I was hunting around for a day hike to get me away from the Lower Columbia Basin’s triple-digit heat. I noted that the last trip report at the Washington Trail Association’s web page was five years ago, and I decided that I’d check this hike out. Several years ago, I hiked from Chinook Pass to Tacoma Pass along the Pacific Crest Trail; this trail’s junction with the PCT is in along that section. That always piques my curiosity.

In addition to the age of the most up-to-date information I had access to, planning was complicated by the fact that AllTrails & the WTA only describe the trail as existing to the junction with the Cougar Valley Trail – 1.7 miles. I have the USGS 7&1/2 map for this area, so I could get a vague idea of the elevation gain and loss, but it really was a vague estimate. In other words, this day hike was an adventure.

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