Page 1: Stevens to Deception Lakes

Mt. Index from just south of Steven's Pass

August 1977
Post-trip Account
8.28.77

(A historical note: The PCT was rerouted some years after this hike, so the section from Waptus Lake to Snoqualmie is now totally different. Some of you very well may find this account interesting just from that perspective!)

Marj has been hiking the Crest Trail with Micki. Last Saturday Poo (Marj’s sweet little cockapoo) and I joined them for four days to do Stevens to Snoqualmie.

The weather was simply fabulous – a marked contrast to the rainy, cold conditions I endured during my first neophyte hike of this section of the PCT a couple of years ago. We knocked off 17-miles on the first day into Deception Lakes and I was amazed at all the things that I could see that hadn’t even been visible the first time because of the low-lying cloud layer.

Trap Lake. Who knew it was so gorgeous?

Like Trap Lake, at the base of Thunder Mtn. I hadn't been able to see either of them the first time down this setion of trail.

Plus, it was a real pleasure to not be soaked to the bone all day and then crawl into a wet sleeping bag at night. No siree, this was the absolute pinnacle of pleasurable hiking—bright, sunshiny days and warm, dry nights.

And way less bugs, which of course refers specifically to blood-sucking mosquitoes!

We spent the first night at Deception Lakes, then trotted down the PCT up and over Cathedral Rock, down to Deep lake, then followed Spinola Creek to the large basin containing beautiful Waptus Lake.

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