Grassy Knoll to Big Huckleberry 5/29/23
Posted: May 29th, 2023, 7:00 pm
We started at Grassy Knoll Trailhead. The meadow at the bottom had numerous wildflowers of different varieties, but it is not at peak bloom. The trail is in relatively good shape up to Grassy Knoll, apart from some blowdown - maybe 5 or so trees, all passable. There is also a snow field on the slope just below Grassy Knoll that requires some careful navigating. Views were great from Grassy Knoll.
After the camp, we encountered more and more areas with snow covering the trail until it became challenging and then impossible to follow the trail. It required significant route finding to get to the junction with the PCT. From there, the trail to the top of Big Huckleberry is a bit brushy, but was easy to follow. After Big Huckleberry we continued north on the PCT for a mile and half before being turned around by a large area of snow and blowdown after the trail reenters the woods. This section of PCT is in rough shape with brush and several difficult areas of blowdown and snow on the slopes. Long before getting to this messy area of trail, there is a camp just a short distance north on the PCT from the junction with the trail up to Big Huckleberry with an incredible view of Mt. Adams.
This is a great hike in good conditions, so these trails could use some love and foot traffic.
After Grassy Knoll, the trail is brushy in spots and clearly not heavily traveled. I did pick up a tick in one brushy section. There are a few spots with snow on the trail, but it is relatively easy to follow up to the camp at Coldspring. Even before that, as soon as you reenter the woods, there's a lot of debris on the trail and it is faint at times. After the camp, we encountered more and more areas with snow covering the trail until it became challenging and then impossible to follow the trail. It required significant route finding to get to the junction with the PCT. From there, the trail to the top of Big Huckleberry is a bit brushy, but was easy to follow. After Big Huckleberry we continued north on the PCT for a mile and half before being turned around by a large area of snow and blowdown after the trail reenters the woods. This section of PCT is in rough shape with brush and several difficult areas of blowdown and snow on the slopes. Long before getting to this messy area of trail, there is a camp just a short distance north on the PCT from the junction with the trail up to Big Huckleberry with an incredible view of Mt. Adams.
This is a great hike in good conditions, so these trails could use some love and foot traffic.