<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/52288031657/in/album-72177720301344358/" title="Painted Mountain and Sloan Peak"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52288031657_6caa4a6b4d_b.jpg" alt="Painted Mountain and Sloan Peak"/></a> ## Stats and Links - [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/albums/72177720301344358/) - 40 miles - 11,000 ft elevation gain - Area: [[Glacier Peak Wilderness]] ## Report Sunday I hiked the loop of Lost Creek Ridge, down to the White Chuck River, join the PCT, climb up Red Pass, and down the [[North Fork Sauk Trail]]. Including the road section back, it's about 40 miles and 11K gain. The route has great views of [[Glacier Peak]], [[Sloan Peak]] and the Painted Traverse. I particularly liked the section on the PCT to Red Pass, which is pretty far from any trailhead. I had some interesting moments that kept me sharp: - The tread on the Lost Creek is ... not great. You really have to be careful in the meadows etc. I pulled out two hiking poles, which I basically never do. - Some close proximity bear grumblings. Yelling hey bear was sufficient. - The trail down to the White Chuck River initially looks good but then gets very overgrown, many blowdowns, and then disappears at the bottom in Devil's Club. - The river had no usable log. I waded through it. - I though I had the correct connector trail, but I ended up on an old trail that paralleled Kennedy Creek the whole way just below the top of the steep drainage (very odd location for a trail). It wasn't bad, but not pleasant and some unnecessary elevation gain. - The PCT in this area has many blowdowns and pretty overgrown. Also 3 miles from the car I decided to call it a day (you can imagine how one must feel to reach that conclusion) and slept in an improvised bivy and did the remaining 3 miles in the morning. I slept pretty well though. Who needs a mattress if you have nice soft moss and wood?? ## Route <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/54253164621/in/dateposted/" title="Lost Creek / Red Pass Loop"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54253164621_e3f787d56e_b.jpg" alt="Lost Creek / Red Pass Loop"/></a> ## Highlights <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/52289276799/in/album-72177720301344358" title="Sloan"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52289276799_19826eae32_b.jpg" alt="Sloan"/></a> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/52289490310/in/album-72177720301344358/" title="White Chuck River crossing area"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52289490310_8e92331d22_b.jpg" alt="White Chuck River crossing area"/></a> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/52289491295/in/album-72177720301344358/" title="Kennedy Glacier"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52289491295_b06440660b_b.jpg" alt="Kennedy Glacier"/></a> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/52289006623/in/album-72177720301344358/" title="Glacier Peak from Lake Byrne area"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52289006623_90ed823849_b.jpg" alt="Glacier Peak from Lake Byrne area"/></a>