Big Huckleberry / CCT Loop 07-Jun-2014
Posted: June 19th, 2014, 9:20 am
This TR got delayed by business travel - not the exotic kind that Peder gets to do - just to clients on the E coast. Anyway, last winter I did a loop over Big Huckleberry via NFD 6801 (Big Huck Jan 2014) and stumbled across part of the old CCT. Because of upcoming travel, I couldn’t commit to a long hike so thought I’d go back to Big Huckleberry and look for the CCT without snow. After parking on NFD 6801 just E of Gobblers Knob, I took FR 020 over to its junction with the PCT. FR 020 is a road but it's also not bad as a pleasant, level trail.
I went N on the PCT, past some great view points of Hood (on what was, of course, a bluebird day),
to the summit, with its view of Adams.
From there I went briefly N on the PCT to where I could cut W on the old track of the CCT along the ridge N of Big Huckleberry (the PCT now goes along below the ridge). From here, I could look back toward Big Huckleberry, Hood, and a broad meadow sporting flowering balsam root.
While I could find bits and pieces of the CCT, it's largely gone in the open areas and shrouded in brush elsewhere. However, it still has better views of Adams than you get from the PCT. The CCT (or what little is left of it) re-connects with the PCT at a saddle at 3,600'. From there, I went a little further N on the PCT to where FR 069 was visible less than 100' below the PCT and then dropped down to it. Then it was FR 069 > FR 071 > NFD 026 > NFD 6801 back to my car. Easy road walking gave me time to check out the little things along the road (other than the beer cans).
Yes, all roads, but not bad for hiking a loop when there aren't any actual loop trails nor likely to ever be any. So a nice hike (15 mi RT, 2800' EG) on a warm and sunny day. Made it just a little easier to get up at 3am the next day to catch a flight E.
I went N on the PCT, past some great view points of Hood (on what was, of course, a bluebird day),
to the summit, with its view of Adams.
From there I went briefly N on the PCT to where I could cut W on the old track of the CCT along the ridge N of Big Huckleberry (the PCT now goes along below the ridge). From here, I could look back toward Big Huckleberry, Hood, and a broad meadow sporting flowering balsam root.
While I could find bits and pieces of the CCT, it's largely gone in the open areas and shrouded in brush elsewhere. However, it still has better views of Adams than you get from the PCT. The CCT (or what little is left of it) re-connects with the PCT at a saddle at 3,600'. From there, I went a little further N on the PCT to where FR 069 was visible less than 100' below the PCT and then dropped down to it. Then it was FR 069 > FR 071 > NFD 026 > NFD 6801 back to my car. Easy road walking gave me time to check out the little things along the road (other than the beer cans).
Yes, all roads, but not bad for hiking a loop when there aren't any actual loop trails nor likely to ever be any. So a nice hike (15 mi RT, 2800' EG) on a warm and sunny day. Made it just a little easier to get up at 3am the next day to catch a flight E.