Have you always wanted to section hike the Pacific Crest Trail?
I didn’t.
As a day-hiker for years, the thought of schlepping all my gear and sleeping in the woods was horrifying to me. Why would someone find that fun?
But one day a friend convinced me to go out for “just” a little one-nighter. I literally borrowed gear in order to go. I purchased a Jet Boil the day before. I had no idea how to use it.
It was only a 3-ish mile hike up, but in those three miles, something happened. I felt powerful with all that weight on my back. A sense of resilience grew, knowing I was reliant on the things in my pack and those around me. Watching the sun set, experiencing the darkness pour in, and hearing the noises of the night from the confines of my tent, with my little Theron nestled beside me, filled my heart with a renewed sense of awe for nature and appreciation for God’s creation.
Waking up with my son to sunlight dancing across the lake the next morning … I knew it. This was for me. I was hooked.
Fast-forward a couple years, and my kids and I are hiking the infamous Wonderland trail. It was after that, I realized. I bet we could do it. I bet we could section hike the PCT in Washington.
Table of Contents
Hiking the PCT Section J, Why?
Why hike the PCT section J, you ask? Naturally, my original goal was to start hiking the PCT from the WA/OR border and continue up from there. That is the direction “most” PCT hikers traverse.
As I researched, however, I realized there were no easy pick-up points in that section of the wilderness, about 70-80 miles up the trail from the Oregon border. Books indicated various forest service roads that hooked in with the PCT, but I had a hard time making sense of it.
And if I was having a hard time making sense of it, it seemed unlikely I would give precise and accurate instructions to my husband, who would be responsible for our safe retrieval. He is not one for ambiguity, and this did not seem fair or wise.
It then it occurred to me … why not pick the the most accessible section to tackle first? There was no rule that we had to go in order, right? A new plan was hatched.
Snoqualmie Pass to Steven’s Pass … how much more idyllic could it get? Easy, identifiable pick up points, ample parking, and cell service at both ends. PERFECT.
Plus this trail, traveling through many parts of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, has been described as one of the most beautiful parts of the PCT. This was it. We were hiking the PCT section J.
PCT Section J Logistics
Stats
Mileage: ~70 miles
Elevation: ~16,000ft gain
Starting points: Snoqualmie Pass or Steven’s Pass
Campsites: There are many campsites dispersed randomly along the trail, as well as at most of the prominent lakes. See the resources below for mileage and location information.
When to go: For snow-free hiking at elevation in Washington state, July, August and the beginning of September are your best bets. Rain can occur any month, but the best month for staying dry is typically August.
Permits and Passes
There are no camp permits required for this section of the PCT.
If you park at either trailhead, a Northwest Forest pass or American the Beautiful Pass is required.
Campsites
There are defined places to camp all along the PCT. Even though sites are pretty well spaced and abundant, make sure to plan out a basic itinerary with back-up plans, just in case. We noticed several of the lake sites fill up quickly, especially on weekends.
Also, pay careful attention to water sources. I was surprised how many waterless camps there were along the trail, so plan accordingly.
See the resources below for help with planning your campsite itinerary.
Resources
Apps & Maps
FarOut App: 100% purchase and download this app. You can buy only the PCT Washington section or the whole PCT.
Why I love it? When your kid asks, “How far away are we from our campsite?” you can literally click on your next camp, and the app calculates your distance away via GPS. Same goes for next water source, rest stop, etc. With kids, invaluable.
Pacific Crest Trail Association: The detailed maps on this website are so helpful for those who love a visual overview, like me.
Books
(Find here on Amazon)
While slightly old (I wish the author would publish an update), it was the best resource I could find on section hiking the PCT in Washington. If you know of others, I’m all ears.
The book does a pretty good job of breaking out each section and giving proposed itineraries, along with campsites. Some of the camps I found hard to locate on my FarOut app, however most of the lake sites and water sources were pretty clear.
Just be aware that if you plan on using a random camp right off the PCT, you may need to use GPS coordinates or at least be fairly certain you have it on your app before heading out.
I recommend taking a picture of each page in your corresponding section, or ripping pages from the book, for reading on trail. I was kicking myself that I did not do either of these, apart from taking a pic of the itinerary and campsite options.
Our PCT Section J Itinerary
Our plan was 6 nights/7 days, with an average of 10-13 miles per day, from Sunday to Saturday. With that in mind, this was our campsite itinerary, created with help from Tami Asar’s suggestions.
*The goal was to utilize lake campsites as much as possible (way more fun for the kids), although one night we had to make due with one of the trailside camps.
Day 1: Snoqualmie Pass to Ridge and Gravel Lakes (7 miles)
Day 2: Ridge and Gravel Lakes to Spectacle Lake (10 miles)
Day 3: Spectacle Lake to Escondido Camp (12.4 miles)
Day 4: Escondido Camp to Deep Lake (12.3 miles)
Day 5: Deep Lake to Deception Lakes (11.7 miles)
Day 6: Deception Lakes to Hope Lake (9.7 miles)
Day 7: Hope Lake to Stevens Pass (8 miles)
Our Experience Hiking the PCT Section J
Day 1: to Ridge Lake via Kendall Catwalk (7 miles)
Knowing we “only” had about 7 miles that first day, the kids and I hit the trail around 10am, dutifully dropped off by my husband. We met some friends at the trailhead who would be hiking in to stay with us the first night.
Before I go any further, I do want to point out that yes, Soren is with us. I know, I know. He said he was never hiking again after the Wonderland trail. But FOMO y’all, it’s a thing. Literally a week before the hike he reported to the family, “I’m going.”
Once again he had no shoes, having outgrown the brand new pair I bought him just for the Wonderland trail last year, and I not planned any food for a third person. If I ever have to make a hiking resume, I will certainly list “Experienced and accomplished at itinerary changes with children last minute.”
Besides the minor annoyance, this was a huge blessing in disguise. You see, while the Wonderland trail had many convenient spots to cache food, this section hike had none of that. I was pretty stressed about how I was going to pack 6 days of food without overloading Theron’s pack.
But with Soren along, we could split the food, loading both of us up like mules, and then delightfully lighten our load with each passing day. And that’s what we did. Yep, we somehow packed 6 full days of food for 3 people.
So at the trailhead, our packs bulging at the seams, we formed our little group, now 6 of us plus a dog, and embarked towards the Kendall Catwalk.
If you are unfamiliar with the Kendall Catwalk, btw, it’s an infamous part of the PCT, as the trail was created by basically blasting rock along the cliffside. There’s a little ledge that protects from a perilous fall, but it’s basically a path along a sheer drop off. It makes for a great day-hike given the convenient access from Snoqualmie Pass.
The hike in towards the catwalk and the lakes was pretty uneventful. Unfortunately smoke was in the forecast, and this likely kept crowds down. We actually passed very few people on this Sunday.
In fact, when we reached the catwalk around 4 or 5pm, we were the only ones there! BUT, we had no views (tear). Normally it’s quite an impressive lookout, but alas the smoke.
Finally we reached Ridge and Grave Lakes, which is maybe a mile beyond the catwalk, and scoured the area for a campsite. Despite the low crowds on trail, the lake was surprisingly full! We found a few spots tucked back behind the far end of Ridge Lake which served us quite well.
Just fyi, this camp has no backcountry toilet. Bring your trowel.
Much like the day, the evening was uneventful as well. We all slept well and our groups parted ways in the morning, us towards Spectacle lake, and our friends back towards the pass.
Day 2: Ridge Lake to Spectacle Lake (10 miles)
Sadly, the smoke still lingered. In fact, this would be the worst day, smoke-wise. Ugh, heartbreaking, as supposedly this section is arguably one of the most beautiful on the PCT.
Our view was definitely limited, and we could tell. It was obvious that vast mountains spread out beyond us while we trekked along a rocky, winding trail, taking us all around the mountainside. That damn smoke!
I won’t lie, it made me sad at times, especially because the trail itself was so interesting. Think the Kendall Catwalk is cool? There were many more sections just like that, with blasted rock and sheer drop offs. That’s my jam. So fun.
But the day was warm and lovely, and for the most part my boys were pleasant. No tears, despite a very long day with a lot of elevation change. This was a challenging section, and my boys rocked it.
Finally we reached the turn off for Spectacle lake, after many glimpses of said lake as you hike above and around it. But that’s the thing, you can tell some downward action has to happen to reach this lake. While the “book” mileage lists 10, that’s actually just to the cutoff. There’s at least another half mile of rocky downhill to the lake itself. Prepare yourself.
But y’all, the lake truly is a spectacle. One of the most beautiful alpine lakes I have ever visited. There were very few people, being a Monday night, and we found an idyllic camp spot, right over the lake.
Theron and I immediately took a quick swim, never ones to pass up a pristine, ice-cold, private lake. It felt glorious.
Per the All Trails map, this lake is supposed to have a backcountry toilet. Yay, no digging! But sadly, this toilet no longer exists. We found a pile a broken wood in its place. Sigh.
But our camp was quite private and adorable. We spent the evening with our little Zero chairs perched high up on the rocks, enjoying the smoky sunset and a hot chocolate.
Day 3: Spectacle Lake to Escondido camp (aka, Rando camp, 12.4 miles)
The next morning we woke up to this:
Needless to say, we woke up overjoyed! The smoke had cleared. It was going to be a glorious day. And we really got to see how truly incredible Spectacle Lake was as she showed off in the brilliant morning glow.
I hope to hike this section again JUST to revisit Spectacle Lake.
So off we went, 12.7 miles to …. Escondido camp? This was the one day where camp was, shall I say, a little iffy. It was too far to travel to the next official lake, so I had to pick one of the random trail sites and hope for the best.
In Tami Asar’s book she lists “Escondido camp” as a good mid-way point. The only thing is, the FarOut app doesn’t label these side-of-the-trail camps with such names. You kinda have to guess, unless you have precise GPS coordinates, which I didn’t.
Being as it was, I clicked on a few camps on the app, calculated mileage, and determined we would be hiking to what I coined “Rando” camp. Random camp, maybe Escondido, but I had no idea.
What I did know is that this would be a waterless camp. Gasp, no. Yeah. I didn’t like it either. Thankfully I saw there were several lakes a mile or so before hitting camp, so we would need to filter an insane amount of water (to ward off my irrational fear of dehydration), and then wobble to camp.
I made the boys filter a lot of water. Too much water. And we carried said water, maybe 10 liters (but who’s counting), the one mile down to camp.
The boys did not like this camp. We were the only ones there, being sort of a small, pit-stop style of camp, and they found it too quiet and too remote. I know, like most people’s idea of best-day-ever.
But strangely I did miss having at least another party or two in our midst. The comfort of familiar voices and a shared experience.
As the light dwindled that evening I eventually ventured out to pee just outside of our camp. It was eerily silent. Just as I was squinting around in the disappearing light, looking for a decent spot, a deer came literally bounding down the trail, prancing higher than I’d ever seen a woodland creature jump.
As it neared me we locked eyes, and it came to a full stop. And just as quick, it lept up once again, full on into the thicket of woods behind us. My heart about jumped out of my chest. There’s that split second where you think, what is this creature? Holy crap, phew, just a deer.
Before nightfall the boys and I played some card games, and then we buttoned up our tents, rain gear secured on all gear, despite the beautiful clear skies, and we went to sleep.
Day 4: Rando Camp to Deep Lake Camp (12.3 miles)
The next morning we woke up to … RAIN! Well, we heard it pitter-pattering the tent in the wee hours of the morning, so we knew what was coming. Packing up in the wetness, bleh. We stayed hunkered down as long as possible.
That actually worked to our advantage as the rain lightened up, pretty much stopping by the time I was ready to make breakfast. Packing up and getting ready was tolerable, albeit muddy.
Thankfully we had, as we always do, wrapped up all our bags in their waterproof covers and pinned down the rain tarps. Everything was dry except our sad, soggy tents.
Somehow on all previous trips we have managed to avoid being damp. This was the first real test of our rain gear and preparedness, and I think we passed.
Despite some on/off rain, it was a decent hiking day overall. The day remained pretty overcast, so being in the woods most of the time wasn’t all that bad.
Finally, 12ish miles later, we found our cutoff for Deep Lake.
Surpisingly, while encountering very few people on trail, most of the sites were already taken! For most of these lakes, there are actually shorter ways to head in and access these camping spots, often times off forest roads or other trailheads.
It was slightly depressing as we sauntered in, passing camp after camp … taken, taken, taken. I was starting to lose hope as we passed the sixth site occupied. Finally, as we continued following the trail down the side of the lake, a spot was available!
And it was the PERFECT spot for us! It was large, private, and with a HUGE rock overlooking the lake. It really doesn’t get much better.
Strangely, another uneventful day and night. So far on this trip I have no crazy stories like I did on the Wonderland Trail. Everything has just gone …. smoothly.
Quick note, this camp DOES have a toilet, so give that arm a rest from digging.
That night we ate a delicious pack of ramen with dehydrated chicken and veggies (yes, I learned how to fix the chicken I so spectacularly messed up last time), and we hit the hay.
Day 5: Deep Lake to Deception Lakes (11.7 miles)
The night was unexpectedly cold, but we woke up to such a serene and peaceful morning on the lake. It’s the little things, like mist over a cold lake, warm oatmeal in hand, that foster this crazy backpacking addiction.
The day once again was beautiful and the trail was pretty straightforward. We saw a few more PCTers this day, their PCT badge proudly displayed and looking dirty as all get out. Man those guys and gals move at a clip. So impressed.
We lumbered along at our usual speed, about 12 miles in all to conquer this day. We’ve started to realize that the more we get the hang of it, the reality is we can do far more miles than we think. These 12 miles days are getting us to camp by 4 or so. If we left just a little earlier and moved just a little faster, 15-18 mile days would not be that difficult.
But these are kids, and let’s keep this fun. 🙂
The day started out with a little rock hopping.
Mid-day we came upon the most incredible river, and I’m kicking myself I didn’t take more pictures. It was a raging river and a little tricky to cross, but we actually found a sweet spot just up a bit to dip our toes in the icy deluge and park ourselves for a lunch stop.
The trail did its usual ups and downs, but it was pretty easy overall.
Before we knew it, we were at the lakes! You will hit a smaller lake first as you edge towards the larger lake, known as Daisy Lake, and then you arrive at this pristine gem.
We found a great site just as you come upon the lake, rock hopping over a river to a large site that is very visible. BUT, continue up a little further and you will find even more adorable sites. Ours was up a small hill, and once again we were lucky to be overlooking the lake.
Across the way, through the trees, you can see an island of sorts in the middle. We never figured out how people got way over there, but there were a few parties with kids camping out yonder that night.
Additionally, you can use your All Trail maps to tack on a hike up to Surprise Mountain if the you fancy the idea. While that sounded fun, my kids were a no-go and so we swam and relaxed instead.
And in regards to swimming, it would be hard to miss the giant rock alongside the trail, which was visible off to the left of our site (not pictured). It was occupied most of the day while we were there, but it looks like the perfect spot for a swim or a trailside snack.
The night was a tad windy but we slept great; our penultimate night on trail!
Day 6: Deception Lakes to Hope Lake (9.7 miles)
Our last full day on trail, and our last night! This day we were meeting up with our friends once again, with the plan of spending an enjoyable evening recounting our trip and then walking out with them the next day (plus a ride home!).
The idea we had mapped out before parting ways at the beginning of our trip was to meet up again at Mig Lake, a popular lake a mere 8 miles from our exit point. The maps note that Hope Lake, which is just a mile back, is also another accessible and equally viable option, but given Mig was closer to the end, we decided to push it the extra mile and AND give our friends a shorter journey.
No, I did not title this section incorrectly. Bear with me.
Our day out from Deception Lakes started out rather “moody,” with ominous clouds in the sky. A slight bit of smoke was wafting back in, but visibility remained fairly decent.
There were many pristine lakes along the way, most of which I’ve forgotten the names! We saw quite a few parties hiking in from other trails, likely visiting these lakes or others. Some even carried fishing equipment.
Later in the day, those moody clouds let loose! Out came the rain gear, and for a good hour we trekked in mild showers. Soren even dawned his rain poncho.
But later on the clouds moved out, the sun shimmered thru, and it dried up. Phew!
Soon we came upon Hope Lake, and it was quite lovely. We made time for a quick potty break and some snacks while we admired the well-positioned campsites around the lake. One site directly across the the lake caught my eye, especially because it was large and unoccupied, but we had to keep moving. I was mindful that our friends might already be waiting for us. Just one more mile!
Mig Lake
And one more short mile later, we were at Mig Lake. Estimated arrival time around 4:00pm. Our friends were no where to be seen, but alas, it was early still. I was not worried.
Per our usual drill, we dropped our packs and began scouting out a suitable group site. It was certainly a bit more crowded than I expected, so I sent boys out in all directions to find one of those hidden gems we all know are usually out there.
But, seriously, it was nuts! I swear there was not a site to be found, especially one for a group. Every single spot, and I mean every one, was taken! We are very good at site scouting, and we could not find a viable option.
This had me worried for one important reason: What do we do with our friends joining us? While normally we could abort mission and move along, we HAD to meet up with them here at our agreed spot. What to do??!!
Problem solving on the spot, that’s what we did.
**Changing the Plan**
The boys and I huddled, and we came up with a plan.
Recalling that the large site back at Hope Lake was still unoccupied, Theron and I agreed to hike the mile back, in hopes of claiming said spot and readying it for our group. Soren, on the other hand, would stay at an agreed upon spot at Mig Lake where he was sure to encounter our friends if/when they finally made their way.
After helping setting up camp, I would then make my way back again to Mig Lake to either wait with Soren OR hopefully encounter him and our friends already on their way back over.
Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Adrenaline sure will keep you going, that’s all I will say! I wish I knew how many miles I clocked that day, but it was far more than anticipated.
For the record, my kids and I never separate while we hike, but in this rare case I made an exception, knowing they both had firms spots they would be planted, with myself as the go-between. And with so many people around, I felt safe in doing so.
So we executed said plan. It was genius. We did all the things, and in no time I was back with Soren at Mig Lake. Only problem? By 5:30pm, our buddies had not shown up.
Did they bail because of the rain earlier in the day? I sat with Soren for some time, even walking further down the trail with him just to see if we could encounter our slow-moving friends arriving, but alas. NOTHING.
So at that point, we gave up. On our way out of Mig Lake we noticed another party we had met several times during our trip, and we passed along the message that if a mom, a teen and a dog show up in camp looking lost, please tell them we moved to Hope. That was all we could do. We crossed our fingers and trudged back.
Hope Lake
Then, all of a sudden, literally as we rounded the corner to join up with Hope Lake again, we came face-to-face with Leif, Soren’s best friend. His dog was just paces behind. They were here! But wait, how? How could they have gotten past us?????? Our plan was foolproof.
Unbeknownst to me, they had decided to take a completely different trail in that brought them up to Hope Lake first. The new route, located off a logging road, shortened their trip considerably, allowing them to start their hike hours after the rain.
They were just turning the bend to head towards Mig Lake when our paths crossed. How fortunate! Had Soren and I made our way to the other side of the lake and back to camp beforehand, they might have missed us.
********
Can I just take a quick aside right here to say how proud I am of my boys? Here we were, 6 days and 62 miles into this trip, tired and frazzled, and they were all in, brainstorming and strategizing with me trailside, to figure out how we could solve this logistical conundrum.
THIS is why we backpack with our kids, parents. THIS is why we bring kids out on the trail, everyone. These are life lessons simply lost to screens and modern convenience. The simple act of making plans sans technology. So simple, and yet so empowering.
Needless to say, all turned out well, and we enjoyed our evening together, perched right over the lake, for our final night on trail.
Day 7: Hope Lake to Stevens Pass (8 miles)
Our friends tend to be late sleepers, so we had camp packed up and hit the trail before they even emerged from their tent.
Since they had a much shorter hike back out, we knew we needed to get a head start to accomplish the last eight miles and meet up with them at the ski resort car park at a reasonable time.
Of course they offered to take us out the short way, but EVEN the boys agreed, we HAD to finish this last section. We did not come this far to take a short cut. Eight miles was no problemo by this point.
And no problem it was. We knocked out eight miles by noon. It’s days like this where I realize that not only myself but even my boys could crush a 15-20 mile day, if we had to. Our longest day is still under 15 miles, but it’s clear we have the ability to do a whole lot more.
It was fun to walk under the ski lifts as we got closer to the pass. The late season wildflowers were a welcome sight as well.
And about 10 minutes before we were back at the parking lot, an older gentleman passes us, all loaded up with days of backpacking gear. As our paths cross, I hear him murmur audibly, “A mom and her and two boys. How cool.”
Just so you all know, comments like that fill a mom’s heart with joy. Damn right, a mom and her boys. Reminds me of that kind older man we met on our first day of the Wonderland Trail. What a sweet ending to our week.
And just like that, we were on the other side. Once again my boys, including Mr. “I’m not hiking anymore” Soren, rocked a week long backpacking trip and checked off a section of the PCT.
PCT Section J, Snoqualmie Pass to Steven’s Pass: Check
