Jay's Pacific Crest Trail Hike 2012: 2012

Washington: Columbia River to Canada

9/9/2012, Manning Lodge, mile 2,670.0, 8.0 miles traveled.

My back felt better in the morning. I walked back to the border where Beardo’s wife graciously took a few pictures of me. Then I headed north into the trip’s final 1,000 foot climb. I took a break at a nice campground at the crest of the climb, and then enjoyed an easy descent on a fire access road. At the trailhead, I turned right and made a beeline for the Manning Lodge. There was no cell phone reception at or near the lodge. I waited in the lobby from 10 am until 4 pm for the room my parents had reserved to be ready. I didn’t mind – the sofa in the lobby was very comfortable. I couldn’t believe how good the hot shower felt. I dressed in my raingear and took all of my clothes to the lodge’s laundry. My parents arrived at 5 pm. We were all relieved to find each other safe and well because we hadn’t spoken since the phone call in Skykomish. I dressed in clothes that my parents had brought me, and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a nearby restaurant. It rained that night. I felt very fortunate to finish the hike before the weather changed.

Border picture (taken by Beardo’s wife).

Bridge over Castle Creek, Manning Provincial Park.

Castle Creek drainage from near Windy Joe Mountain, Manning Provincial Park.

My parents, Manning Lodge.

9/8/2012, U.S.-Canada Border, mile 2,662.0, 24.5 miles traveled.

After another mousy night, I arose, eager to begin my last full day on the trail. The weather was still fine, but clouds were beginning to move in. A system was forecast to reach the area on Monday. The trail was fairly easy. I enjoyed expansive views from above tree line. In a few places, the hillsides were turning red with the approach of autumn. I reflected on my hike. It seemed like I had been on the PCT forever. It was hard to imagine returning to the luxuries of civilization. I felt unsure as to what I would do after the hike. Originally, I had planned to hike the Continental Divide the year after the PCT, but I wasn’t so sure I would be ready so soon. I met Andrew on his way back to Harts Pass at about noon. He had hiked 40 miles to reach the border after midnight the day before. We took a break for a last visit. I really appreciated his company. I know he had to slow down to keep me company. To my great relief, Andrew gave me some Ibuprofen before we said goodbye.

I made the climb to Lakeview Ridge and the highest point of the trail in Washington. I saw a ptarmigan, a red-tailed hawk, and a northern harrier along the way. I hadn’t intended to reach the border that day, but the last ten miles were easy, and I came upon Monument 78 before I knew it. I took a picture of myself, and then tried to figure out where the register was. The register was in the base of the metal replica of the Washington Monument. I had to use all of my feeble back strength to lift the cone off its base. I read the entries of several thru-hikers that I knew. There were about 100 entries for 2012 so far. I wondered how many thru-hikers had been unable to lift the monument to reach the journal. It was even harder to put the monument back.

I continued north into Manning Provincial Park, and soon reached a nice campsite. “Incoming!” I heard a woman exclaim as I approached. I met Uber Bitch (so named because she gave up coffee on the trail) and her husband, a male section hiker on his first day, and Beardo’s wife who was expecting her husband to finish the next morning. “I’ll take your picture at the monument tomorrow” she offered cheerfully. The section hiker gave me half of his Mountain House Spaghetti, the first warm meal I had enjoyed since Skykomish. I set up my tent and soon fell into a deep, contented sleep.

Near Rock Pass, Pasayten Wilderness.

Andrew.

Near Rock Pass, Pasayten Wilderness.

Near Woody Pass, Pasayten Wilderness.

Near Devils Stairway, Pasayten Wilderness.

Hopkins Lake, Pasayten Wilderness.

Near Hopkins Pass, Pasayten Wilderness.

Huckleberry bushes turning red.

PCT Monument and Monument 78 at northern terminus of PCT.

Canadian Border.

Tired but happy at northern terminus of the PCT.

9/7/2012, Jim Pass, mile 2,637.5, 23.5 miles traveled.

I discovered that in addition to bothering me in my tent, mice had climbed a tree to my food bag and chewed their way into the mixed nuts that the man at Rainy Pass had given me. Disappointed at losing the nuts, I consoled myself that there would be great trail magic at Harts Pass that night. The country changed character after Rainy Pass. I was now east of the crest, and could tell it hadn’t rained there in a long time. The landscape was less jagged, and the trail gradients relaxed a bit. I was reminded of the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado, especially when I saw a beaver dam as I ascended the Brush Creek drainage toward Glacier and Grasshopper Passes. This was the last major climb of the hike amounting to over 2,500 feet. My lower back still hurt. I took the last of my Ibuprofen, hoping it would get me within crawling distance of the border. I reached Harts Pass at about 3 pm. I was very thirsty and tired. Calves, and Birdnut and son were there also. I immediately lay down on my Thermarest, in an attempt to relax my back until I got a feel for whether or not there would be trail magic.

Calves said there had been several notices down the trail claiming trail magic would commence this evening. A man pulled up in a van and told us “It will start late tonight or tomorrow.” This didn’t sound promising. I decided to continue on. I set my sites on feasting when I reached Manning Lodge the day after next. Luckily, water was plentiful from then on. I met a kind older couple with their dog a few miles later. The man gave me Advil, and the lady gave me a banana, an apple, a cookie, and a bag of almonds. I felt so fortunate to meet so many generous people. Later, I was delighted to meet Not-A-Chance and Croatian, who I had last seen near Ashland, Oregon. They were on their way back to Harts Pass from the border. Many thru-hikers hike back to Harts Pass rather than bothering with the paperwork necessary to enter Canada legally. They graciously gave me their extra food, which I devoured as soon as they left. The trail continued northward along a ridge line and entered the Pasayten Wilderness. I found a nice campsite at Jim Pass and called it quits for the day.

Beaver Dam on Brush Creek, Okanogan National Forest.

Looking back toward Grasshopper Pass, Okanogan National Forest.

Lyall’s Larch trees, Okanogan National Forest.

9/6/2012, West Fork Methow River, mile 2,614.0, 23.5 miles traveled.

It was a cold morning in the river canyon. I was happy to see that my food bag was undisturbed. I had been bothered during the night by mice entering my tent in search of food. My tent zipper was broken, but the mice probably would have chewed their way in if it hadn’t been. I resumed my ascent toward Rainy Pass, and soon came upon a broken bridge over a tributary to Bridge Creek. A young man came from the other direction and told me there was an easy ford just upstream. He had hiked the AT last year, and was scouting sections of the PCT this year in preparation for a future thru-hike. He handed me a Ziploc bag full of fancy gorp as he left. I felt like a millionaire as I held the precious bag in my hands. There were even gum drops in it! I made it out of the park to Highway 20 and Rainy Pass at about noon and took a short side trip to a picnic area where I devoured most of the gorp. A man approached me, and was very interested in hearing about my hike. As he left, he gave me a can of mixed nuts. I couldn’t believe so many people were so kind.

The trail continued to climb toward Cutthroat Pass, more than 5,000 feet higher than the trailhead near Stehekin. Andrew caught up to me as I neared the top, and accompanied me as the trail traversed to Granite and Methow Passes. Andrew then resumed his normal pace, and I enjoyed a nice, gradual descent along the West Fork Methow River. There were lots of fungi. My lower back had begun to tighten up. Hoping to avoid reliving past back problems, I took a couple of Ibuprofen. I wondered if my back was hurting from poor nutrition, cumulative fatigue, or just from psychologically letting my guard down near the end of the trip. I camped next to a second father and son team. The son was accompanying his dad on the last leg of the dad’s section hike of Washington.

Broken bridge, North Cascades National Park.

Near Rainy Pass, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Andrew approaches Cutthroat Pass, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Near Methow Pass, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Fungi abundant along West Fork Methow River. The top one is considered a real delicacy (when cooked).

9/5/2012, 6-Mile Camp, mile 2,590.5, 16.5 miles traveled.

I hurried toward the trailhead at High Bridge, hoping to catch the 9 am bus to Stehekin. On the way, I passed two ladies hiking with a man in a kilt. “There goes another cinnamon roll” he joked as I passed them. He was referring to a famous bakery that the bus stopped at. Beardo and his friends caught me just as I reached the trailhead. Birdy and Andrew were already waiting at the bus stop. We all luxuriated at the picnic table until the bus arrived. By then, the trio I had passed earlier had joined us. Honoh, the man who had stayed at our house earlier, got off of the bus. He always seemed to be a day ahead of me. On the bus ride, we got to know the trio. They were really into eating mushrooms. One of the ladies had spent 11 years learning to identify about 15 edible species in the Lake Chelan area. She, in turn, was teaching the other two. Birdy was really excited. She showed them several fungi she had photographed, and they told her whether or not they were “choice edibles.” We stopped at the bakery “7 minutes only” called the bus driver as he rolled his eyes. It was amazing to see half a dozen young women bustling around and making all kinds of wonderful pastries in the middle of nowhere. We all over-indulged and clambered back on the bus.

At Stehekin, I saw Calves, Moonshine, Rock Stove, Medium Pace, and Clay. I also met Birdnut and his son, who was joining him for the remainder of the hike. Stehekin, a village of about 200 full-time residents, has no cell phone reception. There is a satellite phone available for a charge. The village caters to tourists who mostly arrive by a ferry from the other side of Lake Chelan. I picked up my food package, found an outlet to charge my phone, and waited at a picnic table to catch the next bus back to the trail. Since the weather was still fine, I decided to skip my scheduled zero at Stehekin. That would allow me to ease my pace a little and still make the rendezvous with my parents at Manning Lodge on Sunday, September 9^th.

The bus stopped at the bakery again on its way back to the PCT. Again, I over-indulged. Blair Witch and Trail Bait were waiting for the bus when we arrived at the trailhead. “How did you get ahead of us?” they exclaimed. Once again, I explained how I had taken the wrong trail. After the bus left, I sat at the trailhead for awhile and visited with Rock Stove and Medium Pace. They were happy because a man had paid for their stay at the horse ranch, which included three humungous meals. I began hiking even though I was still stuffed with the food from the bakery. I grew very thirsty from all the protein I had eaten, and decided to take a break to treat and drink a liter of water when I reached the first stream. Thirty minutes later, I felt much better, and resumed the ascent along Bridge Creek. I was in the North Cascades National Park. They allowed camping only in designated areas, so I stopped at 6-mile Camp a little bit earlier than I would have liked. Birdnut and his son, and several other hikers were there already. I was amazed that bear lockers were not provided. I hung my food bag on an old snag, hoping at least it would be safe from rodents. Andrew came in after dark.

Stehekin River, North Cascades National Park.

Bus runs between High Bridge Trail Head on PCT and Stehekin several times daily.

9/4/2012, Pass Creek, mile 2,574.0, 28.0 miles traveled.

I crossed the new bridge over the Suiattle River just as Beardo and his friends caught up to me. On the far side, I mistakenly took a side trail which, like the PCT, climbed over 3,000 ft. I thought something was wrong when I failed to catch Blair Witch, Trail Bait, and a 76 year old man that had passed me during a break just prior to my mistake. I also wondered how there could be so many spider webs across the trail if they were just ahead of me. By the time I checked my map, I was 2,500 into the climb. Fortunately, my map indicated that the trail I was on eventually traversed the side of a steep ravine for 6 miles and rejoined the PCT near the top of its climb. I continued on, too stubborn to turn back. I was relieved to find the side trail to be well maintained. When I finally regained the PCT, I wondered where in the hiking order I had ended up. I met a young man at Suiattle Pass who was returning to retrieve his girlfriend’s pack after she had been evacuated by helicopter the day before with a broken collar bone and concussion.

A while later, I found Andrew sitting on a boulder, tending to his feet. He immediately asked me how I had passed Blair Witch and Trail Bait without them seeing me. “I can’t get away with anything around here” I complained. I enjoyed Andrew’s company for nearly the rest of the day. In the late afternoon, Andrew forged ahead to the trailhead to be sure and catch the early bus into Stehekin the next morning. I continued to descend along South Fork Agnes Creek, enjoying the old growth cedar. I noticed a wildfire on a ridge top perhaps 5 miles from the trail. Soon after, I found a campsite at Pass Creek and camped near Beardo and his friends.

Beardo crosses new bridge over Suiattle River, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Suiattle River, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Cirque near Sitting Bull Mountain, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Old growth cedar near South Fork Agnes Creek, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

South Fork Agnes Creek, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Wildfire near Seven Sisters, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

9/3/2012, Near Suiattle River Trail Junction, mile 2,546.0, 23.5 miles traveled.

The trail profile looked like an “M” today, with two climbs of over 2,000 feet, each followed by steeper drops. I enjoyed the company of Old Drum, an experienced hiker from Iowa, during the first big climb to Fire Creek Pass. We were surprised to see that Mico Lake, at about 6,000 feet elevation, still had an ice cover. The trail curved eastward around the north side of Glacier Peak as it crossed Milk Creek and made its second ascent to Vista Ridge. It was getting late by the time I finished the second climb. The trail then descended into an especially steep ravine on its way down to Vista Creek. I came upon one place were the trail had slid away. There was a little cord tied to a root above the cave-in that someone had left to hold on to. I shuddered to think of navigating this section when there was still snow.

After I finished the steeper part of the descent, I decided to jog down the trail and make up for some of the mileage I had lost during the climbs. I was just beginning to feel happy with my progress when I caught my toe on a protruding rock and fell headlong off the side of the trail. I was very lucky that the ravine was less steep at that point. As I threw my hands forward to protect my face, my left hand snagged the handle of one of my trekking poles just as it became pinned under my torso. The pole flexed, came free from my hand, and snapped back to rap me in the mouth. I lay there stunned for a few seconds, my lips swelling into two balloons. I thought long and hard about how stupid I had been to run on that trail.

The campsite I had been aiming for was taken by Beardo and his friends, so I continued down the drainage by the light of my headlamp, hoping to find a flat spot before my battery went dead. I stumbled onto a mother-daughter thru-hiking duo named Blair Witch and Trail Bait. They had been in the same predicament as I, and had decided just to camp on the trail. Trail Bait asked me if I was going to the trail magic party at Harts Pass on Friday. I started fantasizing about big juicy hamburgers as I continued on through the dark forest. I finally found a lumpy spot at about 9 pm.

Kennedy Creek? Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Near Glacier Ridge, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Old Drum crosses snowfield near Fire Creek Pass, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Near Fire Creek Pass, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Mico Lake still frozen in September, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Glacier Peak, 10,541 ft., from near Milk Creek, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

9/2/2012, Kennedy Creek, mile 2,522.5, 26.5 miles traveled.

It was another sunny day. The trail stuck to the ridge tops as it entered Glacier Peak Wilderness and approached Glacier Peak. I met several people headed south on shorter hikes. I noticed that the marmots looked and sounded different. They seemed larger and were more vocal. Their shrill whistles sounded like air horns. They were especially vocal during the evening. My map indicated that they were Hoary Marmots rather than the Yellow Belly Marmots I had seen in high country to the south. After a 1,800-foot climb to Red Pass, the trail plummeted over 2,500 feet into the Chuck Creek drainage. I was amazed at how steep the country was. The high gradient tributaries to Chuck Creek looked like they would be incomprehensively violent during snow melt. I saw lots of fungi as the trail descended parallel to Chuck Creek. I pitched my tent at 8 pm near Kennedy Creek.

Indian Head Peak, 7,442 ft., Glacier Peak Wilderness.

View west from near White Pass, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

White Mountain, 7,043 ft., Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Huckleberry bushes turning red near Red Pass, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Glacier Peak, 10,541 ft., from near Red Pass, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

High-gradient tributary of the Chuck River, Glacier Peak Wilderness.

9/1/2012, Past Pear Lake, mile 2,496.0, 20.0 miles traveled.

I ate a huge breakfast, and then paid the owner to drive me back to the trailhead. I started hiking at 10 am, just as Calves, Birdy, Swiss Miss, and Moonshine hitched up from the Dinsmores. Most of them left me in the dust, but I enjoyed the company of Swiss Miss for most of the day. The trail was not very steep, but my late start reduced my mileage. I pitched my tent in an alpine meadow with a view of the sunset. I looked forward to sleeping warm in my new bag.

Distant Glacier Peak, 10,541 ft., from near Top Lake, Henry M Jackson Wilderness.

Sunset from near Wenatchee Pass, Henry M Jackson Wilderness.

8/31/2012, Skykomish, mile 2,476.0, 16.0 miles traveled.

I felt very fortunate to awake to still another beautiful day. After today’s resupply, I intended to keep hiking 25 miles per day until the weather changed. The trail dropped to Glacier Lake, climbed to Trap Pass, and traveled a ridge line toward Stevens Pass. I met a local hiker who said the trail between Snoqualmie and Skykomish was easy compared to the trail north of Skykomish. I reached Stevens Pass at 3 pm and began hitch hiking, hoping to make it to Skykomish before the post office closed. Twenty minutes later, two local musicians gave me a ride. It took me a while to find the post office because the map in Yogi’s book was inaccurate. When I finally got there, a man on a four-wheeler in the parking lot barked “They’re closed!” Then I heard a voice on the inside call out “no we’re not, come on in!” I picked up my two packages and lugged them and my pack back across the small town to the Cascadia Inn. I ate two large dinners, took a shower, arranged to have my laundry done, and called Sarah before falling asleep on a real bed.

Trap Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Ridge line from near Trap Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Josephine Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

8/30/2012, Past Pieper Pass, mile 2,460.0, 26.0 miles traveled.

I awoke to a beautiful, clear morning. The trail continued to be steep, climbing more than 4,200 feet by the end of the day with almost as much elevation loss. The scenery was dramatic, but in a different way than the High Sierras. The colors were dark greens and grays and the light was soft and misty. In the High Sierras, the colors were sparkling blues, blinding snow-whites, and light granite-grays bathed in bright light. I met a group of four thru hikers named Q ball, Beardo, Jeremiah Johnson, and Wolf Pack. I enjoyed talking with Beardo about his stint in the Peace Corps as we climbed towards Deception Lake. They camped at the lake. I continued over Pieper Pass, and pitched my tent beside a huge boulder as the full, blue moon rose over Thunder Mountain.

Approaching Spinola Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Deep Lake and Cathedral Rock, 6,724 ft.., Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Beardo.

Deep Lake viewed from partway up to Cathedral Pass, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Creek near Deception Pass, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Glacier Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Full moon rises above Thunder Mountain, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

8/29/2012, Past Waptus Burn Trail, mile 2,434.0, 25.0 miles traveled.

I was now in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The landscape became more crinkled. It became harder to hike 25 miles each day because the trail was steep enough to slow me down to 1.5 miles per hour in several places. It was a misty morning. I was soon passed by Birdy, Calves, and Moonshine, who I was to see off and on for the rest of the hike. Calves, Moonshine, and I saw several deer, including a large buck, near the trail. It rained off and on until noon, and then the weather began to clear. I enjoyed looking down on lakes from the ridge tops as the clouds parted. I passed a trail maintenance crew of three women. The leader had a huge pack on. They were out for three days. I was pretty hungry by the end of the day. I hadn’t scored any free food, and the trail had made me work harder than usual to hike my target mileage.

Joe Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Traversing the side of Huckleberry Mountain, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Spectacle Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Debbie, 32-year veteran with the U.S. Forest Service.

Falls Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Near Lemah Meadow, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Near Escondido Ridge, Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

8/28/2012, Ridge Lake, mile 2,409.0, 27.0 miles traveled.

It dawned on me that I was faced with a logistical problem. My next package was at the post office in Skycomish, which, if I averaged 25 miles per day, I would reach on Friday, August 31, four days from the present. Also waiting was a new sleeping bag. I had been sleeping cold in my worn out down quilt since I entered Washington. I had burned up most of the down in the quilt the previous year in a commercial dryer. It had been perfect during the warmer part of the hike, but now it was getting too cold. Anyhow, I read in Yogi’s book that the post office in Skykomish closed at 3:45 pm. Also, Skykomish was 17 miles west of the PCT. If I didn’t get there in time, I would have to wait for three days through Labor Day Weekend until I could pick it up. There was no way I was going to take 3 zeros while the weather was this good.

I decided to call Sarah if I could get reception and ask her to contact the post office during their working hours and see if they allowed pick-ups on Saturday morning (as indicated might be the case in Yogi’s book). I would then call Sarah later that day when I reached Snoqualmie. If there were no Saturday pickups, I would by extra food in Snoqualmie, and skip Skykomish and the long hitch altogether. Had I been more experienced with pre-mailing, I would have sent the packages to the Dinsmores: trail angels who lived near Skykomish. The packages would then have been available any day of the week.

I found a ridge top with phone reception shortly after I began hiking. Sarah agreed to call the post office for me during her lunch break. The trail was fairly rugged as it approached Snoqualmie. Rock Stove, Bladder Pillow, and Medium Pace passed me as the small settlement came into view. I reached the trail head near Interstate 90 and walked to a Chevron Station with a convenience store. I called Sarah, and learned that the Skykomish post office was very hiker friendly, and allowed pick ups on Saturdays. Greatly relieved, I purchased only three days worth of food and headed back to the trail.

The weather turned cloudy and windy and spat rain as I climbed 2,300 feet into the North Cascades. I saw many people returning from day hikes. The trail climbed with a steady, gentle gradient. I was able to gain the ridge top and set up my tent near Ridge Lake before it got really dark. I was very pleased at having hiked 27 miles on a resupply day. Each extra mile would give me more time for the hitch to Skykomish.

Mirror Lake, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Alpine Lakes Wilderness a few miles north of Snoqualmie Pass.

8/27/2012, Power line, mile 2,382.0, 25.5 miles traveled.

I enjoyed seeing the sunlight play through the low lying clouds until they eventually burned off. The trail followed ridges through a country that had been logged, leaving a patchwork of trees of different ages. The more recently logged areas were adorned with lavender carpets of fireweed. A golden eagle soared past me as I crossed a narrow ridgeline. It dove into the adjacent ravine, caught a thermal, and circled upwards out of view. When I entered the next grove of trees, I heard loud chirping noises, perhaps an immature golden eagle demanding to be fed. The trail skirted a logging operation, descended to Tacoma Pass, crossed the highway, and began climbing toward the opposite ridge-top. It was late afternoon, and a loud whistle sounded near the trail back to the south, evidently signaling the end of the loggers’ work day. I was amused to hear several coyotes answer the whistle with enthusiastic yips, shrieks, and howls. Their voices emanated from near the trail I had already traveled. I had no idea that I had been surrounded by the stealthy canines. I finally reached my target for the day: a set of power lines, and set up camp near an abandoned picnic area. There was a fancy bathroom, but the toilet inside had been removed and the hole had been capped with cement.

Morning clouds near Windy Gap, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Sunrays through mist, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Fireweed, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

8/26/2012, Near Pyramid Peak Trail Junction, mile 2,356.5, 26.0 miles traveled.

I was eager to find something pretty to photograph and text to my sister for her birthday while I had phone reception. I rounded a corner and was dazzled by a field of wildflowers caught in the morning sunlight. I sent the text, although it didn’t capture the moment completely. The trail tagged the northeast corner of Mt. Rainier National Park and then descended to a fancy footbridge across Highway 410 at Chinook Pass. I crossed the bridge and took a short side trail to a parking lot with pit toilets. My trail profile, The Pocket PCT, indicated that water was scarce ahead. Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to stop and collect water from Sheep Lake. Many people were camped beside the small pond, including one boy who was washing his dishes directly in the water while his father yelled at him to do it his way, whatever that was. I decided the weather was cool enough that I could wait until a more pristine source.

I climbed up to Sourdough Gap and sat behind a boulder to rest out of the wind. A woman my age stopped to talk. She was on her way to meet her elderly father who was hiking south bound. I enjoyed hearing about Sharon’s bicycle trips until we parted at the trail junction at Bear Gap. The trail traversed a ridgeline that bordered the Crystal Lake Ski Area. Noticing I had 5 bars of reception, I called Sarah. It seemed that phone calls didn’t take as much battery power when the reception was good. The trail continued northwards, more or less, all day through relatively mundane scenery. I was surprised on two occasions when people I met coming the other way stopped and gave me carrots. In the late afternoon, I descended into Government Meadow where the PCT passes next to the Mike Urich Shelter, a fancy log cabin. A lady staying there directed me to a spring in the meadow nearby, and I gratefully filled my water bottles. I continued on past a man camping with llamas at the trailhead, and eventually found a lumpy spot in a clear cut near Pyramid Peak. It looked as though it would rain that night. The clearing was enveloped in mist and mosquitoes.

Wildflowers, Mt. Rainier National Park.

Placer Lake, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Chicken of the woods fungi, Norse Peak Wilderness, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

8/25/2012, Tipso Lake Trail Junction, mile 2,330.5, 25.0 miles traveled.

My tent fly had become very proficient in collecting dew during the night. I hadn’t put my tent away dry since entering Washington. I passed a horse camp early in the morning. A little ways further, I heard elk clomping through the forest near the trail. All of a sudden, a small herd of cows and juvenile elk burst from the forest onto the trail all around me. Startled to see me, the ones in front reared up and collided with the ones following behind. I stepped next to a large tree, hoping it would shield me from the others I could hear approaching the trail. A few minutes later, all was quiet, except for a cow elk calling to her young which hadn’t crossed the trail yet. I continued onwards so they could reunite more easily.

I got my feet wet while fording Bumpy Creek, and decided to take the opportunity to wash my socks. The horse campers passed me. One of the guides asked about my hike and thought it strange that I would want to travel alone. I have become used to that reaction. Being alone doesn’t bother me. I enjoy visiting now and then, but I seem to make better decisions without the distraction of others. The trail climbed and skirted Mt. Rainier National Park, dropped and passed by two heavily-used lakes (Andersona and Dewey), and finally climbed to a ridge-top just south of Highway 410 and Chinook Pass. I walked off the trail there, and camped on a dry pond bed that was pocked with elk tracks. Perhaps they had been after the salt.

Mt. Rainier, 14,410 ft, from the William O Douglas Wilderness, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

American Lake, William O Douglas Wilderness, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Dewey Lake, William O Douglas Wilderness, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

8/24/2012, Sands Lake, mile 2,305.5, 22.5 miles traveled.

I rose early, hoping to reach the store at White Pass in time to retrieve my food drop before it closed. It was cold. I couldn’t open my water bottles because the lids were frozen shut. Fog blanketed the valleys below. I could see Mount Adams and Mt. St. Helens poking through the cotton sea. I began climbing through fields of ice-frosted lupines toward Old Snowy Mountain where the exposed ridge walk began. Gaining the ridge-top, I discovered Mt. Rainier to the north floating on a sea of clouds. A young man wearing earphones, who appeared to be a thru-hiker, dropped out of nowhere and passed me without saying a word. I descended the knife-like ridge and continued dropping for 2,000 feet to Tieton Pass, passing by two parties of weekend hikers climbing the other way.

I made it down to the store at 5:30 pm, where I met Andrew and several other thru-hikers, including the silent young man, milling about. The store clerk was very friendly, and invited me to sit at a table inside while sorting through my food package. I loaded my pack with four days worth of food, intending for it to last until I reached my next resupply at Skykomish, about 100 miles up the trail. After eating some ice cream, drinking some orange juice, and talking with Sarah on the phone, I hiked back to the trail. Once again, the trail was “horsed out” for a few miles. I continued past the area of heaviest horse use and camped near Sands Lake.

Looking south towards Mt. Adams from Snow Grass Flat, Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Sunrise between Old Snowy Mountain, 7,980 ft., and Ives Peak, Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Looking north toward Mt. Rainier, 14,410 ft, from Goat Rocks Wilderness.

On the brink of the 2-mile ridge, Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Looking back after descending the upper part of the 2-mile ridge, Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Looking west from the 2-mile ridge at Mt. St. Helens.

Looking back from the base of the 2-mile ridge, Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Shoe Lake, Goat Rocks Wilderness.

8/23/2012, Near Trail 96, mile 2,283.0, 25.0 miles traveled.

The morning was cool and misty. I passed through fields of huckleberries as the trail skirted the Yakima Indian Reservation. As the trail began climbing toward the Goat Rock Wilderness, a young Native American man materialized from the mist, coming the other way. He was wrapped in a blanket. I noticed that he had a disassembled re-curve bow strapped to his pack. “It’s cold,” he commented when he saw me. “Yes. Is it bow season already?” I asked. “I carry it just in case” he replied. As I continued hiking through the mist, I felt as if I had traveled back in time. I reflected on how different it felt to be thru-hiking rather than hunting. I felt like thru-hiking was just skimming the surface of the landscape, while hunting required a deeper immersion. The weather grew cold as I climbed over Cispus Pass. I decided it was too late in the day to hike the approaching exposed 2-mile long ridge, and camped behind a small windbreak of firs next to a field full of wildflowers at Snow Grass Flat.

Nannie Peak, 6,106 ft., Goat Rocks Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Approaching Cispus Pass, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Wildflowers in the headwaters of the Cispus River, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

8/22/2012, Past Muddy Fork, mile 2,258.0, 25.5 miles traveled.

During the early morning, I was treated to a wildlife encounter. I heard what I thought was a cow elk calling from very close to the trail. Stopping to investigate, I discovered a spike bull elk standing quietly about 100 feet away. As it gazed at me, the call grew more urgent. Suddenly, the sound intensified and moved from behind me to overhead. Startled, I crouched and looked up. A goshawk perched on a branch just above me and continued to voice its disapproval for my presence. It sounded similar to a cow elk. I walked on, wishing not to re-experience other encounters I had had with angry goshawks. I would have never noticed the bull elk if it hadn’t been for the hawk. It made me wonder how many elk I had passed by without seeing.

I spent most of the day approaching Mt. Adams. I enjoyed passing through clearings rife with wildflowers. I thought their red, white, and blue colors appropriate for decorating Mt. Adams. During the late afternoon, I was greeted by a mother and daughter who were camped near the trail. The mother was taking her teen-age daughter on her first backpacking trip. They invited me to take a break and eat some of their home made jerky and pemmican. I marveled at receiving food for a fourth day in a row.

In the late evening, I finally finished the climb toward Mt. Adams and reached the long anticipated descent toward Muddy Fork where I intended to camp. I was disappointed to find that section of the PCT had received heavy use from a nearby horse camp. The tread had been churned to a fine volcanic powder mixed with dried horse manure. My little toe screamed as I labored through the deep powder. A following breeze made it impossible to avoid inhaling the cloud of fecal dust I kicked up. With great relief, I passed the junction with a side trail that led to the horse camp, and finished the day with a firm, clean trail tread. I crossed Muddy Fork. It was silty and smelled strongly of sulfur. I continued a little ways and camped beside a smaller creek with clear water.

Bull elk, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Wildflowers, Mt. Adams Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Mt. Adams, 12,276 ft., Mt. Adams Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

8/21/2012, Trout Lake Creek, mile 2,232.5, 26.0 miles traveled.

Washington continued to contrast to the rest of the hike. The weather was cool, moist, and breezy. The sun was at a lower angle and much less powerful. I kept changing in and out of my hiking shirt as the trail moved from the windward, shady sides of the ridges to the sunny, leeward sides. The afternoons were no longer uncomfortably hot. As a result, I found that I needed less water. During breaks, it was now the colder temperatures that urged me to resume hiking instead of mosquitoes. Perhaps some of these changes resulted from the onset of autumn rather than from crossing the Columbia River. I entered the Indian Heaven Wilderness, and was treated to a feast of huckleberries. They were amazingly sweet: almost like plum wine. I was delighted to see a small herd of cow and juvenile elk and to hear the cows calling to their young. I was nearing the Yakima Indian Reservation. At a dirt road crossing, it warmed my heart to see Native American women picking huckleberries with their children.

My little toe still hurt. I took off my right shoe and attempted once again to line the inside of the toe with duct tape. This time however, I removed the insole while putting in the tape. It seemed to do the trick, for after the blister on my little toe healed, I had no more problems with it. During the late afternoon, I hiked for a while with Bronco. He found an unopened packet of sliced pepperoni at a campsite beside the trail and, disdaining the grease, gave it to me. I consumed it greedily, happy to augment my diet for a third day in a row. Later, I met two mothers and daughters coming the other way. They became interested in my hike and asked me where I intended to camp. When I told them “Trout Lake Creek” they replied “So are we! Be sure and find us when you get there, we’re in space 78.” Later, I checked my map and discovered there was no road or campground anywhere near where I intended to camp. Sorry to miss out on a potential feast and good company, I set my tent up by Trout Lake Creek and fell asleep to the sounds of gurgling water.

Huckleberries were profuse in the Indian Heaven Wilderness.

Blue Lake, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Chicken of the woods, an edible fungus, Indian Heaven Wilderness.

8/20/2012, Crest Horse Camp Trailhead, mile 2,206.5, 25.5 miles traveled.

Today I thought a lot about the little toe on my right foot. I had changed to a pair of leather, Vasque trail-running shoes in Hood River. I decided that open-mesh shoes would be too cold if I got into rainy weather. The Vasque shoes were fine; in fact, their solid leather uppers kept my feet much cleaner than had the open mesh shoes. Unfortunately, something was stabbing the top of my little toe every time I put weight on my right foot. It wasn’t bad on the first day, but during the second day, the pain increased to an un-ignorable level.

The trail kept to dense forest for most of the day. I descended 2,000 feet into the Wind River drainage, and then climbed more than 3,000 feet to Big Huckleberry Mountain. During the evening, the trail skirted a lava field and dumped me out at a nice, empty campground where I set up camp and luxuriated with picnic tables and a pit toilet. There was also some trail magic, consisting of Fritos and candy bars. This was the second day in a row that I was able to augment my reduced diet because of kind trail angels. The weather had remained cool, breezy, and moist all day. I had only seen a few mosquitoes during the morning. In the tent that night, I examined my little toe and found it had a large blister on its tip. I felt the inside of my right shoe, and realized there was a stiff flap of cloth near a seam that wasn’t present in the left shoe. I attempted to cover the flap with duct tape, hoping my toe would recover soon.

Wind River.

Mt. Adams, 12,276 ft., from near Big Huckleberry Mountain.

8/19/2012, Near Road 41, mile 2,181.0, 26.0 miles traveled.

I enjoyed a restful zero day in Hood River with my parents. They dropped me off at the Bridge of the Gods Sunday morning at 7:45 am. A moist wind buffeted me as I paid toll and made my way across the steel contraption. A giant patch of ripe blackberries welcomed me to the state of Washington. I climbed through forest for most of the morning accompanied by the chirping of ospreys. I had recovered from my intestinal disorder. My pack was heavy, though, with enough food to last for six days until I reached White Pass, about 150 miles up the trail. Back in Hood River, I had decided to reduce my diet for the remainder of my hike in order to lose weight and also to make room in my pack for a wool sweater and gloves. I planned to eat 4 packets of instant oatmeal, two large Snickers bars, four Cliff bars, and two Poptarts each day. I would have to subsist on less if I wasn’t able to hike 25 miles a day (except for resupply days).

I took a lunch break near Table Mountain after climbing about 3,000 feet. I enjoyed the company of Sugar High and Mossad, a young Israeli couple. They were perplexed at how some of the thru-hikers had treated them after they skipped a few sections of the trail. Facing a time deadline with their visas, it only made sense for them to skip trail sections that were closed due to fire rather than waste time road walking around them. We decided it was just human nature that a portion of the thru-hikers would be self righteous. The weather was moist and cool, and I reveled in the continuing absence of mosquitoes. The trail lost all of its hard-won elevation and dropped into the Rock Creek drainage. I partook of some candy and Gatorade left at a trail head by a trail angel, and finished the day with a 1,800 foot climb. I camped on an abandoned dirt road and fell asleep to the hoots of a young-sounding great-horned owl.