West Fork Agnes Creek

The West Fork Agnes Creek trail has largely returned to the wild. What was once a maintained path heading west from Fivemile Camp on the Pacific Crest Trail is now a rough bushwhack along the creek's west fork, with no trail tread to follow and no destination other than the base of 8,115-foot Agnes Mountain. This is expedition-style travel for those with solid navigation skills and tolerance for brush, blowdowns, and route uncertainty.

Getting to the starting point is itself a significant undertaking. Hikers must take the Lady of the Lake ferry from Chelan to Stehekin, arrange shuttle or bike transport 14 miles to High Bridge, then hike 5.5 miles south on the PCT to Fivemile Camp. Only from there does the West Fork route branch west. The total commitment -- ferry schedule, road transport, PCT approach, and then the bushwhack -- limits this to a small handful of motivated parties each year.

The terrain is remote Glacier Peak Wilderness, with the West Fork draining steep, forested slopes below Agnes Mountain. Trip reports come from climbers using this as an approach for peaks in the area rather than hikers targeting the trail itself. Dogs are not permitted.