American Lake '08,  Pacific Crest Trail,  Jul 22, 2008 - Jul 23, 2008     page 1 / 21

After having recently viewed the local ski slopes from the air, we figured that a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail might be good choice. You see, the areas we compared were of similar elevation, and the ski area was virtually free of snow. American Lake was our destination. This lake sits about six miles south of Chinook Pass, just a little east of the PCT. We began our hike in late morning, proceeding around the north side of Naches Peak. We soon crossed a small patch of snow. And then another. This north-facing section of trail was still covered with several areas of snow, a bit more than we anticipated. Fog and clouds blew through the area.