[pct-l] Washington re-route(s)

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

Yeah, and I agonized over it for weeks. Should I take the detour?  
Should I stay on the PCT and risk killing myself in Mild Creek and  
Suiattle River? The pictures of trail damage and people butt-scooting  
across the log that I found on the web gave me the willies.

Everyone coming southbound said stick to the PCT, stick to the PCT.  
PCT MOM said you'll get lost on the detour, don't do it. The  
Skykomish ranger lady said no, no, take the detour. I couldn't make  
up my mind until the very last minute, standing at the trail where I  
would have to make my final choice.

I'm so glad I stayed on the trail. Not only was it beautiful, but I  
thought climbing through the huge fallen trees was fun. The day I  
walked calmly upright over the Suiattle River was the best day of my  
life. I never felt such a feeling of accomplishment. I'm the biggest  
creek crossing wuss you ever met.

I'm glad there wasn't any snow for me. It was the height of summer,  
the last weeks of August for me.

Diane

On Feb 5, 2010, at 4:47 PM, Austin Williams wrote:

> I agree.  It was one of the most beautiful sections.  I wouldn't  
> take the
> detour.
>
> I did get terribly lost and have to do a 30-mile bailout.... but  
> that was
> only because I hiked it southbound in late June following one of the
> heaviest snow years on record... and without a GPS. (you can learn  
> a lot
> from a dummy...buckle your safety belt).  I'm sure it's much easier to
> navigate without two feet of snow everywhere.
>
> But even so... it was one of my favorite sections.  Absolutely  
> beautiful.
>
> -Austin
>
> On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 4:20 PM, Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com <
> diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
>
>> You can also visit the USFS office in Skykomish and purchase a map
>> and ask the ranger there for details.
>>
>> I recommend you don't take the detour unless you're riding a horse.
>> The main route is stunning and is not difficult. It's exciting and
>> fun, actually.