Rainy hike from Bridge Creek Trailhead, followed PCT south to junction with McAlester Trail (at Fireweed Camp), headed up and over McAlester Pass and down the Rainbow Creek Trail as far as Bench Creek Camp. Back the same route the next morning.

Trail was in good condition with a few small stream crossings, recent rain created muddy patches and puddles, but overall the trails were clear and easy to navigate. Biggest obstacle are the horse droppings as this is a stock trail as well.

Fall colors starting to appear.

Green Trails Map #82 is recommended.

The Eigenvector of a good hike is good weather. With a ridge of high pressure over the Northwest, the biggest problem was in deciding where. Eventually, my patriotic fervor got the best of me: Red Pass, White Pass, and Blue Lake via the Little Wenatchee Ford trailhead got the nod. I started driving at 3, escaped the clutches of Seattle by 6:30, and was at Wenatchee Ford by 9:30. It was convenient that Forest Service Road 6500 is paved nearly to its end.

By 10 I had negotiated the 200 yards on the combined 1501-1525-1532 artery, cut left (West) on the Cady Creek Trail (1501), crossed the bridge over the Little Wenatchee, and scuffled another half-mile to the right (North) turn up the Cady Ridge Trail (1532). Someone’s reported that this trail has three separate personalities: an initial set of gentle switchbacks, a second steep straight climb, and then an undulating ridge walk. Perhaps because of the cool temperature, the partial cloud cover, and the presence of blueberries and huckleberries, the second section didn’t seem all that mean-spirited. Nevertheless, my knees served notice that another way down would be nice. During the climb, the numbers and varieties of huge fungi were remarkable, even to someone who can’t tell a mushroom from a toadstool. At 4.0-4.5 miles, the views open up East to Wenatchee Ridge and West towards Cady Pass. The next mile, the views just improve, and the last mile to the PCT passes through marvelous high meadow terrain with expansive vistas of mountains and hillsides brushed with gold and bright red blueberry bushes. I stopped for lunch just below the PCT junction with a postcard picture of Glacier Peak, and waved to a dog and several dayhikers, my first three of five people sightings for the day.

After lunch, my mission was to locate the perfect centrally located campsite that would permit dayhikes to my red, white and blue destinations. Traveling North on the ridge via the PCT past Wards Pass, I settled on a hillside above Dishpan Gap, affording me as close to a 360 as I could reasonably request, and water as needed in bathtub sized pools at the gap. Having dawdled over tent placement, hanging food, and sampling blueberries, I didn’t get started until late afternoon on my evening 4 mile round trip to Blue Lake. The first mile on 650 glides North-Northwest along the ridge, curving around the North Fork Skykomish basin. Then I cut right on the rough way trail (652.1), which angles up the June-Johnson Ridge to the pass above breathtaking Blue Lake. Dusk was funneling color out of the basin, but I was drawn down for water, snow, and the spectacle. Since night was approaching, I hurried through water filtering and snow gathering operations, and hustled back up the steep switchbacks to the pass. Then it was down to camp in the last light of day, where I arrived with the stars. I donned evening attire and discussed the nature of things with the denizens of Dishpan Gap over cocktails and dinner. After a few loops in the meadows around the glow of my tent, I crawled into my sleeping bag, blew out the candle, and slept.

Morning arrived quietly, and I prepared for my day hike over breakfast and coffee. By 8:30, I was down at the gap, headed North on the PCT. Near Sauk Pass, I came upon two hunters, who appeared to use hunting as an excuse to be out in the wilderness. The other two people I saw during the day were not bearing arms. At this time of year, the stretch on the PCT between Dishpan and Red Pass is essentially a nine and a half mile ridge walk through meadows of fading flowers, brilliant red hillsides, marmots and hawks, and bears as brown dots munching on berries. There’s Sauk Pass, Meander Meadows, the short downhill to Indian Pass, Kid Pond, a pretty camp at Reflection Pond, the vastness of White Pass, and the gradual climb to Red Pass and its views of Glacier Peak and desolate White Chuck River basin. I crossed paths with a lone outbound hiker at Red Pass. As he continued his journey, I sat down for lunch. Some seconds later, a huge shadow passed over, and I glanced up at an eagle on surveillance. He took note of me and flew on.

After eating, I retraced my steps and enjoyed the afternoon sun. Just past White Pass, I met a hiker in bright orange who seemed even more infused by the grandeur than I. We talked about berries and flowers and bears, and went our separate ways. Shortly thereafter, I encountered a two-and-a-half foot tall marmot, arms at his side, facing the sun like and Easter Island statue. I felt guilty to break his reverie. Beyond that, I collected water at Reflection Pond, and continued down to Indian Pass, back up through blueberry land past Sauk Pass, arriving back to Dishpan at 4:30.

For my last task of the day, I wended the three quarters of a mile up 650 and dropped a few hundred feet into the North Fork Sauk basin to gather snow for iced drinks. On the scramble back up, a sharp rock drew blood on my hand, and although the scrape wasn’t deep, I was grateful there were no great white sharks in the area. Fortunately, my hand was repaired readily, the iced daiquiris were tasty, and dinner was delicious. The Milky Way and mountain silhouettes held court while I ate dessert, and saw me to bed.

Monday morning, my knees opted to take the Little Wenatchee Trail (1525) down past splendid Meander Meadows to the trailhead. I greeted three backpackers near the meadows, and continued down the much maligned route. Others have complained that the wet vegetation, notably ferns and salmonberry bushes, encroach on the trail like big green bullies, making for an uncomfortable time. Perhaps because of the clear, dry weather, I found the trail pleasant, and my pant legs didn’t get wet until the last mile or two out, where a WTA crew was kindly working maintenance. After that, it was the traditional beer and lunch, and the long drive through central Washington, and then West to the sunset.

Based on an aerial survey of the Suiattle River valley, flown in September 2008: there are log crossings over the Suiattle River near both Milk Creek (for the Milk Creek Trail) and Miners Creek (in the vicinity of the former Skyline Bridge on the Pacific Crest Trail route). From the air, these crossings appear to be usable, but they have not been assessed from the ground. Skilled mountaineers may find this information useful in deciding whether to follow the original PCT route or take the recommended detour.