I ran Section I of the PCT, from White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass, over 2 days, 4 hours and 15 minutes. I did not intend this as an FKT attempt but realized later it might be one. I ran in unsupported style, carrying all of my supplies from beginning to end, and did not meet anyone I knew on trail or accept any material support.
Day 1: White Pass to Old Crow Basin
My awesome father in law dropped me off at the White Pass trailhead on Saturday at 8 am. The mosquitoes were everywhere! Everyone was wearing head nets. I went for the 100% DEET and was mostly left alone. All of the lakes and streams were equally bad. I saw many southbound through hikers. Other than through hikers, the only place I saw many people was at Chinook Pass. Trail behavior was very courteous all weekend.
The biggest climb of the entire section happens almost right away, although it's only 1500'. This section features frequent views of Tahoma. It's pretty much the only thing I took pictures of. The wildflowers are in full bloom as well.
I saw a small forest fire and a helicopter dumping water on it. Later I met the guy who called it in.
There are long exposed stretches with no water. I misjudged how much water I'd need and ran out 2 hours before the next spring. I was not happy. This was at miles 32-39. For lack of water I stopped eating, leading to the inevitable bonk. A hiker moving more slowly could run into real trouble here on a hot day.
My original plan had been to camp at Sheep Lake, but when I got there it was very crowded - at least 5 groups. So I pushed on to Old Crow Basin, another 9 miles. By the time I got there I was very tired and ready to be done. Old Crow Basin was also packed, with at least 4 groups and 4 alpacas. But the basin is huge and there are tons of campsites so we stayed out of each other's way. Except when my neighbors woke me up by talking loudly at 5 am…
Stats: 39.4 miles, 6752' ascent, 5072' descent, 11:33 elapsed time, 9:41 moving time
Day 2: Old Crow Basin to Lizard Lake
Having been woken up, I slept a bit more but then got going, leaving camp around 7. My legs weren't too tired and I felt good about how the day would go. My original campsite goal was a stream 30 miles down the trail, but I realized I'd get there at about 2, which is way too early to stop for the day, However the next site with water, Lizard Lake, isn't for 12 miles. Once again I sucked it up, and once again I ran out of water. This section has very little water, and I missed a crucial stream. I wound up going 16 miles and 5 hours between refills. When I finally reached a stream, I slumped to the ground and immediately started drinking through my filter. It was so cold I got a brain freeze. After chugging almost 2L of water, eating all my pretzels, and resting for 30 minutes, I was very refreshed.
This section of trail was incredibly runnable: not too steep and few roots or rocks. I made great time. It is otherwise quite boring - basically no views, and the only variety is clear cuts and burned areas.
At the end of the day, as twilight approached, I saw a bear. It was very curious about me, but eventually ambled off. I stopped running for a while and just walked to avoid triggering its chasing instinct.
I met a northbound through hiker. She helped me find water. I told her about the food options at Snoqualmie Pass (Summit Pancake House for diner food, Commonwealth/Dru Brew for classier fare and great beer).
Lizard Lake was not a great campsite. There were many cars that drove by and a loud group off people. There was a ton of trash. The lake is muddy and weedy and water access is poor. There are lots of sites, though.
Stats: 41.8 miles, 6017' ascent, 8428' descent, 11:33 elapsed time, 9:57 moving time
Day 3: Lizard Lake to Snoqualmie Pass
Knowing I only had 18 miles to go, I had a lazy morning and wasn't on the trail until 8:30. This section of trail was equally boring, and much less runnable. The best thing I can say is that the biggest climb, 1k', was very first thing in the morning - an easy extended warmup. This section of trail, especially near the ski area, is very rocky. I talked to a couple runners, one of whom asked me some questions about fastpacking and said she wanted to try it. I hope she does!
I once again managed to get dehydrated. I brought 2 water bladders and both sprang leaks, which worsened and made them basically unusable. When I got back to the car to meet my amazing wife, I chugged a full liter of water. Then we went to Rio Bravo in North Bend and I crushed 2 large burritos.
Overall, this was good exercise, but not the most fulfilling wilderness experience. PCT Section I between Stevens and Snoqualmie, which I did last year, was far, far better.
Stats: 17.7 mi, 3051' ascent, 3619' descent, 4:30 ET, 4:07 MT