. PLEASE SEND CAMERA AND ROLLS OF FILM TO EUREKA. LOCATION 11U PQ 60264 24776. ELEVATION 7239 FEET. --BRUCE"

27 June
Email message from ham in Idaho received during big lightning storm " WEASEL DIVIDE MONTANA JUNE 27. PLAYING TAG WITH ROADGRADERS AND RAIN BRINGS US TO DIVIDE CREEK CAMPGROUND AT WEASEL DIVIDE. TUCHUCK CREEK TRAIL NO LONGER EXISTS BUT OUR ROUTE HAS LOTS OF WATER. TOMORROW MOUNT WAM. .... LOCATION 11U PQ 64304 25410 --SHAWN"

26 June
Phone message from ham in Seattle. "Disappearing creek and lack of water forced us to skirt west of Tuchuk Mt. trail via logging road. Please send Platypus water bottles to Eureka... Location 11U PQ 75881 21612"

25 June
P hone message from Shawn via ham "Bruce and Shawn reached Tohma Peak. Said the climb was steep - but beautiful and the terrain seemed more like rattlesnake country rather than grizz country".

23-24 June
Phone calls from Polebridge as per my earlier message. They spent the day sorting their gear and laundry the old fashioned way with scrub board and rollers to squeeze out the water, and a clothes line!

22 June
E mail from same person in Idaho "Wish I could share beautiful Lake Francis and Brown Pass with you. 2 days easy hiking. Weather sunny and windy" No location given.

21 June
E mail from hams in Canada, Colorado and Idaho "We are at Francis Lake....." No location given and poor reception reported. Somewhat garbled message.

20 June
E mail from Shawn via ham in Canada "We are at start of official PNT. Weather gorgeous. Rangers accommodating our slow pace quite well"

20 June
P hone call from ham in Seattle via my in-laws. "Challenging and beautiful 4 day hike to Goat Haunt, official start of the PNT."
Location 12U TV 88595 26987"

19 June
E mail from ham in Spokane. "Gorgeous day in spectacular alpine scenery. Please send neoprene booties from scuba box in garage...
Location 12U TV 89987 18261"

Mike Woodmansee

A number of thru-hikers have been having trouble route finding in the Eureka MT area. Also, there is concern about the practicality of the "practical route" involving fording the North Fork of the Flathead River in western Montana. There is also concern about how "practical" a route is the West Tuchuck Traverse. PNTA Board member Mike Woodmansee and his 14 year old daughter Angie in July of 2001 traveled to Montana to address the above issues along with thru-hiker Bruce Prior who took time off from his trek to help Mike and Angie. Following is Mike's report:

ISSUE #1 MT 6. Is Trail #88 followable from road #7077 to Road #7124 and does the route take one across private land and near private residential cabins?
The answer to this question is "Yes, Trail #88 is followable from road #7077 to Road #7124" and "No, the route does not cross private land or go near residential cabins."

I would write the last paragraph describing MT 6 on page 23 as follows:
Cross Road #7077 at the gate. The trail is obscure for about 10 feet and then is readily followed, with gentle switchbacks leading down the slope. Ignoring a number of branching dead-end paths, descend the slope about 200 feet. At this point the trail touches both a rough skid road and the left-hand edge of a meadow/clearcut. The obvious trail, marked by faded pink ribbons, descends gently in a straight line through pine trees adjacent to the margin of the meadow/clearcut. In about 1/4 mile the trail widens into an old road and in another 1/4 mile intersects a driveable but primitive dirt road. Turn left at this very obvious intersection and proceed about ½ mile to graveled Road #7124 "A". Turn right and follow Road #7124 "A", which becomes Road #7124, 1.4 miles to paved Sinclair Road #864.

The only real discrepancies I noted were:
1. The lower road noted is in fact #7124"A", not #7124. The road becomes #7124 halfway to Road #864. (This is a minor detail.)
2. The route intersects Road #7124"A" at a sharp curve, 1.4 miles from Road #864, NOT 1.1 miles. There is an old road at 1.1 miles but it is not the proper route.

ISSUE #2 MT.1-2. Can the North Fork Flathead River be forded safely during the primary through hiker travel period (mid-June to mid-July) and what is the practicality of this route truly being the "practical route"?

The answer is "No, the North Fork Flathead River cannot reasonably be forded before August, making the current "practical route" a non-route for virtually all through-hikers." Only those hikers traveling this section of trail in August could entertain this notion, and then it is not a sure thing. This recommendation was definitely well-meaning but it was an error on the author's part. The author was so hung up on the negative aspect of a long walk on roads that his purest intentions outweighed reality. On page 12 the author notes "the crossing must not be attempted in anything but the low-water conditions of late summer. Early season high water always necessitates use of the 29-mile round-trip Alternate Route via Polebridge." Further along on the same page the author notes, "You must not attempt the ford until the water level has sufficiently receded." To give you a view from the riverbank perspective, in mid July 2001 of a drought year the river was 200 feet wide and 3+ feet deep in the shallowest sections. A survivable crossing maybe, but hardly a recommended or "practical route". So bag the ford. The "Practical Route" is either the aforementioned 29-mile road walk, or the alternate via Bowman lake, which still entails about 22 miles of road walking.

I would further note the roads are lightly traveled, the countryside and river views lovely to outstanding, and the routes very "hitchhikeable" if people don't feel walking roads is adding to their experience. In the long term the ideal situation would involve working with locals and the Forest Service to construct a cable crossing of the river and perhaps locate a trail on Forest Service lands away from the roads.

ISSUE #3 MT4. How "practical" a route is the West Tuchuck Traverse?

This question has different answers, depending on the competence and experience of the hikers and the weather conditions. (Weather conditions added by Bruce Prior.) The ascent to the top of Tuchuck Mountain is straightforward and goes exactly as described in the guide, except there was no pond noted. You simply follow your nose up the ridge. Either the gently ascending ridge or unmaintained but very followable trail provides ready access to this highest point on the entire PNT! The tricky part is the descent toward the 7000' col between the summit and Point 7,215. This descent ridge is narrower than the ascent ridge and has a few rock outcroppings 10-40 feet tall. It is necessary to skirt these outcroppings by dropping left off the ridge and crossing shale slopes and gullies. While not difficult in good weather , (emphasis by Bruce Prior), simply rugged walking, the terrain does not look or feel like hiking terrain. There is nothing whatsoever resembling a trail and you cannot just follow the ridge, you have to pick your own route. I could certainly see a novice hiker, with the added anxiety of traveling alone, freaking out over this bit of travel. (Experienced hikers, under bad weather conditions of sleet, rain, etc. could have difficulty too-Bruce Prior) Lower down, the descent ridge is fine, the problem is simply getting to Point 7,215. Once again the author focused on the aesthetics (reaching a high point with great views in this case) and pooh-poohed the negatives (a scrambling descent). Interestingly, the author spends nearly a page, page 18, describing the alternate route.

The alternate route could more easily be described as follows, "From the ridge above Tuchuck Pass traverse and ascend the open slopes above Tuchuck Creek toward the obvious saddle of Otter Creek Pass, simply choosing the path of least resistance. From Otter Creek Pass traverse northwest to gain the descending west ridge of Tuchuck beyond Point 7,215."

Moma Nelda

Hey, hey--At this time --the beginning-- of the hike, she has seen more blisters than bears. = ) There were some exciting moments when "a bear patrol" was monitoring a grizzly and her cubs... trying to keep them out of (?) Polebridge? I don't have the name written down. But also at the beginning of the hike, a companion/day-hiker saw a bear... don't know what kind. I will forward your note to her in her Bonner's Ferry drop. She and Lee are having a ball! --Nelda

Nathaniel "Fleischman" Strauss

06 September
After I got off the PNT I spent the next two months traveling and backpacking around other places in the West in Utah, California, Oregon and Washington. Including my stretch on the PNT, I estimate that I hiked about 900 miles this summer. I think I may have actually met back up with the PNT on Fidalgo Island (WA).

6/25/2001
Hello, I don't have much time to write this. So I'll be brief. I am in Libby, MT.

-- Webb Mountain TR435 is completely loaded with blowdowns. It looks like it hasn't been maintained in years. But it is followable.

-- Parts of the Vinal-Henry-Boulder NRT are in better condition than others, but none of it is too bad, and the blowdowns were mostly cleared last week by the USFS. However, some side trails (including ones the PNT follows) are completely unmaintained and essentially gone -- they have been traveled so little that they are impossible to find. These trails include: TR251 south of the TR251-TR91 juntion; TR7 east of Mt. Henry; and the Lookout Spring trail to the top of Mt. Henry. Plus, TR9 is incorrectly mapped on Chapter 2, map 4. It goes much further west and down to hit TR17 maybe 0.2 miles east of the Solo Joe spur trail. In other words, if you don't bushwhack, the PNT takes you toward Mt. Henry and then away from it without ever going to the summit! To get to the summit, you have to take a 1-mile side trip up TR17.

--TR8 (MT11) was in excellent condition, except for one misplaced cairn, which I knocked over.

I am sad to inform you that I've decided to end my PNT thru-hike. I stopped at the end of MT11, at the Northwest Peak trailhead. This was a personal decision that had little to do with the PNTA or the guidebook. I wish you all the best. If I move to Puget Sound (which I have been considering for years), I will certainly contact the PNTA again.
Keep on keepin' on,
Fleischman

6/18/2001
Hello, I am a week into a thru-hike of the PNT. I am currently in Eureka, MT. Here are my reflections on the trail so far. I hope that people find this useful. I will try to do it again the next time I can get on the Web. This might sound like a gripe session, but I'm only trying to disseminate useful information. Of course, the mountains around here are totally gorgeous, and the views have been great. My favorite point so far was the Rainbow Lake overview (MT 6).
My biggest and very MAJOR complaint is the traverse down Tuchuck Mtn. Tuchuck is an incredible mountain, but as the book says, there is no trail west from the summit. The traverse the guidebook recommends is very, very dangerous! It's not so much the steepness, but the amount of loose rock that makes it so bad. Without a doubt, it's the most difficult route I've ever hiked. And if you sprain your ankle, well, you're as good as puma-meat, because you're miles from a trail. I wish that Ron Strickland had put something about this in his book. I just hope that everyone who goes this route is warned. By the way, John Frederick (former caretaker of the North Fork Hostel in Polebridge) thinks that this route is too dangerous to be recommended.

My second gripe is the amount of outdated information in the book, despite that it was published this year. (Yes, I realize it was written over a long period of time.) Here are some inconsistencies I found that hikers should know about:
- John Frederick is no longer caretaker of the North Fork Hostel in Polebridge. The new caretaker's name is Jen. (I don't know her last name.) John is still in town, though.
- Thoma Creek (MT 3) is completely dry, not just dry in August. Get water when you enter the clearcut about 1 mile beforehand.
- The trailhead coming to the road near Eureka is outdated... gotta go, library's closing

6/19/2001
Okay, I'm now at the high school, so I have web access again. To continue:
- Trail 88, which turns into Sinclair Creek Trail (MT 6? I don't have the Guide on me at the moment) hits Road 7077 at a different spot. There is no continuation that I could find on the other side of the road. Also, the map here is totally outdated. Here's how I got to Sinclair Creek Road (the paved road leading to Eureka): right on 7077 (past the metal gate); left on 7077A; at the split, take the right (gated) road; follow the least overgrown road for maybe half a mile, til you get to a "Dead End" sign; pass the "No Tresspassing" sign ; walk down the tresspassee's driveway to the actively driven road; follow this "SCAD"-marked road southerly to the paved road.
- In Eureka, Cafe Jax doesn't offer AYCE on any entree for PNT hikers. New management, perhaps.
- In every section except Glacier Park, there were relocations, mostly new switchbacks, that were not reflected in the book. Some of the relo's were near trail junctions, so it became difficult to figure out if I was actually going in the right direction. (The snow on the ground didn't help, either.) I don't know how the PNT works in this way, but it seems critical to me that the organization must stay in contact with the USFS in these areas so that relo's can be reflected in the PNT literature. Some of these relo's appeared to be years old, but they weren't in the book. This will surely lead to people getting lost. It is so remote out here that getting lost could have serious consequences.

A final point: don't start thru-hiking the PNT westbound starting in June. There is too much snow around here. In Glacier Park, I ran into whiteout conditions at Boulder Pass, and I had to turn around and take the Alternate Route. According to the local papers, the heavy snow was due to some abnormal weather patterns lately. But generally, I've been walking through a LOT of snow, particularly in the Ten Lakes region (MT 6). Besides it making the hiking slow and difficult, it makes it much easier to get lost. And this past winter had much less snow than usual.

Alright, those are my thoughts. In sum, I just want to say that if the PNT is to become a successful, established trail, it needs to have a proper guidebook... which it does not quite have. The guidebook must more accurately reflect the trail. I understand that the PNTA has most of its operations in Western WA, but the eastern part of the trail needs as much if not more attention, since it's more remote and not as actively maintained. I am seriously concerned about real tragedies occurring because of inadequacies in the PNT literature. I am assuming (hoping!) that there will be future editions of the guidebook, and that they will improve over time.

Matthew Prebus

Summer 2001
Matthew Prebus of Eugene, Oregon, is hiking the PNT WEST TO EAST following the Guidebook in reverse order. He began at Cape Alava on the Olympic Peninsula in WA and is hiking to Priest Lake in Idaho, a distance of about 800 miles. We await word on his adventures and will post them here when they become available.