I am continually smacked in the face with reminders of how fortunate I am to have my 2011 PCT family.  This weekend’s overnight in Mt Margaret Backcountry was a prime example.  On a whim, I picked up a camping permit for Saturday night for 4 people, and with less than a week to go, sent out a message to a few of my local 2011 PCT friends.  Daybreaker, Bubbles and Goodness were all game, awesome!

 

Based on some photos found googling, I knew I wanted to hike the Whittier Ridge Trail.  I hastily threw together what appeared to be a quick and easy hike: 12 miles Saturday and 8-12 miles Sunday, depending on the exact route.   Feeling confident in our collective badassery, I suggested a lazy 11am rendezvous at the trailhead Saturday morning.

 

 

About 7 miles in, we ran into a guy coming the opposite direction who’d just attempted the Whittier Ridge Trail, but had turned around at what he’d determined was the point of imminent death.  Like good thru-hikers, we were suspicious of fear mongering and determined to go assess conditions first hand and make the appropriate call for our skill and comfort level.  After all, our good friend Chili Dog had nonchalantly commented the Whittier Ridge was “more of a high route than a trail.”

 

I find this to be an accurate assessment.  Whittier Ridge is not always a perfectly obvious trail, and if you pick the wrong way to go, you could find yourself in a bit of trouble. It was slow going, and with our late start we found ourselves walking into the sunset.  We weren’t going to make our designated campsite before dark.  But again, the blessing of the awesome friends I have, no one got upset with my poor planning, no one was phased.  Instead, we delighted in the views from narrow rock ledges, snapped photos in the dramatic lighting, squealed at the sight of 2 mountain goats,  streaked Whittier Peak, and laid down under the stars in a less than ideal saddle.

 

 

Sunday morning’s hike was a (relatively) easy ~9 miles of ridgeline walking with a summit of Mt Margaret, views of Spirit and St Helens lakes, and a large herd of elk bugling.  What a great “easy” overnight!

 

 

http://caltopo.com/map?id=4V6S
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