Author: Andrew Carter

I just completed a multi-year thru hike (MYTH) of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It took three years. I hiked 1840 miles in 2021, 733 miles in 2022, and 122 miles in 2023. The only reason I had to hike in 2023 was a wildfire closure at the north end of the PCT in 2022. During the past two years, I've also thru hiked other, shorter US trails. I hiked the Benton MacKaye Trail (GA, NC, TN) and the Tuscarora Trail (VA, WV, MD, PA) in 2022 plus the Ozark Highlands Trail (AR) in 2023. I hope to hike the Long Trail (VT) next year and the Colorado Trail at some point in the future. Please note, all content on this site is copyright.

What Lies Ahead

c) Andrew Carter, 2022

I hiked 1840 miles of the PCT in 2021. I had hoped to hike the remaining 814 miles in 2022. That’s not going to happen.

When I got to northern Washington earlier this month, I learned that the northernmost portion of the PCT is closed due to wildfires in Washington and British Columbia. So I got off the trail in Stehekin, leaving 81 miles of the PCT in Washington still to hike. I’ll have to return in 2023 to complete those miles. My “thru in two” becomes a “thru in three.”

I also have 50 miles of the PCT in the Sierra still to hike. I’ll take care of those miles in October.

Since April 3, 2021, I’ve hiked 2523 miles of the PCT. I’ve also hiked another 517 miles on the Benton MacKaye Trail and Tuscarora Trail back East. That’s 3040 miles in a year and a half. Add in the 50 miles in the Sierra I’ll hike next month plus the walk-in miles needed to reach trailheads in 2021 and 2022, and I’ll be close to 3200 actual miles before winter hits.

My long distance hiking days are coming to an end, however. It’s one thing to “ghost” Marta when she’s working, but she’ll be retiring soon and we have traveling we want to do together. I can envision shorter hikes in the future, but not anything longer than two or three weeks.

I hope you have enjoyed my posts, pictures, and videos. I’ve been blessed to be able to spend so much time in the wilderness these past two years. Who knows what the future holds?

Oregon & Washington — Miscellaneous Views 2

c) Andrew Carter, 2022

The Knife Edge, Goats Rocks Wilderness
Volcanic rocks near the trail
White Pass ski lift control station …
My home for the night
Sometimes the trail looks like this …
or this …
but more often like this …
or this.
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Mt. Rainier in the distance
So much for “leave no trace.” Yes, that’s garbage. No, it’s not mine.
Glacial melt river. Note how muddy it is.
Olallie Lake Resort, completely off the grid — no electricity, no telephone, no cellphone, no WiFi.
The man himself
The telephone is gone, but they left the booth. No door, however. What is Superman to do?

Oregon & Washington — Miscellaneous Views 1

c) Andrew Carter, 2022

As will see from the photographs, I was blown away by the beauty of the Cascades. Not just by the volcanic peaks, but also by the Goat Rocks Wilderness south of White Pass and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness between Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass.

The one negative was realizing the extent of glacier loss as I compared what I saw today with what my National Geographic PCT map set showed to be the case in 1983.

Mt. Jefferson, south face
Mt. Jefferson, next day, north face
Mt. Hood, south face
Mt. Hood, different day, north face
Mt. St. Helens, south face
Mt. St. Helens, different day, north face
Mt. Adams, west face
Mt. Adams, different day, north face
Glacial creek on the flanks of Mt. Adams
Mr. Adams to the right, Mt. Rainier to the left
Mt. Rainier, south face
A closer view
Mt. Rainier, different day, east face
My campsite beside a lake
Morning mist on a pond
A foggy day
It helps to have a saddle if you plan to ride a tree.
Clouds and mountains
Unnamed peak, Goat Rocks Wilderness
Goat Rocks Wilderness
Mountain goats in the distance. The blurriness is because I was using a telephoto lens without a tripod.
Goat Rocks Wilderness
Late August, still snow and ice on the trail
The Knife Edge, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Mt. Rainier in the distance
The Knife Edge
South of White Pass
South of White Pass
Entrance road, Mt. Rainier National Park
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, clouds rolling in
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Switchbacks on the trail
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Cathedral Rock
South of Stevens Pass
South of Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass Ski Area
Smoke on the trail, Wenatchee Fire
Trying to protect my lungs
The trail through a mountain meadow, smoke in the air
Glacier Peak Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness
The damp forests of the Pacific Northwest
Stehekin, northern end of Lake Chelan. Stehekin is only reachable by boat.
Lake Chelan is 50 miles long and generally less than one mile wide.
It is the thrid deepest lake in the US, after Crater Lake and Lake Tahoe.
Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Olallie Lake “Guard” Station
Little Crater Lake. Note how deep and clear the water is in this artesian spring.
It is 45 feet deep and has a diameter of perhaps 150 feet.
Timothy Lake, view from my campsite
Me with an old friend

Timberline Lodge

c) Andrew Carter, 2022

I began and ended my Oregon/Washington hike at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. The lodge was built in the 1930’s by the Works Progress Administration and sits at an elevation of 6000 feet. There is a ski area at the Lodge, but the Lodge attracts visitors year-round.

The Lodge is known by hikers for its $25 all-you-can-eat buffets. (Long distance hikers are always hungry.) When I started my hike on August 17th, I enjoyed the lunch buffet. When I ended my hike on September 21st, I enjoyed the breakfast buffet.

Local materials were used in construction, and there is art throughout the building. Here are some photographs. I wished I’d taken more.

Oregon & Washington — Flora and Fauna

c) Andrew Carter, 2022

I love wildflowers. Sadly, I don’t know the names of most of them and rarely take the time to look them up.
Moss
Not sure exactly what this growth on the trees is
Life after death? A young pine sprouting from the stump of its parent.
A river of spruce cones
More spruce cones
I “heart” the PCT.
Blackberries
Huckleberries
Blueberries
Blueberry hands
A giant ant hill
The anthill up close. The black things are ants.
This bird followed me for about 200 yards along the trail.
I’m not sure what it wanted. A handout?
Grouse
Marmot
Llama being used as pack animals