PCT: Green Springs Summit to Little Hyatt Lake

May 29, 2016

After getting a taste of hiking the PCT on the Green Springs Mountain Loop trail, we decided it was time to stretch our legs and challenge ourselves with our first 10+ mile hike of the year.  So back up to the Green Springs Summit we went, this time hiking the PCT from the Summit to Little Hyatt Lake and back --- 10.8 miles when done.

What?  Who you calling "trash"?

The first couple of miles took us in and out of various meadows and wooded areas, but both had one thing in common- wildflowers!  This would be the theme for this hike as we were able to identify 34 different wildflower varieties and had about 4 or 5 that we could not identify!  It was absolutely flower filled -see a few samples below.

Wild Iris

Yup, the elusive Mission Bells again!

Oregon Anemone

Striped Coral Root.  Never seen so many on one hike!

Royal Jacob's Ladder

Eventually we arrived at the trailhead for the Green Springs Mountain Loop trail that we hiked a few weeks ago, but this time we continued on the northbound PCT.  It is always interesting to hike the same trail in a different direction, so in a sense, this was new to us too.  We were treated to views of Pilot Rock and still slightly snow covered Mount Ashland.

After departing from the Mountain Loop trail section of the PCT, we continued on, alternating between meadows and forested areas as well as between uphill and downhill.  We even came across one meadow area with some nice rock cairns which we could not pass up without taking a picture.

Another Pitcairn cairn???

No, it's a Katie Pitcairn cairn!

We finally started to hear water and knew we were getting close to Little Hyatt Lake.  How do you hear a lake you ask?  The PCT goes past Little Hyatt Lake just below the little dam and overflow which today made quite a pretty waterfall.  For the backpackers at the lake, it made a nice natural shower.

Little Hyatt Lake dam overflow - great natural shower.

We hiked just a short distance off the trail and found a nice area where we could sit down and drink and eat, while taking in the beauty of Little Hyatt Lake.

Katie posing in front of Little Hyatt Lake.  Ok, begging for food.

Little Hyatt Lake

Downstream from the Little Hyatt Lake dam overflow

Our return hike offered us a second chance to take in all of the beautiful meadows, woods and of course wildflowers that we had seen earlier in the day.  We did cheat a little by taking the connector trail portion of the Green Springs Mountain Loop trail rather than hike the PCT the entire way south.

One of many wooded meadows

As we arrived back at our car we were tired and had some sore feet but we sure enjoyed all of the beauty on this hike.  Sometimes it takes long hikes to get you way out in the woods where you can enjoy the silence and the sounds of nature. Who knows, maybe we will come back again to the Summit and hike the PCT southbound next time.  We hear there's a nice hike to Hobart Bluff that way.

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol