Stunning and grueling hike - over 155 switchbacks! Glorious views along the way. I didn't summit: after a short snowfield and talus scramble, the catwalk was too exposed for my comfort while hiking solo. (The last photo is the "trail" at the end.) I will be back! Wildflowers, huckleberries, and waterfalls along the way. FYI, the lake is now called Howard Lake.

One of the most beautiful and brutal hikes I've been on! 155 switchbacks! Sadly, I did not make the summit. After crossing the one snowfield and scrambling the talus, I didn't have the guts to work my way along the catwalk. I will be back! Tons of wildflowers, gorgeous views, and waterfalls along the way. Lovely, high, backcountry camp site.

This was a day off hike on a volunteer vacation....as getting to the trail is a journey, Lady of the Lake, and then park service shuttle bus, and then walk up the road to the trail head... road conditions don't apply..as you can't drive to the trailhead!!! The open pine ridges, and rock walls become more beautiful as you climb. About 1/3 of the way up, views increase, with Coon Lake below, and a sea of peaks across the Stehekin River valley visible, I chose to relax, and wander slowly back down. so if you're wondering about those tantalizing switchbacks calling you onward.... come explore.

PCT/Bridge Creek south from Highway 20 to McGregor Mountain, out and back. NPS trail conditions are fairly accurate, though I found the snow-holding gully on McGregor to be ~5800'. I was solo and didn't have poles or an axe, so turned around there and headed back. Scramble for water lower, or wait until 5525' when the trail hits the creek/gully. Few small sections of brush, barely any blowdown and all are easy step-overs. PCT in good shape; just some non-abrasive brush around southbound miles 3-6. Good flowers on both trails. Stehekin River valley really bakes in the afternoon.

We spent the weekend of the 4th of July hiking around Stehekin. It's a very special place and I would encourage everyone to visit. We left on Wednesday afternoon and camped at Daroga State Park near Chelan. Thursday saw us on the Lady Express. We disembarked at Stehekin Landing, made a dash to the Golden West Visitor Center to get camping permits, and hopped on the 11:00 shuttle bus to High Bridge, our base for the next two nights. Bill the hilariously cantankerous driver took us to High Bridge with a stop at the legendary bakery to pick up lunch to go. The hike to Agnes Gorge is nice but not astounding. There's a scary section if you're afraid of heights where the narrow path hugs a sheer cliff overlooking a bend in the gorge. Occasionally the forest opened up to give us a look at Agnes Peak, which we would see in all glory the next day. Friday we got up to hike McGregor Mountain. The trail information indicated that there was little to no water on the trail, and we spent a lot of time attempting to refill a bottle using a filter on the scummy Coon/Howard Lake. This was a waste of time as there are several creeks near the trail. There is a dry stretch of 2-3 miles after Coon Lake, but we found regular water sources further up the trail. This hike is great because you get out of the trees and into the wide-open views early. We encountered steep snow at around 6400' and turned back shortly after that because we did not have the gear for steep snow travel. The views up to that point over the North Cascades were phenomenal and we did not meet a single other hiker on the trail. Despite the elevation gain, the trail didn't feel too grueling due to the numerous switchbacks. The next day we took the shuttle back into Stehekin, with another bakery stop, and hiked Purple Pass. This was the only 'meh' day for me. Because of the shuttle schedule, we didn't get on the trail until 11:00, and the sun was already fierce. Treeline is high on this trail, switchbacks are relentless, and views over Lake Chelan are tantalizing but always partially blocked by dry trees. The brush is out of control; I was wearing shorts and got scratched pretty badly while whacking through the knee-deep growth. We met a couple of NPS trail maintenance workers low on the trail who had cleared the brush and blowdowns up to that point. They said they were the only workers in the district this year due to the sequestration We got to about 6500' before reaching our turnaround time. I'd recommend this hike only if you can start early enough to reach Boulder Butte, which previous trip reports recommend. On Sunday we made a last visit to the bakery and the Garden, a small farm and creamery. The farmer sells goat milk lassis with banana and carob. This might sound scary but they are delicious. Beautiful weather all weekend with the exception of a brief thunderstorm and downpour late on Saturday night. Photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurajacobsen/sets/72157634583998419/