We set out to hike most of the PNTs section 6 over the 4th of July week.  Traveling from Seattle to Loomis we parked at the Cold Creek campground.  The road to the campground was well maintained and passable for most vehicles.  Parking at the trailhead was plentiful.  

The trail starts heading slightly downhill following a well defined winter snowshoe trail.  Almost immediately the trail dives into a meadow where the path just sort of disappears from view.  Not to worry there are red snowshoe trail markers in the trees marking the way.  As you make your way through the trail you are rewarded by your first glimpses of what's to come, towering peaks and rolling fields. Reaching the first burned out section of the trail you encounter several downed logs dotting the trail.  This will become a regular thing the further you head into the Pasayten... Crossing these logs and exiting the burn you find yourself on an exposed grass hillside.  Traversing the hillside the trail will intermittently disappear and reappear.  Several broken trail markers were observed through this section.  At some point the trail completely disappears and you're left to figure out a path that works best at the moment.  Continue pushing and you enter the Pasayten Wilderness!  The first night we pushed up to Loudoun lake.  During the drier months (July-September) likely this is your only water source in Horseshoe basin.  Mosquitoes and Horse Flies are heavy around the lake so plan accordingly.  At the lake we were rewarded with a brief glimpse of a rare wolverine heading down for a drink! 

The second morning we arose early knowing we had a long 18 mile day ahead of us.  Moving quickly across the remainder of the exposed ridgeline we dropped into the forest.  Popping in and out of heavy tree cover we made our way to Upper Cathedral Lake. Water sources were beginning to get scarce along the route due to an early snow melt.  Along the way we took time to stop at the historical Tungsten Mine site where the original bunk house and some of the mine machinery are still present. Arriving at the end of our day we climbed to the top of Cathedral pass where the views are stunning!  Upper Cathedral lake is like nothing else in the Pasayten.  A towering cliff band aptly named amphitheater mountain borders the lake giving it an otherworldly feel. 

Leaving Cathedral Lake the next day we made a quick detour to Remmel lake, this detour is HIGHLY recommended!  After passing the historic Spanish Cabin site (still used today by the forest service) you enter a major burn area.  This is where the punishing conditions really start.  Miles of exposed dry land and dozens of downed log crossings lead you to the canyon of the Ashnola river.  The eastern side of the canyon progressively worsens in condition the closer to the river you get. We counted 50 downed trees across the trail and several areas where the trail is collapsing. At the bottom of the canyon dense regrowth has begun to pop up leaving the trail barely visible.  Camping at the river is plentiful and flat.  

Fording the Ashnola river to start the day we found the trail on the Western side of the canyon to be in even worse shape than the east. Again we counted 50 downed trees across the trail with chest high vegetation the whole way up.  While this can be an annoyance, scary, and difficult terrain to pass through, it's also what makes this trail so special!  A strong sense of being completely alone begins to envelop you as you make your way up the hillside.  At this point in the trail you are at one of the most remote spots in WA.  As you reach the top the brush opens up into a meadow that houses the historic Baker Brown cabin site.  It's worth noting that we went off trail here and were able to find a water spring flowing in a cluster of trees at the far West end of the madow about halfway up the hillside. Passing Peeve Pass you are again in a burn zone. Dozens of downed trees lead you to a grassy ridgeline where you have a brief moment of reprieve from stepping over logs.  That moment is short lived as you descend into another burn zone.  Finally popping out and making your way up Bunker hill.  (Only 1 water source could be found in that 8 mile stretch, Dean Creek.) Bunker hill (really Bunker Mountain) hosts some of the most breathtaking views of the Pasayten.  It is worth taking an extended break at the top.  Finally as the day was getting late we began the descent off Bunker hill towards Bunker Creek.  We found a single tent site about half way down the Western slope of Bunker Hill next to a creek.  Hindsight being 2020 this is where we should have camped and would recommend others to camp here! After that tent site you reenter a burn zone.  The trail here is in absolutely terrible condition.  We lost count of downed logs on the trail after 200.  The final 4 switchbacks that descend to Bunker Creek are dangerous, crumbling, and very difficult to navigate.  The topography of this area is essentially a funnel where all of the downed trees eventually end up as they shift during the winter storm cycles.  We pushed into camp late that evening around 2000hrs, finding a nice spot on the east bank of Pasayten river (there are also 3 or 4 sites on the West side of the river if needed). Black bear scat lined our campsite but options for pitching a tent in this area are SLIM!

The following morning we started out by fording the Pasayten river to the western bank. Carnes mark the location of the trail. Mostly flat hiking with maybe 60 downed trees in 6 miles! A breeze compared to the previous day's adventure!  At the Pasayten airstrip we took our time eating a big lunch and taking advantage of the water spicket near the pit toilet. Continuing south along the Robinson creek trail we ran into people for the third time in a week.  That evening camping at Berk Creek. We found this campsite to be well maintained with room for several tents.

Our final day on the trail we had very few downed trees.  Making this one of the more enjoyable sections to get into a bit of a flow.  The trail peaks at Robinson Pass giving you stunning views  towards Mazama.  As the trail winds back down there is some overgrowth, and 2 ankle deep water fords. Along this trail we ran into two more groups of hikers, a novelty after spending an entire week seeing only a handful of other people.  

Arriving at our car in the early afternoon we were saddened to be getting off trail. While incredibly challenging the Pasayten Wilderness holds some of the most unique and beautiful areas in the Cascades.  It also gives you a rare opportunity to walk back in time.  Where trails were more or less not defined and reliance on overland navigational skills was required.  Given the current status of the Pasayten Wilderness it's safe to say that you are unlikely to find a wilderness experience similar to it anywhere in WA. 

We hiked the Boundary Trail/Pacific Northwest Trail from Peeve Pass going east, exiting along the Long Draw/Chopaka Mountain trail at the Cold Spring trailhead. This involved a long car shuttle -- almost 4 hours -- between our end point at Cold Springs and our entry point at Billy Goat trailhead.

Road and Trailhead at Cold Springs: the road to the trailhead is in great shape, graded gravel the whole way. I spent the night prior to the trip at Chopaka Lake and tried to take the road marked on the forest service map from the Chopaka Lake to Cold Springs campground/trailhead (it's the road that goes by the "Beef Pasture Cabin" on the USFS visitor map). Don't try it. The road was rough, 4WD or ATV only, and after half way and quite a number of cattle gates it ends in a wash out that no vehicle could get past. I turned back at that point. After following the graded road back out from Chopaka Lake for a little ways I decided to follow an unmarked, well-graded road that turns sharp right (coming from the lake it's a right -- it would be left fork if you're driving towards the lake from Coulee Road). That graded road was perfect all the way to the intersection with the road up from North Fork Ninemile campground to Cold Springs campground. None of my maps indicated which would be the main road for the stretch between the lake and Cold Springs, but just take the obvious one and you'll be on the right track.

Lots of parking at the trailhead at Cold Springs.

Trail: we started the Boundary Trail/Pacific Northwest Trail at Peeve Pass after accessing from the Billy Goat Trailhead. The trail west of Peeve Pass was closed to fire so our hope for a longer hike didn't pan out.

The trail east of Peeve Pass was in great shape, no blowdowns except a couple very small ones as we exited the Pasayten and got onto state land. Exiting the Pasayten to the east is also where the trail becomes not as nice, lots of cows and the wear they put on the trail, and much of it was clearly old road, had been logged, and mediocre along the Long Draw/Chopaka Mtn trail. An unfortunate way to end the trip, so you might consider a different exit point if you don't care about staying on the Pacific Northwest Trail as long as possible.

The Boundary Trail itself was stellar. Lots of views, changing scenery, good trail conditions including long sandy stretches of trail instead of the more rocky trail I had expected. Water was flowing at the springs and streams, plenty along the way to fill up water bottles. On account of the cows, I'd recommend having enough on hand for the last bit after exiting the wilderness, unless you don't mind sharing your water source with livestock. The last clean water heading east would be a couple of miles before Goodenough Mountain, so 7-8 miles from Cold Springs. We had marked escape routes along the way, but all of those trails were in pretty primitive shape or looked like they had received no trail work for quite some time. So leaving the Boundary Trail/PNWT for other routes might be challenging.

At Goodenough Mountain, it's worth the short side hike to the "summit". Nice views all around and a pleasant place for lunch or a snack. Very charming, also a dry campsite.

East of Peeve Pass we camped at Spanish Camp, very much a horse camp but also some nice spots on the rise above the ranger cabin. There wasn't anyone else there the night we stayed, and it looked like the cabin had been closed up for the season. Good water flowing.

Our next night was Teapot Dome. There's good flowing water and camping a bit past the first obvious campsites. That's a nice, quiet camp, open forest with lots of boulders that make for an interesting landscape.

We didn't stay at Upper Cathedral Lake, but it's very beautiful and would be a great camping spot. Good access to the water and swimming, stunning views of amphitheater and cathedral mtns. We saw climbers going up Amphitheater so there's entertainment if you're lucky enough to be there when people are ascending.

It's worth paying attention to where the old tungsten mine site is and taking the brief side trail to see it. Large old buildings that look semi-maintained and used, lots of space for group camping. Also a horseshoe pit with horseshoes if you need entertainment.

On 6/25 we traveled the boundary trail from the vicinity of Frosty Pass to the vicinity of the Pasayten Airstrip. Much of this area burned in the 2022 Parks fire.

Blowdowns came quickly after leaving our camp in the SE facing basin below Mt. Winthrop. In one spot where the trail flattens out we left the trail completely for several hundred feet to navigate through a maze of charred logs and rejoin the trail in the next meadow.

The trail then goes through an unburned swampy section before reentering the burn. The rest of the descent down frosty creek was extremely tedious, crossing blowdown after blowdown after blowdown every 50' or so on the trail.

Rough conditions continued on the ascent to Dead Lake where we were relieved to step out of the burnt forest on to a talus field.

We noticed a fresh (summer 2023?) looking cut log along dead lake then many more on the descent to and along soda creek. Huge thanks to whoever cleared this section! After hours of slow tedious travel we were thrilled to finally be moving.

Besides the climb up to dead lake from the Pasayten River/airstrip, I can't recommend this trail in its current shape. I am unsure if there is a preferable route (Rock Creek? Chuchuwanteen trail?) in better trail condition nearby for PNT / Boundary Trail hikers.

I confess...I bit off a little more than I could chew. But I got it down! I feel a lot of guilt for taking my friend (who has never done more than a three day backpack before) on this kind of wild ride. But she said she'd do it all over again. (Only because we didn't die, haha) If the couple we ran across who told us Cathedral Pass "wasn't that bad" read this...I sure would love to hear your definition of bad. Anyway, click the link to my blog below for all the details, but the things you probably want to hear: the washout on East Chewuch River Road is fixed enough to drive on. Andrew's is cleared, but brushy as hell, and that river ford is a non-event. The worst blowdown area is a couple miles east of the Horseshoe Basin, but it's only about a half mile. (Took us probably over an hour though.) Also, the road to Cold Springs Campground is great...I don't know why more people don't enter the Pasayten that way. Anyway, I do hope you read the story. I think it's a good one. :)

Pros: Wildflowers were the best part of the trip. Elevation changes were not too strenuous. Trails not crowded. Plenty of campsites. No issues finding water sources.

Cons: Mosquitoes in the evening made it impossible to hangout outside. Not many campsites next to usable water sources. Not much wildlife (saw lots of squirrels, a marmot, and a few deer)

Iron Gate Trail to Boundary Trail: Trail to Loudon Lake Terrain was clear of obstacles. A few nice campsites on the way in. Took the trial to Smith Lake. Glad we did not stay there, the views were pretty simple and lake shallow. Checked out Coyote Camp, which is no longer a usable camp. We stayed about halfway between Coyote and the lake. By the time we left, we had other groups camping on either side of us, just out of sight.

Boundary to Teapot Dome. Came by several campsites and a few of them were really great. Dome Camp was by far the best! If we were not basing in one location both nights, we would have gone there. It does take going around about three blowdowns. As we approached Teapot, we took a direct route up since there seemed to be no trails. We went down the other side where there is a lake. It was not nearly as steep, but we did have to cross some marsh lands right before joining back up with the trail.

Long Draw Trail to Good Enough Peak. Right before the trail turns left, we saw a state park sign on a tree identifying the trail to the peak was straight. It was just by chance that we saw it and turned out to be the wrong way (not a trail). It was weird to hop around a cattle fence. The peak had the best vistas of the hike and the top of the peak is large and fun to bounce around.