Executive Summary
242 miles in 5 days, 17 hours, 52 minutes; +1 concussion; -1 GoPro with lots of unique footage. +1 GoPro found!
The Movie
Direct URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAAsGEHnoPU
The Cougar Traverse
The 242-mile Cougar Traverse in Washington State’s Pasayten Wilderness is the longest uninterrupted wilderness route in the lower 48 states. It’s one big loop without any road crossings, no possibilities to resupply, and no easy bailout options. Mike Woodmansee created the route as a “bonus trek” and long challenge, far from anything else, in his 2003 book “Trekking Washington.” The book rates the route as the “toughest,” and suggests to do it in 10 days.
The 242mi Cougar Traverse: the longest wilderness route in the lower 48 states, no road crossings, no resupply, no easy bailout. It’s the good kinda stuff, in other words. Interactive map.
The route is particularly challenging because:
- many of the trails have long been abandoned and may literally not exist anymore;
- some areas are severely damaged by wildfires;
- route-finding is difficult;
- there is a lot of bushwhacking involved;
- there is no possibility to resupply, so you have to carry all your calories;
- it’s grizzly recovery habitat;
- the cougar owns the Pasayten Wilderness;
- the area has the largest population of lynx in the lower 48 states;
- help is far (far) away if something goes wrong.
It seems that no one had so far completed the entire route in a single go. At least no one came forward and no reports can be found on the internet(s).
My goal was to complete the route in a solo and unsupported way. I announced my intentions to go for a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on Jul 9, 2019.
Planning
Endless hours went into the planning, recon, and preparation of this adventure since the early summer 2018. I’d say that I spent at least 4x more time on the preparation than on the actual execution.
I used my fairly rich data collection from previous adventures to determine a worst, realistic, and best case scenario. Given the route and conditions to be expected, my most realistic scenario was to finish in 6 days. The best case scenario was 5, the worst case scenario 7 days. I decided to carry food for 7 days. In the worst case, I would be able to stretch it to 8 days, I figured.
Preparation time vs actual adventure time. Read about the history of Cuben Sketches.
Calories
I decided to carry about 250 calories for each hour of moving over 7 days (~5,000 calories per day). Below is a table with what I carried. For backpacking trips, it is common to carry about 2-2.5lbs per day for 4,500cal. An average of 125cal/oz (4.46g/cal) is a decent calories/weight ratio.
Each of my daily food packs was about 3lbs (1,382g) heavy. Although I feel I optimized quite a bit, there’s definitely still room for improvement. However, you also want to carry food that you actually want to eat, not just olive oil and nuts. There’s already enough suffering typically, so I try to at least keep some pleasures in the food.
For example, I carried a few tortillas because they go well with Trailbutter in the morning and are also quite filling. Gels have a surprisingly low calories/weight ratio, but they nevertheless give me a nice and sustained energy kick. Picky bars have a pretty low calories/weight ratio, yet, they feel filling to me and I also enjoy the various flavors.
But food is very personal and I would not recommend you simply go with the food list below on your own attempt. What may work for me may not work for you.
Calories, weight, and speed trade-off. You can’t have it all. For a given number of calories you will carry, you will have a given weight, and that will allow you to move at a certain speed. The difficult is to find the “sweet spot” that still allows you to be light and therefore to be fast.
I should have known better that 250 calories on a slow route may not be enough. It wasn’t. By 6pm I was usually out of food and then tried to move for a few hours on an empty tank. But I often felt very flat and depleted before even running out of food. For the first 4 days, my tummy was rumbling a lot, then it seemed to get used to the limited influx of calories.
I ended up losing just over 5lbs of body weight over the 6 days.
The food I carried. It added up to about 245 calories per hour of planned moving over 7 days.
The packaged food: ~5,000cal per day that added up to about 3lbs per day. The food for day 1 is not shown because it was distributed in the pack’s pockets.
Gear
Based on the temperature and weather predictions for the planned duration of my adventure, I put a gear kit together that would hopefully keep me warm and dry. It mostly did. Some rain and thunderstorms were to be expected (~20% chance), but nothing major. That’s not exactly what happened, however. The weather turned really sour on the last day with a rather intense storm and rain from the early morning on.
The temperatures were also lower than expected. The lowest I measured was 37F. The highest 90F. My Western Mountaineering SummerLite sleeping bag is rated for 32F, but anything below 40F feels already quite uncomfortable in it. I froze my butt off during at least two of the nights, some other nights were humid to the extent that I had to dry my bag the next day. I would pack a warmer bag if I’d do it again (I won’t!).
My rain protection included a rain jacket and rain pants, waterproof socks, waterproof gloves, and waterproof overmitts. I also carried several gloves, mitts, and hats that I could layer differently. That was all good enough for day 4 and 5, when it rained for a few hours on and off, but on day 6, I got very seriously soaked. It would have been challenging to spend another night out there with the gear I had. Thankfully I did not have to.
Even during the first 3 days I was often wet because of the wet vegetation in the morning. It’s constant car-washing time with all the overgrown trails.
The LaSportiva Uragano GTX was a good choice. It’s a lightweight all-weather mountain running shoe with an integrated gaiter that works like a charm to keep dirt out. It tends to feel a little hot when the weather is nice and toasty, but as soon as things get wet and cold, it excels. It was also perfect for the endless off-trail bushwhacking, the rugged terrain, and the wet vegetation. They were torn apart at the very end after 242mi only. I can usually put 400 to 500mi on these.
My basepack (without food) weighs about 8lbs.
Post-adventure shoe presentation. I would wear these LaSportiva Uragano GTX again for the same adventure.
Stinky, wet, and dirty post-adventure gear mess.
The Execution
Day 1: Fri, Jul 12, 2019
As announced, I started at 3:30am from the Canyon Creek Trailhead. Although the bridge to the trail was out, I was able to easily cross it (see announcement for pics). The pack felt insanely heavy, well, because it was. Thankfully the first 20 or so miles along Ross Lake were pretty flat. There were only very few people camping and I did only see two hikers on the trail. Then the real deal began: a good climb up to Castle Pass.
I expected to see a lot of bears and cougars, but only saw one bear (about 6h into the run). I was bothered a lot more by mice at night than by any other bigger animal. At some point I considered using my pepper spray—which I had decided to carry at the very last minute—on mice. But that felt somewhat wrong. I was also worried I would incapacitate myself.
Animals expected to be seen vs animals actually seen.
The trails on day 1 were mostly great, although the Green Trails Maps mentioned some sections that were hard to follow. I did not feel that was the case, although some parts were very overgrown. Somewhere on the way up to Castle Pass I crossed a large group of perhaps 15 teenagers. They said they had not seen anybody for 3 days.
I made it to the PCT before sunset with hurting shoulders from the heavy pack. Getting to the PCT was my goal for day 1, so I felt OK. There were tent cities everywhere, so I decided to move on as long as I could to find a bit more solitude and to benefit from the daylight. In another hour or so I made it to Hopkins Lake and was able to grab a decent spot for the night while darkness started to fall. The mosquitos were bad despite the wind. I slept in my bug net so that they wouldn’t bother me.
Day 2: Sat, Jul 13, 2019
Day 2 started off rather cold, but I was in good spirits and eager to move on. I hauled my ass up to Woody Pass, where I turned off the PCT unto trail #472. The vegetation was wet and I got car-washed pretty badly for the next 7 miles or so.
Just before mile 60, where the loop almost touches (trail #473 turns into #478), I decided to cross the 0.4 miles to the other side in order to stash a 1-day food ration for the return (that would be roughly mile 210).
There are a bunch of trails in that area and it can be a little confusing, especially if your GPS track, your maps, and the actual trail are all in different places. But it was good for me to get used to such conflicting situations because I should encounter them a lot over the next few days.
I made it to about mile 81, just by the beginning of trail #502 (Whistler Basin Trail), where I spend a decent night.
Trail confusion. Sometimes, neither the actual trail nor the GPS track or the map matched.
Day 3: Sun, Jul 14, 2019
The climb up to Whistler Pass through the Whistler Basin in the early morning hours was truly spectacular. I was enchanted by the vastness and the beauty of the meadows. There was still some snow on Whistler Pass. The rest of the day is a bit of a blur. I remember that it was hot and that the trail (mostly following the PNT in that area) was relentless. No downed trees at all, as far as I remember.
A group of 4 women wanted to offer me some dinner at their amazing campsite, but I politely refused and explained that I was not allowed to take outside help on my journey. Needless to say that I would have loved to have some extra calories!
I spent the night near Haig Mountain, perhaps 4 miles before the Horseshoe Basin.
Day 4: Mon, Jul 15, 2019
I reached the east-most part of the loop, the “turning point” at Horseshoe Pass, well before sunrise. There were a few tents still in the dark.
Overall, the trail conditions as well as the navigation became a lot harder on the southern part of the loop. Entire valleys are completely burnt down and there is no trail to be seen anywhere. It’s hardcore bushwhacking. I can’t remember how much of that I did on day 4, but it felt endless. Many times I was close to giving up. But what would that even mean? Nobody would be able to pick me up there. Going back would have been equally hard as going forward. So I kept moving forward.
Trees in all directions and no trail. Nothing unusual on the Cougar Traverse. I saw endless opportunities for chainsawing.
There were periods of rain, but for the most part, it was cloudy.
During one of the countless climbs over dead trees, I slipped on a wet tree, couldn’t arrest my fall with anything, and banged the side of my head with full force against another tree. I was nocked unconscious from the heavy impact. Then there was (some) blood, then there was confusion, then there was pain. It took me a while to realize that I probably hadn’t broken anything, that the wound was not bleeding uncontrollably, but that I had suffered some quite serious concussion: I experienced vision and hearing problems, felt very nauseous for the next 2 days, had a headache, and balance issues. Because of the huge bump on the side of my head I had to extend the hat’s strap. But that wasn’t a serious problem. My jaw felt more serious: I could only open it about halfway. That was really annoying and painful for eating. Thankfully the concussion symptoms slowly went away over the next days, but the jaw issues stayed for weeks.
I tried to be more careful while climbing trees, but it could obviously not be avoided on this route.
After many long hours I finally made it to Andrews Creek trail #504, which had just been freshly maintained by a crew on mules. I stayed at the horse camp that was now empty, but the mice were horrible and I had to get up twice to hang my food differently. The tiny and super fast beasts would literally run over my arm and sleeping bag. I refrained from using pepper spray, but seriously considered it.
Concussion number 1 of 1.
Day 5: Tue, Jul 16, 2019
Day 5 started with useless bushwhacking because both the map and the GPS track were wrong. I learned that after the fact from three folks who were camping up by Peepsight Lake and who have explored the area for many many years. They gave me lots of tips for the next few valleys and wished me a lot of luck. They knew better than I did what I was getting into.
On day 5, the pack was noticeably lighter, but I was also more fatigued. I did not observe a higher pace in the last 2-3 days. My hypothesis is that the lighter pack roughly balances out with the increased overall fatigue.
Pack weight and fatigue on an unsupported adventure where you carry everything from the beginning. They probably balance out over the duration of a longer multi-day adventure.
Somewhere in the Lake Creek drainage area on the descent from Ashnola Pass I must have lost my GoPro. It was in a zippered pocked, but when I wanted to grab the camera, the pocket was half open and the camera was gone. I suspect that happened during one of the countless bushwhacking episodes. I backtracked a bit, but in that terrain, it was absolutely hopeless to locate the camera, even with the recorded GPS track that I could follow back.
I cried and gave up. It was perhaps the lowest point of the trip. I had recorded several hours of amazing and unique footage. Not only was that all lost, I would also not be able to record anything from now on.
Yes, I lost my GoPro with hours of footage.
There was nothing else I could do than to move on. So I did. After many more hours of off-trail bushwhacking, I reached the Hidden Lakes. After chatting for a bit with a gentlemen that appeared out of nowhere, I decided to climb up toward the Tatoosh Buttes as far as possible. After all, my goal was to be done the next day. Yet, I had no idea if that was realistic at all. Luckily, despite the burnt area, the trail toward the buttes was reasonable. But it was also relentless and I struggled because I was out of calories.
I found a campsite that was somewhat protected from the wind at about 6,300 feet, perhaps a mile from the summit. The night turned out to be bitter cold and humid.
I never saw the Tatoosh Buttes, nor the Ptarmigan Peak or the Dot Mountain because it was already/still dark.
The Tatoosh Buttes at night.
Day 6: Wed, Jul 17, 2019
The rain started perhaps mid-morning on the last day. This was not supposed to happen according to the weather forecast, but we know how that goes.
I was already soaking wet because of the wet vegetation. The descent from the Tatoosh Buttes to the Pasayten River was hellish and painfully slow. But as always, things eventually end. I made it across the major landslide after crossing the Pasayten River (?) on a log because the bridge was gone. It would have been rather challenging to ford. As opposed to two previous log crossings, I did not fell into the water, so that was a success. I retrieved my 1-day food cache, but decided to not touch it because I was not sure how long I would still need to make it last.
Trail #472 up to Holman Pass was very overgrown and had literally 1,000s of downed trees. The going was painfully slow. Mentally, somehow I thought I was pretty much done once I reached the PCT on Holman Pass. I was sooo wrong.
It seemed to take forever to get to Devils Pass, and even longer along the Jackita Ridge to the finish. I never thought I’d have to get my headlamp out on that day, but as I started the endless descent toward the bottom of the Canyon Creek, it was getting too dark. At Devils Park I had to change layers one last time because I felt I was getting hypothermic. I was very glad I had enough spare layers.
The endless switchbacks to the Canyon Creek trailhead wore me out one last time. I was soaking wet by that time again, despite the recent layer change. The wind had also picked up and I came across many freshly downed trees. I did not envy the groups that I saw camping along the way and the few hikers I crossed. They all look miserable.
For hours I worried that the Canyon Creek would be too high to ford because of the pouring rain. As I finally got there past 9pm, it was indeed roaring and the water levels were perhaps twice as high compared to when I started, but I was luckily still able to cross the broken bridge in relative safety. From there it was just a 0.5mi or so to the car. I was confident I could do that.
My Ambit3 showed 137h 52min, that’s 5 days 17 hours 52 minutes, when I stopped it. I took a few finish line photos with my cellphone that I had left in the car, changed into dry clothes, and began the drive home immediately. I did not feel like staying another night in the car out there.
On the way to Marblemount, I saw the fire department clearing downed trees from the storm. The heavy rain continued until late into the night.
Although I took a few short naps and breaks on the way to Portland, I was home by 6am, showered, biked to work, and then met with my students for most of the morning.
It poured a lot on the last day. Not in a good way.
Finish line photo. Soaked to the bones.
This is how deflated I felt.
137h 52min. That’s 5 days 17 hours 52 minutes.
Some foot care is needed. But it was mostly back to normal in a few hours.
Trash
I carried out all my trash, mostly gel/bar wrappers and a lot of ziploc bags. Since you don’t come across any trailheads, there is no possibility to dump trash on the way. In any case, dumping trash is not quite in the pure spirit of an unsupported FKT, but the opinions are split about that.
You’d assume the trash would weigh close to nothing, but I was surprised to find out that it was a whopping 1.7lbs heavy. Ughs. I could possibly have reduced the number of ziploc bags.
I generated and carried out a whopping 1.7lbs of trash. Ughs.
GPS and other data
- I recorded the entire adventure with my Ambit3, which was on a 1min GPS interval. This is therefore not an accurate recording. If it looks like I cut switchbacks, it’s not because I did, it’s because they were not accurately recorded.
- Total time: 137h 52min = 5 days 17 hours 52 minutes
- Total distance: 242mi (according to Mike’s mileage table)
- Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/2542690661
- SpotWalla: http://bit.ly/CougarTraverse
- FKT entries: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/cougar-traverse-wa
An overlay of Mike’s proposed route (red) with the route I completed (blue). There are minor deviations because of non-existing trails and GPS inaccuracies.
Strava was paying attention.
What’s next?
Your turn!
Disclaimer
The information provided in this report does not identify possible dangers. By visiting and reading this report, you agree to assume all known and unknown risks associated with spending your day(s) in the outdoors, should you attempt to complete this route yourselves. You agree to not sue me if your day(s) go(es) sideways.