Thunder Creek, Big Beaver Trail, Little Beaver Creek & East Bank Ross Lake — Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010

I'm posting this report for two reasons: 1) this was a great backpacking trip facilitated by public transportation (no car required!), and 2) it makes a nice alternative to the northern segment of the PCT (not that there's anything wrong with the PCT, but this route has more glaciers and rain-forest). In brief: --took the train from Seattle to Wenatchee (beautiful ride along the Skykomish), and camped at the mouth of the Wenatchee River --caught an early bus to Chelan, then the boat to Stehekin, and the shuttle to High Bridge --walked up the road and wagon trail to Park Creek campground and camped --hiked up Park Creek to Park Creek Pass (magnificent views of Buckner et al, and a bear feasting on berries near the pass) --headed down Thunder Creek (more views of peaks and glaciers), and camped at Junction Camp. --continued down Thunder Creek (beautiful forest, a few more glimpses of peaks and glaciers) to Colonial Creek Campground. From here I luckily caught a ride to Ross Dam trailhead (it would have been a 4.5 mile highway walk) --walked across Ross Dam, stopped off at Ross Lake Resort to arrange a water taxi for a few days later --continued hiking to Big Beaver Creek, and up the creek (truly magnificent forest) to 39mile camp, where I camped --on up to Beaver Pass (a few glimpses of the Picket Range as clouds moved in), through enchanted forest every step of the way --descended to Little Beaver Creek, a spectacular glacial torrent --hiked down Little Beaver Valley, camped at Perry Creek (heard an elk bugling in the early morning as it walked by on the trail) --continued to Ross Lake (you ascend quite a bit to get up over the gorge at the mouth of Little Beaver--- great views of Nohokomeen Glacier, and of Hozomeen once you reach the lake) --took my scheduled water-taxi (expensive but worth it) across to Lightning Creek Now, from here my original plan was to go up Lightning Creek to Freezeout Ridge. I would follow the ridge to Castle Pass, then follow the PCT to Manning Park, where I could catch the bus to Vancouver. However, snow levels were forecast to drop, and I feared the trail on Freezeout would disappear beneath the snow, and I would find myself lost in a white-out, in a place I've never been and where no one ever goes. So I altered my plans (but I still think the original plan would make an excellent journey, in better conditions): ---up Lightning Creek to the Willow Creek Junction ---up the beautiful but very strange (I can't say exactly how) valley in the shadow of Desolation Peak, to "Nightmare Camp." --continued north, then west, through beautiful rain-drenched forest (it was raining heavily), finally emerging again at the north end of Ross Lake. --from here I began walking up the 38-mile road towards the town of Hope. It's a beautiful road, but I was glad when after ten miles someone gave me a lift. From Hope I caught a bus to Vancouver; hobbled around the city for two days, then caught the train back to Seattle. All trails in excellent condition!