[pct-l] WA section in July/August?

[Maxine Weyant]

I solo-hiked that section a few years ago, starting around July 22, I believe.  There was a spell in the very beginning where I didn't see anyone for about 3 days.  The first person I saw was Scott Williamson on one of his famous yo-yo hikes.  After that about 5-10 people/day until I got to Mt Adams on a sunny weekend and EVERYONE was out including rangers, horses.  I spent a night at White Pass, sometimes hikers will be sharing a room that has several bunks--check the register at the Kracker Barrel store.  The Alpine Lakes bet Snoqualmie and Stevens will be very popular on weekends and so will the section north of Rainy Pass.  Even though we've had a lot of snow this year, you should be fine by the time you get to the sections where snow can be a problem (though you can get late August snows in that last 40 mile section.)   And with the snows being so light in the Sierras this year, you'll probably meet a lot more thru-hikers in WA than usual for August, though you may be eating their dust as they blaze on through.   I recall that the mosquitos were horrible whenever the sun was out before and after Mt Adams until I got to higher elevations at Goat Rocks.  Definitely bring a headnet and a fresh bottle of DEET.  Black flies can be a problem in WA in Aug, I sometimes hike waving a pine bough to keep them off.  Enjoy!!

Dys-feng shui-nal