Had planned to hike the Devils Loop this week but trail closures due to wildfire changed our plans and we were glad we found this loop, it was glorious! Read a couple trip reports from last year that has some less than complimentary descriptions of the trail conditions but it appears that a lot of work has been done on the trail, trail to White pass from the N. Fork Sauk TH is in excellent condition and more work was being done on the PCT while we were up there, and it was a very well maintained trail. The trail from Curry Gap where is leaves the PCT and heads over to Blue lakes is where it gets a bit rougher, but appropriately so. The Pilot Ridge trail from Blue Lakes back to the trailhead appears to have had a lot of TLC, the tread is good and looks like it has been freshly benched in the last year or so. Nothing you can do about the relentless downward switchbacks, they are miserable, but it can't be helped (zip line anyone?) We were happy to come down on a dry day because they would have been quite slippery in the rain.
We spent 5 days and four nights on this loop for a total of nearly 50 miles with side trips included. Day 1 was short, from TH to McCauley shelter (it has collapsed, but its an excellent campsite). Day 2 we headed up the switchbacks in the rain (our only rainy day) to the camps below white pass. We arrived wet and cold (hadn't got the rain gear on quite soon enough), made camp and spent the rest of the day in our sleeping bags huddled up to nalgene bottles of boiling water. Day 3 the sun came out and we were treated to a very dramatic lifting of the fog. Headed out along the foam creek trail to the climbers route to Glacier Peak and did a loop that took us past the toe of the glacier and back out to the PCT about 2 miles north of Red Pass. It was amazing, not very well marked so if you do it GPS makes it easier. If the fog had rolled back in while we were up there it would have been impossible without GPS, but we were fortunate with the weather and used GPS only to find the best route. Surprised by what I think was Long Eared Owl, never seen one in a glaciated landscape before, he (or she) was gorgeous. Day 4 we went to Blue Lakes, this was probably the toughest day. We opted not to take the high route and instead used the 4 mile bypass onto Bald eagle to get there and were glad we did, when we got to Blue lake and saw what we would have had to come down on the high route we were surprised that it was possible. A couple of young men were also camped there and had come over the high route and said it was really difficult and that there were a couple of spots where they really wished they were not on it. Day 5 was a long walk out but beautiful views, lots of good views of Glacier Peak. We went up Johnson mountain as a side trip and it was amazing, really is a must do. Ended with Pizza at Omega Pizza in Granite Falls, highly recommend.
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