Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass via the PCT day 5 of 5

Day 5 started off with the incessant swarming of skeeters. We got our camp tasks done and jetted out of camp towards Pieper Pass above Glacier Lake.

Deception lake from camp looking north. Those were our neighbors that came in at like 11pm with their headlamps blaring.
Looking south from our campsite.
Packed up and taking off to get away from the skeeters.
The sign shortly after leaving the Deception Lakes area.
The climb to Pieper Pass.
Looking back towards yesterdays hike, Cathedral Rock is all the way to the left and Mt. Daniel is in the center.
In a short amount of time and a short climb I arrived at the pass and broke out my cereal for the morning.By the time Dicentra caught up I was just finishing eating my cereal and was b.s.'ing with some guy that was thinking about doing the whole section. At least this guy had a whole list of escape routes if his food wasn't enough, or the trail was too much. But I hope he had a lot more food than the bruised and mushy bananas he was eating. After a little bit of chatting we left the ridge and started dropping down to Glacier and Surprise Lake Basin. On the way down we ran into even more section hikers and chatted for a few more minutes.

Glacier Lake from near Pieper Pass, Trap Pass is straight on the ridge line.
Glacier peak from below Pieper Pass
Can you find Dicentra amongst the switchbacks through the rocks?
Glacier Lake basin, just above the lake.
After we arrived at the basin floor we grabbed some water from a creek and started the ascent to Trap Pass. The switchbacks were a fairly consistent grade and eventually we hit the pass and had a snack. From the pass we continued on down the switchbacks above Trap Lake and started a meadow/treed traverse towards Hope Lake. Along this section we were passed by Piper, a thru who was finishing the trail after getting injured last year on her attempt from Mexico to Canada, who knew Dicentra from reading her blog and recipes. After a long, fairly open traverse we started a slight climb and than finally dropped down into the Hope Lake area where we took a lunch break. After lunch I picked a bunch of huckleberries, I packaged them up to take home and put in some beer battered pancakes. At this point we also ran into the first day hikers of the trip since we left the Kendall Catwalk off of I-90. Mainly because Hope and Mig Lakes are a very short hike from an access road off of Highway 2. We packed up and headed towards Stevens Pass, the next lake we passed was Mig Lake, and then an unknown tarn.

The switchbacks down to the Trap Lake area from Trap Pass.
Rounding a switchback above Trap Lake.
Trap Lake
Meadow traverse.

Hope Lake
Mig Lake
After the tarn the trail starts climbing to an unnamed saddle. From this area you get your first glimpse at the Back of Cowboy Mountain and the backside of the ski resort at Stevens Pass. The climb to the unknown saddle was the steepest switchbacks that we encountered on the entire trip. It was nice that they were straight and to the point so we reached the top fairly fast. Granted it was an exposed slope and about 90 degrees outside so we were cooking! After the saddle we were out of the direct sun for the majority of the rest of the trip.

First sign of the backside of Stevens Pass.
We passed Lake Josephine and the Icicle Creek trail junction and finally came by Lake Susan Jane where we were able to get more water before traversing the last section of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and entered the ski resort. We crossed into the ski resort a 1/4 the way down under the powerlines bisecting the Gemini Ski Trail. The trail cut through Corona Bowl and started switchbacking through the Waybacks up to the top of the Jupiter and Tye Mill lift area. After cresting the ridge we switchbacked down to the Base of Tye mill and than Traversed the slope and dumped out at the parking lot just past the Big Chief Chair.

Lake Josephine

Lake Susan Jane
Entering Stevens Pass and leaving the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Another advisory about some other fires that are burning.
Looking down the Jupiter Chairlift adjacent to the Waybacks.

We than had a crazy ride down the mountain with Dicentra's dad where I preceded to get car sick for the first time in a real long time. I had some Jack-in-the-Box and eventually I got back to my truck and started my long drive back home to Wauna.