Bear Gap, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) - Chinook Pass to Snoqualmie Pass — Thursday, Jun. 27, 2024

Started from Morse Creek Trailhead. The road is rough and trench like in places. An all wheel drive could make it in if the driver is comfortable with rough mt road driving. The road walk up to the trailhead is short and has only one washout section that is easy to negotiate. There was a low cloud deck and just the very lightest rain. Trail is steep and you quickly come to the first junction. Signage says "Fog City" to the right and it was definitely an appropriate name today. We opted for the trail to the left hoping to make a lollipop loop and exit on the fog city trail. Continuing to climb to the 5 way junction with the PCT. There was several types of scat along the way. One nice pile of fairly fresh bear poop. At the junction the PCT looked snow free, but the trails to Silver Creek and Hen Skin Lake were snow covered as you dropped off the ridge. Knowing we might get stopped by snow on our lollipop we headed south on the PCT toward Chinook Pass. We went just shy of a mile along the exposed cliffs and found no snow on the trail. The rain had intensified along with a cold biting wind so we opted to head back where the ridge would provide some protection. The flowers along the rock walls are stunning right now. Heading north along the PCT the flowers continued and we could hear the high volume of water below on Silver Creek which continued to be snow filled. We were able to make it past the hairpin corner before hitting a large persistent snow coverage. I am sure we could have made it at least a ways along here, but my hiking partner is not comfortable on the snow so we opted to return the way we came.Flowers start from the beginning and are prolific up on the PCT section. Some of what we saw: Silver crown,paintbrush, columbine,bluebells,waterballs,pasque,penstemmons,phlox, and buttercup.