August 7, 2023
During our first seven days of hiking the Northern Washington Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Stevens Pass, we completed 102 miles. As we trekked, we had seen some of the most spectacular scenery of the over 5,000 miles we had trekked to date around the globe. We had also encountered some challenging conditions, including steep ascents and descents, hundreds of downed trees, and a formidable water crossing. After a week on the trail we looked forward to a 24-hour break from hiking in the community of Stehekin, where we had booked a night at a lodge.
Prior to beginning this latest trek, we had spent 164 days hiking on the PCT since 2016. We made many memories as we trekked 2,419 miles in the desert, over mountain passes, through beautiful forests, and across numerous creeks, streams, and rivers. As we continued to hike north toward the Canadian border, we couldn’t help but reminisce about all our adventures on the trail.
Completing Our To-Do List and Relaxing in Stehekin
We got up at 4:30 am in the morning to ensure that we had plenty of time to make the 9:00 am bus to take us 11 miles from the trail to Stehekin. Postponing breakfast, we began hiking the 5.1-mile stage at about 5:30 am. Unlike the obstacles we had encountered during the previous week, the trail was in great condition. We made good time to the boundary of North Cascades National Park at about the three-mile point of the stage.
From the park boundary it was only two more miles to the bus stop. We arrived there a little after 8:00 am. There were several picnic tables, so we sat down and made some coffee while we waited for the bus to arrive. A park ranger was chatting with several other hikers, and Darren went over to ask some questions about the trail ahead.
The national park only allowed camping in designated areas. When we rejoined the trail the next morning, we needed to either obtain a permit to camp in the park or hike 17 miles to get past its northern boundary. In addition to a welcome trekking break, we had several items to take care of in Stehekin, including resupplying our food and laundering our clothes. After his discussion with the ranger, Darren added obtaining a permit to our to-do list.
The bus arrived right on time, and we boarded after paying $10.00 each. One big hiker attraction in the area was the Stehekin Pastry Company. It was located on the road about two miles before the town, and all the buses stop there. After eating backpacking food for the last week, we devoured both a sweet and savory pastry. They tasted so good!
When the bus arrived in Stehekin, we disembarked and began tackling our list of tasks. We couldn’t check into our room at the lodge until 3:00 pm, so a shower would have to wait. Instead, we made a beeline to the laundry facilities, as there were only two washers and dryers. I started a load of laundry while Darren retrieved our resupply box from the post office. He then went to inquire about a camping permit while I filled our bear canisters with the food from the box.
As I moved our clothes into the dryer, Darren returned with permit news. The weather forecast for the next day was a high of 90 F. The trail out of the park gained 4,500 feet in 17 miles, so we knew it would be challenging to cover all that distance with our full backpacks. However, the only permit that was available was for a campsite about eight miles into the stage. It was less mileage than we wanted to complete, but we figured getting the permit was a good backup plan in case a 17-mile day became too ambitious for us with our full weight and the heat.
When we began our trek, our plan was to take five days to complete the final 90 trail miles (82 PCT miles plus eight additional miles to Canadian civilization). Given the challenges we had making our miles during the previous week, we decided to add another day to cover the distance. So we visited the general store to buy an extra day’s worth of food to add to our packs.
With our to-do list complete, we moved to a wooden deck outside the lodge’s restaurant and ordered lunch and a couple of beers. There was no cell phone reception, but we could buy 500 MB of Internet access for $5.00 at a time. Having Internet access allowed us to message our family and let them know how we were doing after a week on the trail.
Our room was ready a little after 3:00 pm, so we finally took showers before relaxing for the rest of the day. We did not take for granted having a roof over our heads and a comfortable bed to sleep in after seven nights in the tent.
Back on the Trail on a Hot Day and Some Glorious Views
After our overnight stay in Stehekin, we boarded the 8:00 am bus back to the trailhead to begin our trek to the Canadian border. The bus stopped at the pastry company again, and we bought more pastries and some coffee to enjoy before beginning our hike.
After leaving the bus we began our next stage at about 9:15 am. The path began climbing right away, and we could already feel the heat whenever we were in the direct sun.
Fortunately, after the initial climb, the trail moved into some welcome shady forest. The path was also clear of any obstacles, allowing us to hike quickly. In less than four hours we reached our permitted camp at about the eight-mile mark. Encouraged by our progress, we decided to keep trekking all the way out of the park.
The heat was still a factor, and we stopped at every creek to filter a quick liter of water to stay hydrated. At one point I even splashed water on my face and neck to cool down.
I did have one moment of pause as we came to a tall swing bridge at the North Fork of Bridge Creek. It was installed two years earlier when the old one was destroyed. Besides being high above the water, triggering my fear of heights, it swayed quite a bit when walking on it. I was glad when the crossing was behind us.
Making our way across the swing bridge
After we crossed the bridge we lost the shade. As the trail ascended in the sun, the heat became so intense that we could feel it radiating up from the ground. It reminded us of the hot temperatures we encountered in the Mojave Desert, coupled with long water carries, on our initial 2016 PCT trek. At least water availability wasn’t an issue during our current stage.
We stayed focused on climbing toward the park boundary near Rainy Pass.
At about 4:00 pm we began to feel the heat abating. It took us another two hours to finally reach the park boundary. We hiked a little further to the first flat camping area, arriving at about 6:45 pm. While setting up our tent we were joined by three guys who had just recently graduated from college. We enjoyed talking to them while we all ate dinner.
The next morning we crossed Washington State Route 20 and Rainy Pass. It was the last paved road before reaching the Canadian border.
The PCT section north of Rainy Pass featured climbs over several passes located just a short distance from one another. Navigating through a series of passes brought back memories of our time in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where we ascended five passes over 11,000 feet during the first six days of our 2021 trek.
We began with a hike up to Cutthroat Pass, with crystal clear views to the south of us.
Another couple took our picture near the pass.
After lunch at the pass, we began trekking along a rocky ridge with sharp drop offs. We descended 700 feet and then climbed back up toward Granite Pass and Methow Pass.
As we continued hiking we had what looked like an endless view to the north. Since we had added a day to our schedule, we took our time to enjoy the vista. We joked about whether the mountains on the horizon could possibly be in Canada.
After Granite Pass we moved into the forest near Methow Pass.
We had climbed about 3,500 feet, but didn’t feel too tired after our long stage the previous day. With very few flat areas to camp, we continued just a short distance after Methow Pass to stop for the night after 15.7 miles.
Encountering Smoke and a Scary Fall
When we woke up in the morning, we faintly smelled smoke. As we ate breakfast we initially thought someone near us had not completely put out their campfire. But there was no one else camping in our vicinity, so we ruled that out.
With memories of being forced off the trail two years ago by the Dixie Fire, we were concerned, but packed up and started our stage. The beginning of our hiking day took us downhill along a forest trail with several creek crossings. My shoe soles became caked with dirt and pine needles as we walked.
After about 90 minutes we came to a small creek that we needed to cross by stepping from a large rock down to a small one in order to keep our feet dry. Darren went first. As I followed him by stepping down on to the small rock, my dirty shoes slid right out from under me. I took a hard fall on the side of my face, scratching my glasses and giving myself a faint black eye. Fortunately, I was OK, but felt annoyed at falling at such an easy crossing after the countless streams that we had navigated throughout the PCT.
When we left the forest to begin climbing to Glacier Pass, we could definitely see smoke and haze to the north and west of us. Later, we found out that the new Sourdough Fire (to the west) and two ongoing fires in British Columbia (to the north), were affecting our visibility. The air quality was not an issue, so we continued hiking.
After eating lunch at Glacier Pass, we climbed to a ridge. About 12 miles into our stage, we reached a potential campsite and water source. It was 3:00 pm, and we debated whether to stop for the day. After some discussion, we decided to keep going in case the smoke got worse. Near the next camping spot there was a bail out point that we could consider. It was about six more miles to that juncture, located at Harts Pass.
Located about 30 trail miles south of the border, Harts Pass had a national forest ranger station and crossed the last dirt road before Canada. Prior to beginning our trek, we had applied for a Canadian Government permit to walk across the border. With this permit, we could hike eight miles into Canada to arrive at the Manning Provincial Park Resort and a highway.
Hikers who did not obtain the permit needed to “tag” the border and walk 30 miles back to Harts Pass to get a ride. The Canadian border had been closed to hikers since the pandemic, and we were happy it had just opened up again this year. When we received our permit approvals we printed paper copies and carried them with us.
As we got close to Harts Pass, we paused at a sign. We were so close to Canada!
We arrived at the ranger station a little after 6:00 pm. After spending a few minutes checking for fire updates, we were satisfied with the current conditions. We continued a little further to a creek and campsite. It had been a long day, as we completed 18.2 miles and gained 3,800 feet.
Beautiful Meadow Scenery and a Hiker Reunion
With three days of food left, we were about 30 miles from the border and 38 total miles from Canadian civilization. We could have sped up and completed the distance in two long stages, but decided to slow down and enjoy the three days on the trail.
There was still smoke in the air when we started our stage the next morning.
Our 13.2-mile day had only about 2,000 feet of elevation gain, so we hiked at a leisurely pace through some beautiful meadows. The trail took us up to Buffalo Pass and Windy Pass in quick succession.
After Windy Pass we entered the Pasayten Wilderness, the northern-most such area on the entire Pacific Crest Trail.
We continued past Foggy Pass and Jim Pass before descending to Holman Pass. Our plan was to camp at a flat area on a side path. As we approached the pass, we noticed two people sitting by the side of the trail. As we got closer we realized it was Beacon and Germlish, the two young women we had met at the Seattle bus station and camped near during the first four nights.
They had tagged the Canadian border earlier in the day and were hiking back toward Harts Pass to leave the trail. After sharing trail stories and congratulating them on their achievement, we turned down the side path to set up our camp.
Climbing the Final Passes to Our Last Night of Camping
We only planned 10.7 miles for the next stage, but there was still about 3,000 feet of elevation gain in that short distance. There were two passes to ascend, followed by a hike along a ridge, topping out just over 7,000 feet. It was the highest trail point in Washington.
Our day began with a 1,000-foot climb to Rock Pass. The smoke still obstructed our views as we ascended.
As we hiked we focused on the flowers and butterflies around us.
Flowers and butterfly seen from the trail
A hiker took a photo of us as we continued our climb.
We ran into some other hikers who told us about potential bear activity ahead. Once we made it over the pass, we took a quick break, keeping an eye out for any bears.
Back on the trail, we descended 700 feet and then ascended 900 feet toward Woody Pass. When we reached Woody Pass at the 6.1-mile point in our stage we took a longer lunch break.
For the next three miles we climbed steadily along the 7,000-foot ridge with sheer drop-offs. We topped out at a viewpoint that was touted to have a great mountain vista. Unfortunately with all the haze, the view was muted. But we were so happy with all we had seen during our last 12 stages of hiking that we didn’t mind.
Below us was Hopkins Lake, where we planned to camp.
It took us a little over an hour to hike 1.6 miles (and descend about 900 feet) from the viewpoint to Hopkins Lake. It was only 2:30 pm, but with many nice campsites available we decided to stop and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. We found a spot with a peek-a-boo view of the lake and a side trail that took us right down to the water’s edge.
After we set up the tent I took a nap, while Darren walked down to the lake to enjoy some peaceful solitude.
Camping at Hopkins Lake reminded us of the last night of our 2016 PCT hike, when we camped at Wahtum Lake in Oregon. The day after camping there, we finished our four-and-a-half-month, 1,828-mile trek at the Columbia River. It was bittersweet for us, as we had to stop because I was injured and had lost over 40 pounds.
Now, we found it hard to believe that it was our final night of camping in Washington. We were just six miles from Canada!
Reaching the PCT Northern Terminus and a Canadian Obstacle
We woke up at 4:30 am the next day and left our campsite at about 6:15. There were 6.3 miles of all downhill hiking to reach the border, and we wanted to savor every moment. At least the smoke wasn’t any worse, but the haze gave the rising sun a darker orange hue.
As we hiked the final distance to Canada, our thoughts turned to the first miles we had trekked seven years before as we left the Mexican border. We worked to get into a routine during those first few weeks of our PCT trek, establishing routines with our breaks, water carries, and camp chores. Many of the things we adopted then were still part of our current practices.
Last few miles through the forest; sign pointing the way to the U.S. border
At 9:08 am, we turned a corner and came to the Northern Terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail. We had dreamed about this moment ever since we left the Mexican border in April 2016. It was hard to believe that we had finally made it to Canada!
Celebrating our arrival at the PCT Northern Terminus!
After taking photos and sharing congratulations with the other hikers there, we set off to officially cross into Canada and complete the final eight miles to the Manning Park Resort.
We had one more obstacle awaiting us on the Canadian side. Just a short distance from the border was a stream with a bridge that was severely leaning because of a broken wire on one side. Other hikers were crossing the bridge, so Darren went across before me. I could hear the bridge groaning and see it swaying as he walked.
I took a few steps across the bridge after him, and decided that I was not comfortable with it. Instead, I climbed down to the water’s edge and forded the stream.
We were fortunate that several downed trees had been cleared from the Canadian trail just days before, so, after the stream, we had an uneventful hike to the resort. When we arrived there at about 1:30 pm, we saw two other hikers, who were also at the border earlier in the day, trying to hitchhike the 40 miles to the town of Hope. From Hope there was public transportation back to the United States. We staked out a different part of the large parking lot to try to hitchhike, but had no luck.
As a backup plan, I knew of a taxi service that could transport us to Hope, so I gave them a call. In the meantime, Darren talked to the two other hikers, who agreed to split the cost of the taxi with us. The taxi showed up a short time later, and soon we arrived in Hope.
We spent the night in Hope, and the next day we took buses to Vancouver and Seattle.
In all, we trekked 189 PCT miles, plus eight Canadian miles, totaling 197 miles. We gained and lost about 45,000 feet each in the process. We were so grateful to experience the incredible beauty of the trail, with minimal bugs and generally good weather conditions. Although the smoke during the last few days was unfortunate, we got lucky as 70 miles of the trail closed just days later as another fire started.
Since we were in such a remote area, we used our satellite communicator device to transmit our location once or twice a day so that our family members would know we were alright.
As we rode the bus back to Seattle, we kept pinching ourselves on finally reaching Canada and ending a successful trek. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail has been such a big part of our lives for the past seven years. From a Trekking the Planet perspective, our PCT experiences provided an impetus for us to expand our hiking to other parts of the world. The shared crisis of dealing with the ever-changing trail conditions also kept our relationship strong.
From my own perspective, looking back to those early days on the trail, I could see how much I had grown as a hiker, both in my abilities and in my mental toughness. It also changed me as a person, providing me with better physical fitness and more confidence in my everyday life.
So I will be forever thankful for all the great memories and lasting legacy that the trail has given both of us.
April 17, 2016: Beginning the PCT at the Mexican border – August 6, 2023: Ending the PCT at the Canadian border
Even though we reached Canada and have now trekked 2,608 miles of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, we still have 42 miles of incomplete path in Northern California (where we left the PCT because of fire two years ago). Just as we did in 2019 when we hiked a 26-mile section that we had to skip due to a 2016 fire closure, it is our intention to complete this portion as well. But for now, we are celebrating the culmination of our dream to trek the PCT!
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Congratulations on taking on such a difficult and great adventure and sharing it with the rest of us.
Hi David – It was an amazing experience, and we are so glad that we could share it with everyone. Thanks for your support!
That’s awesome. Congratulations. I’m so happy for you to have completed this section. Love following your adventures. Keep it up.
Thanks, John. We are so happy to have completed the section. Great to hear from you!
What a trek that was. Amazing. Betty and I have been in Hope many times; sometimes for a meal or even just pie and coffee at the HOME restaurant. We have family in British Columbia.
Hi Abe – Thanks for your comment! Hope you and Betty are well. We just loved Hope. The people were very welcoming, and we had a nice meal and hotel stay there.