* Sorry for some of the sideways pix. The forum thumbnailer doesn't respect EXIF rotation data.
Date: June 12-15, 2021
Mileage: ~28 Miles
General thoughts:
- A good early-season loop if you can handle some snow and route finding.
- Could be done as a hard-going overnight backpack, but for most people probably better as a 3 or even 4 day trip (depends on how long your drive home is).
- I would file this under "conditioning hike" and not "breathtaking adventure". Scenery wasn't very interesting for most of the loop due to low clouds and fog. The burn zone was actually the best part.
- You can radically extend this trip by braiding trails on and around the PCT south of the Seven Lakes region. The most obvious option would be to take an extra day on the Devils Peak trail above the lakes.
- Ticks and mosquitos are present. Take precautions.
- Gaitors were appreciated but not necessary.
The trail starts in a typical Western forest and opens up into a burn zone after a mile or so. The beginning part of the trail is a bit rocky in places, but generally easy to follow. There are several blowdowns in the burn zone, but nothing that should give the average hiker too much trouble. This area (and subsequent burned areas) have ticks, so take the usual precautions. Views of the river are limited. This section is blanketed with Snowbrush and comes with its characteristic flea-collar scent. Baldhip Roses and butterflies of various kinds were unusually abundant.
The junction with the Halifax trail is very not obvious. It took some scouting on the way in, and i completely missed it on the way out. You should notice that the trail has turned a corner and you can see down the hill to a water crossing and what looks like a possible campsite. Start looking for brushy squirrel trail leading down around this point. The river crossing itself was easy because of logs but even without it would have been easily waded.
There are a few primitive spots right on the water's edge to put a tent down if you want to call it a night. Hammock camping options are limited here but we made it work.
Halifax Trail Junction to Solace Meadow
This section starts with a very brushy area by the river which will likely drench passerbys with due early in the day. It quickly ascends into continued burn zone on good tread up several switchbacks. This trail is in very good shape. I was expecting much worse.
This stretch had the largest variety of small wildflowers on the entire loop. Specimens include Blue-Eyed Mary, Mahala Mat, Woolly Sunflower, Woodland Star, Star-Flowered Lily of the Valley, Star-Flower, Rose Twisted Stalk, Manzanita, Candy Flower, Larkspur, Spring Beauties, Pussy Ears, Stonecrop, Marsh Marigolds, and Violets.
Solace Meadow to Fawn Spring
The meadow was boggy and buggy when we arrived. This is where the trail starts to get a bit confusing. The trail becomes faint or washed out. A few small cairns help guide those totally lost, but having the GPS was helpful here. I would have marched off in completely the wrong direction. It is recommended to steer around the right side of the meadow and up the hillside afterward.
Everything between the meadow and the top of the hill was burned especially hard. This is a very dry, sunbaked area. Be prepared for total exposure for several miles going uphill.
Fawn Spring had a trickle of water when we were there. This spring is your last opportunity for water until you get down to the Seven Lakes area, so stock up. The spring is easy to miss. It will be an unexplainably green area above the trail.
Fawn Spring to PCT
The trail evens out a bit as it continues uphill and will eventually leave the burn zone and reenter the piney woods. The trail here becomes very flat and clear. You can dry-camp an entire army up here.
CAUTION: There is an unsigned junction with a trail leading to a viewpoint on Big Bunchgrass or Bareface Butte (i assume). If you are not paying attention you will keep going straight off the trail. The actual trail makes a sharp turn up the hill. We never found the junction itself. We had to rely on the GPS and bushwack uphill until we found tread again.
This 6000 ft elevation is about where we started seeing snowbanks hiding off in the shadows. These snowbanks would continue all down the PCT and around the Seven Lakes region. It is helpful to have GPS in these parts because it can be easy to lose the trail at times because of faint tread, blowdowns, and random snowbanks.
This is also where the elite mosquitos begin.
PCT to Seven Lakes
The PCT, as you would expect, was a welcomed, wide, clear, speedwalking trail compared to what came before. Its also the darkest and most boring stretch of the entire loop. I have this feeling that dedicated PCT thru-hikers are missing most of great scenery in the PNW and i secretly feel sad for them.
I assumed that coming this early in the year would reduce the bug situation somewhat. I was wrong. The mosquitos here are malicious, persistent, and angry. I was not prepared with any kind of spray. I wore a long sleeved shirt and another shirt inside out over my head to keep them out of my ears. A growing swarm of the buggers followed us the entire way down the PCT.
Once you get to the bottom, you have some options of which way to go: The Seven Lakes Trail which goes to Middle Lake and Grass Lake, or stay on the PCT which leads to Cliff and South Lakes. We took the PCT route.
ADVISORY: Cliff Lake, at the time we walked by, had several "no camping" signs in the campsites. I'm not sure if the intention is to prevent camping entirely at this lake, or to keep people off the clear and obvious meadow areas.
Seven Lakes to Middle Fork
Weather had low clouds, fog, occasional drizzle, and a few sunbreaks in this section. Snowbanks became heavy here and you'll need to switch into kick-step / boot-ski mode as you make your way around this shady Northern side of the hill. No special gear required, but gaitors and poles were appreciated, and the GPS helped correct what might have been several hours going in wrong directions.
We eventually came around to Alta Lake, which i agree with others is the best of the bunch if you want somewhere to spend the night. It's pretty, has easy water access, and campsites are available at both ends and up the hill on the east side. This is a good place to top up on water if you're headed downhill. There may not be any more water sources between here and Middle Fork if you come later in the year. Early in the year, however, there should be several ponds and streams on the way.
Big Pond was full when we were there. In fact the trail ran underwater for a stretch and we had to go wide around.
After this is another wide, flat area. If needed, you could dry-camp anywhere in this region.
The zig-zagging decent down to the river starts off rocky and then becomes increasingly organic, green, and spongy. Blowdown and debris cause some navigational challenges when they are too big to hop over and not enough room to crawl under. This is where you might get very wet if the bushes are loaded with due drops. The actual decent was fairly easy.
Middle Fork to Trailhead
The southern half of the riverside trail is dense and forested. The tread is faint, often squishy, and overgrown with small greens. There are large fields of wild ginger growing here and you will smell it as you walk through.
There are a few camping opportunities along the river in the flatter parts if you are willing to scout a bit and need a place to stop for the night. Water access is available along the river. There were also many small trickles along the way.
The Northern section of this stretch heading towards the Halifax junction re-enters the burn zone. This section has the most severe blowdown and debris on the loop. You'll get a good workout climbing under, over, and around stuff. This is a not a quick jaunt back to the car, so plan your pace accordingly.
Continuing North, miss the Halifax junction again and make a quick jaunt back to the car
Mission complete.