Timberline Loop (CCW) 08/28/2020
Posted: August 31st, 2020, 1:16 pm
On Friday August 28th, I set out to do the Timberline 600 + PCT loop starting/finishing at Timberline Lodge. I used this website quite a bit for research so I'd like to share what stuck out instead of doing an in depth report. There are numerous great reports on this website, which are articulated far better than I could ever hope to achieve.
Key takeaways:
Finding the trail on the other side of the main river crossings was tricky. I heavily relied on google maps to get back on trail since my GPX file was corrupted. There are lots of cairns, but you find old ones that lead you astray.
The river crossings were all doable while staying dry if you're willing to scout up/down river 100-200 yards.
The variation in landscape and trail is amazing and never felt repetitive. Each hour presented something new and different. However towards the end of the day, I didn't have nice things to say about all the sand.
The closest I came to running out of water was climbing out of Sandy towards Zig Zag. (I had two 500 mL bottles)
There were a lot more hikers than I anticipated. I started just before 6 AM from Timberline Lodge heading CCW. In the first 6-8 hours I passed maybe 50 hikers and 5 others doing the full loop. Once past Cairn Basin I don't think I wen't more than 10 minutes without seeing someone. I know it's busier than normal right now, but I must have passed 200-300 people and with everybody trying to give ample space, this slowed me down much more than expected.
Train for both climbing and descending. Running downhill is actually what was the hardest near the end. A bruised big toe from mashing into the front of my shoe and a blister on my heel were two firsts.
Lastly, if I was to do this again I think I would start at Ramona Falls and head CCW. This way you get the three biggest climbs and a lot of sandy sections done in the first half. Climbing from Sandy to Timberline when it's cool out is an added bonus.
My GPS stats:
Total time: 12:30:29
Moving time: 10:41:24
Mileage: 41.7
Elevation 9,700 ft
Key takeaways:
Finding the trail on the other side of the main river crossings was tricky. I heavily relied on google maps to get back on trail since my GPX file was corrupted. There are lots of cairns, but you find old ones that lead you astray.
The river crossings were all doable while staying dry if you're willing to scout up/down river 100-200 yards.
The variation in landscape and trail is amazing and never felt repetitive. Each hour presented something new and different. However towards the end of the day, I didn't have nice things to say about all the sand.
The closest I came to running out of water was climbing out of Sandy towards Zig Zag. (I had two 500 mL bottles)
There were a lot more hikers than I anticipated. I started just before 6 AM from Timberline Lodge heading CCW. In the first 6-8 hours I passed maybe 50 hikers and 5 others doing the full loop. Once past Cairn Basin I don't think I wen't more than 10 minutes without seeing someone. I know it's busier than normal right now, but I must have passed 200-300 people and with everybody trying to give ample space, this slowed me down much more than expected.
Train for both climbing and descending. Running downhill is actually what was the hardest near the end. A bruised big toe from mashing into the front of my shoe and a blister on my heel were two firsts.
Lastly, if I was to do this again I think I would start at Ramona Falls and head CCW. This way you get the three biggest climbs and a lot of sandy sections done in the first half. Climbing from Sandy to Timberline when it's cool out is an added bonus.
My GPS stats:
Total time: 12:30:29
Moving time: 10:41:24
Mileage: 41.7
Elevation 9,700 ft