Monday 11/18/19 ( 9.63 miles with 1968ft elevation gain.) attempted PCT North via Rock Creek Pass TH to Mowich Butte (all downhill on the way in with some narrow trail areas. First creek, Rock Creek has a bridge, but all the rest I a came across did not have bridges. Some blowdowns as well as overgrown in places with lots of leaf debris on trail. After FR 2070 the PCT north from what I saw minus one blowdown is in great condition.) but I think it would have been 16+ miles RT so I went close to 5 miles in on the PCT North from Rock Creek Pass and hiked back via Forrest roads 2070, 2000 and 2090. Also took Snag Creek trail (Snag Creek/PCT trail junction) to Forrest road 2070 (trail is very faint in spots with lots of debris but you can still see tread in the distance). On the pct north in this area there was a large creek crossing with slippery rocks so I opted for snag creek trail instead after getting my boot wet. After the 2070 road crossing the pct north is in good condition with one blowdown and I turned around at a creek crossing. Decided to come back another day and park closer to Snag Creek/PCT north to do Mowich Butte.

Rock Creek Pass TH to Pct North to Snag Creek trail junction to FR 2070 to PCT North .5 miles, back to FR 2070 to FR 2000 to FR 2090. Saw one car as I was within feet of my vehicle. Saw no one else from 4am to 11am.

No pass needed to park here and no bathrooms here.

This was a dual purpose hike: I was accumulating hiking miles for WTA's 2019 Hike-a-Thon, and at the same time I was collecting data on encounters with other hikers for volunteer solitude monitoring in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. The encounter data was for the U.S. Forest Service.

We started our hike at the East Crater trailhead on FR 6035. A dozen cars were in the parking area.

We hiked the East Crater Trail to Junction Lake, where it ends at the Pacific Crest Trail. We walked around to the west shore of Junction Lake where we found a sunny and wind-sheltered spot for lunch.

The Cascade Bilberry plants around Junction Lake were loaded with ripening berries. They were still a bit tart, so another week or two of ripening should improve the flavor. As most wildflowers have faded into the fruiting stage, mushrooms have begun emerging from the forest floor. Huckleberry leaves have not changed color yet; in a few weeks they will become quite colorful.

After lunch, we hiked south to Blue Lake, where stopped for photos. We turned around and retraced our steps back to the East Crater trail junction, and then back to the trailhead.

We hiked 9.2 miles with 985 feet of elevation gain.

We stopped at Backwoods Brewing in Carson for pizza and beers on the drive home.

This was a three-night, four-day trip from Bridge of the Gods to the Williams Mine Trailhead on Road 23. I started on July 5, 2019 at noon.

In the first few miles the trail is pretty brushy and another hiker mentioned poison oak on the sides. Otherwise, the trail is easy to navigate. About seven miles in you'll reach the last water source for the next 11 miles. (Some guides refer to a water trough on the Three Corner Rock trail in seven miles, but it doesn't exist, so don't bother hiking up there.) Shortly after the stream you'll reach the first of two information boards for Table Mountain. I filled up on water here and kept on going. After going past the power lines and up onto the ridge, I found a spot to camp in the trees. There were plenty of wildflowers to see along here.

In the morning things were a little soggy from some light rain and trees wringing water out of the low clouds. The trail was definitely overgrown in some places, so rain gear was necessary even though it wasn't raining. The water stop at Snag Creek (?) was lovely. I stopped to fill up, made a little fire to steam my shoes, and had a snack. The trail heads uphill for quite awhile but is in good shape. There's a nice view point above Trout Creek and then it's an easy couple of miles down to the creek. I camped here for the night, just before the footbridge. It was nice to camp near the creek - plenty of water and the chance to clean up a bit.

From Trout Creek to Panther Creek, the trail is nice and flat, making for easy going. The only navigation challenge you might have is when you hit the dirt road a mile east of Trout Creek. Turn left on the road and go about 100 yards to find the trail again. After Panther Creek the trail is really steep, so enjoy that chunk of no fun. Up by Big Huckleberry Mountain I got a cell signal for a bit. It's then smooth sailing down to the Big Lava Bed area, where there's a really nice camping area about a quarter mile before a piped spring. I had been planning to stop here for the night, but it was only 5pm so I kept going to Crest Camp, which is on a forest service road and has a privy. No water here, but there are picnic tables, so it feels luxurious.

Hitting the trail the next morning, there's a spot to self-register for a back-country permit, then it's steady uphill into the Indian Heaven Wilderness. There are lots of pretty little lakes tucked in here, some wildflowers, and plenty of bugs. The bugs weren't too bad while hiking, but when it was time to stop and filter water, they sucked a lot of blood. There were a few patches of snow across the trail, but they weren't an issue. I thought I might stop for the night at Mosquito Creek, but while taking a quick nap on the side of the trail, I decided I was making pretty good time and could finish up before 9pm. About five miles from the trailhead there's another really nice campsite just after crossing a footbridge over Grand Meadow Creek or Lake Creek (not sure which). I took a quick break for a little more food and water, then kept on going. There was just one more climb and then easy cruising to the Williams Mine Trailhead.

The whole trip was 81 miles in 81 hours. There was only one blowdown tree to climb over, so a big Thank You to all the trail crews who keep the trail clear. I think the bugs would have made camping unpleasant in Indian Heaven, so pack the bug spray if you're planning to linger there. I hope the thru hikers I met on the way are zipping through the Goat Rocks Wilderness with good weather today.

We did this Southbound from the Panther Creek Campground to the Rock Creek Road. Easy going but the season water is gone. Wind River, Trout Creek, Rock Creek and the stream just North of Rock Creek are really the only available water. No seasonal water until the rains come back. It was in the 90's and 3 liters each was not enough for the day.

Camps at Wind River, Trout Creek, Rock Creek are very inviting.

A few views of Mount Adams and Mount Hood along the way, but mostly forest walking through Hemlocks and Douglas Firs. The trail needs to be brushed in a few places. 

The highlights are the flowing water, bridges and seeing the spotted owl. 

17.1 miles, 3625' elevation gain

Bridge of the Gods is where the PCT the tail crosses the Columbia River and thru hikers enter Washington from Oregon. It is a narrow 2 lane bridge with a toll gate Hikers just walk in the roadway. This is the lowest point on the PCT ~200'. (PCT Mile 2147)

We did this backwards- starting at  Forest Road 2070 (Red Bluff Road) PCT Mile 2166) The Trailhead is about 8 miles from Stevenson, WA on a good road. (Although I did get a flat) Rock Creek is .6 further on Northbound from the Road. 

The Trail is a long gradual ascent to over 3400' passing thru mature spaced Hemlocks. Lots of ferns covered the forest floor. Water is scarce until almost to Table Mountain. We encountered about 12 Section Hikers starting WA and almost all inquired where the next water source was.

The Three Corners Trail was very brushy so we continued on the PCT. We had some excellent views of Mount Adams and later on Mount Hood. We could just see Mount Jefferson peaking out far in the distance. If Mount St Helens was visible we missed it.

We skirted the West side of Table Mountain, but saved going to the top for another day. The views must be incredible from there. Below Table Mountain is water. A small stream about 11 miles from Rock Creek. In the spring there is seasonal water. 

As we descended we went past Gillette Lake, a popular destination with day hikers and had fantastic views of the Columbia Gorge, Bonneville Dam, the Columbia River. It was sad to see all the burned area on the South side from the fireworks last summer.

A lot of the trail is very smooth and great for running. Some high sections were in need of brushing. The flowers were amazing up high and lots of butterfly's. A fabulous hike! 

18 Miles point to point, 3K elevation gain, 7 hours