Highs and Lows

Vanish and I had left the Stevens Pass Ski Area and were back on trail! It was a beautiful sunny afternoon when we left for a campsite that was 12 miles out. The first few miles were wonderfully flat and we breezed through them with no problems. Then the trail began to climb very slowly to get us back into the higher elevations we would be cruising through over the next couple days.

This section was going to be very tough, both physically and mentally. We had a great deal of climbing ahead of us and the section was quite long. This meant we would be challenging our bodies more so than normal. The length of the stretch from Stevens to Stehekin was about 5-6 days (over 100 miles) which meant we were carrying more food and supplies than usual. We had planned it out to include one half day out of Stevens, four full days of hiking, and finally a morning of hiking to arrive at the bus stop for Stehekin. It was the last big push. And that meant that we would all have to keep our spirits up and stay mentally strong for a longer period of time. On the shorter sections it was easier to stay focused and driven because the prospect of town was never more than one or two full days away. This stretch however involved four challenging, long days of hiking. It was going to be very hard to stay motivated knowing that even after two or three days we would still have a couple nights to spend in the backcountry. I knew it would be tough going in but I did not anticipate just how challenging this section turned out to be.

After Vanish and I got several miles under our belt we split up. I was determined to get to camp before dark which meant I would have to really push myself all the way there. I stopped briefly to shed a layer at a beautiful alpine lake and planned on keeping a 3 mph pace the rest of the way. My brilliant plan, however, was thwarted by a couple of older horseback riders coming back from where I was headed. They were so nice that I ended up completely losing track of time and chatting when them for over half an hour. So, there went my hope of getting to camp before dark... But luckily Vanish and Nathan showed up and we hiked the rest of the way together. I told Vanish I was going to stick with her once the sun set and she seemed very pleased. Vanish hikes in the dark almost every evening because she has a slower pace than the rest of us. She is not a fan of night hiking though. I could tell she was pretty excited to have someone to walk with in the dark. Its spooky when you're by yourself in the woods at night so having another person with you makes the last few miles much easier.

As dusk fell we stopped at a lake to filter our evening water. The boys arrived right as we were finishing up and we reassessed our camping plan for the night. The spot we were shooting for was a small campsite about 3 miles away. According to our maps it had room for 2 tents at the most. This was a problem because there were about 5 tents between all of us and that meant there was a chance there wouldn't be enough room for the whole pack. To make things even more complicated, someone had heard earlier that two hikers in front of us had been shooting for this campsite. So, we decided to knock off about a mile off our original plan and stay at an undesignated camp area about 1.5 miles away.

We had a 1000ft climb to reach the campsite and we spent most of it in complete darkness. Vanish's headlamp began to fail and Matt's wasn't working at all so the climb was interesting to say the least. But mercifully we reached the top with no injuries and the campsite turned out to be a very nice open area with a fire ring. We set up camp, ate dinner, did Highs and Lows, and crawled into our sleeping bags.

I'd like to step back from the story for a moment and revisit something I may or may not have explained in an earlier post. Highs and Lows is an activity that we do almost every night on trail. When we are sitting around eating our dinner before bed we go around the group and list one "high" moment for the day and one "low" moment. An example of a high would be a fantastic view or a wonderful moment with a friend. A low could be a challenging climb, a pain or ache, or a mental frustration. Someone would start out the Highs and Lows and they would pick the next person until everyone had said their piece. Highs and Lows is a great way to process the day. It helps you recount what you did and experienced and commit it to memory. It also helps you decipher what makes your days special and worthwhile. Most of my "highs" involve people, which shows that my best days are spent with friends. Along with this activity being a very helpful way to process our adventures it is also a way to hear about everyone else's day. Since we normally don't see each other that often during the day, Highs and Lows let us tell our pack members what happened to us while we were hiking.

Ok, back to the hike! We woke up to a partly cloudy sky the next day. The sun was shining but it was clouding over quickly. Amazingly, Riderdieh was the first one out of camp that morning. Vanish left soon after and I followed. I passed her early on and spent my first few hours climbing up to about 6000 ft. It was a tough morning involving some very short, painful hills but eventually it topped out for a while. Thats when Nathan caught me. We had only been talking for a moment when we rounded a corner and found Ride. He had made some very impressive distance by 11 AM and we told him to meet us a couple miles down the trail at a spring. It was almost all downhill from where we were to the water source so Nathan and I plugged on until we reached our break area.

It began to rain as we walked so I threw on all my rain gear even though I was less than a mile from the lunch spot. It immediately stopped raining once I was fully decked out in my jacket and pants but I kept them on out of superstition and preparedness. I figured if I stayed in my rain gear the sun would come out just because thats the way Mother Nature works. Lo and behold! The sun began to peek out from behind the clouds right as I reached Nathan and the spring. It wasn't going to be fully sunny but at least it wasn't raining.

We stayed at the water for a while, just talking and eating. We sat under a tree giggling about lots of silly things until Matt, Wright, and Ride arrived. They stopped to eat with us and we spent another hour or so talking and laughing by the water. As I was packing up to leave, Matt made a comment that I will always remember. We had been laughing about something that was particularly hilarious and some of us had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. After we stopped, Matt looked around and said "You know, I've never seen people laugh as long and as hard as we do out on the trail." Everyone stopped and acknowledged the truth of that statement. He was absolutely right. I have never seen so many people enjoying the little moments as well as thru hikers. When we do laugh, it is always sincere and genuine laughter. The kind of laughter that comes from deep in your belly and shakes you uncontrollably to the point of tears. We laugh hard and we laugh often. I've never been a part of a community that embraces such a relish for life and laughter. Every moment is new and beautiful and we enjoy each others' company to the fullest extent. That is why I call these people my family. I have enjoyed the highest of highs and suffered through the lowest of lows with them. The little moments remind us why we are out there and why we stay together.

I left the group at the water and walked on, pondering Matt's insightful comment. I crested a hill and then began to quickly descend down to a river crossing. One the other side of the river was a very large mountain and I knew the trail was going straight to the top. It was a long, slow slog up very intense switchbacks but eventually I reached a plateau. I had gained back enough elevation that I was mostly above the tree line. In front of me was the trail winding off into brown meadows filled with deep red huckleberry bushes and green trees. The sky was completely grey and the red and yellow of the huckleberry leaves popped out of the wash of beige that covered the horizon. I motored on. I was mostly done with climbing for the day and I traversed hillsides for the rest of the afternoon. My last short ascent brought me to yet another infamous spot: the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Just like Goat Rocks, Glacier Peak is talked about up and down the trail. I was especially looking forward to this area because my mom told me that this Wilderness was visible from the back porch at my Gramma Doty's old house in Cashmere. I must have gazed at it unknowingly when I was a very young kid. It was time to get closer and see this place with more attentive eyes.

As I entered Glacier Peak it started to rain. I stopped to put on rain gear and check my distance to the last water. I had about 2 miles left to go. Today we had decided on a certain amount of mileage, not a predesignated campsite. We were going to a water source but we had no idea what the terrain would be like and if camping would be a possibility. This always stressed me out because I assumed it wouldn't be flat ground. If it was, it probably would've been marked as a camp spot on our maps. I really wanted to get to the water before dark so I could scope out any potential camp areas at the spring or further up the trail. I arrived as the sun was setting and just as I suspected the spring was on a hill traverse. There was clearly no where to camp near the water so I filled up and kept going about .3 miles up the way. Thankfully, the trail passed through a small, flat meadow and I found a few very small tent spaces. I set up quickly in between rain spurts and waited for the others. Darkness fell and no one showed. I began to worry. What if they had chosen to stay somewhere further back? What if they didn't make it to the water? The thought of camping alone again did not sit well with me and I paced nervously outside my tent in the dark. Suddenly a howl broke the silence and I saw Nathan and Matt rounding the corner. Thank goodness! I greeted the boys, lit a fire, waited for the others, and got in my tent. The rest of the pack showed up a little later and we all did Highs and Lows from inside our tents as a steady rain began to fall.

It was still drizzling when I woke up. I was not excited for another day of gloomy grey clouds but I got up and left quickly to avoid getting my stuff too wet. Today was going to be hard. We were doing a 22 miler with a ton of climbing. But on the bright side we were going to pass 2500 miles that day! I tried to focus on that milestone as I began to sweat inside my rain jacket. My climb had begun. I spent about 2 hours ascending to about 7000ft through thick clouds. The trail was sometimes hard to see because I was walking in clouds that were clinging to the mountainsides. I was so focused on getting the hill over with I completely missed the 2500 marker. Oh well, at least I knew that we had passed it. The milestone was what counted to me not the stone marker on the ground. Even so, I was bummed that I had passed it.

Finally I reached the top and started going down. My shoes were soaked through at this point and the trail was completely saturated. It was as if I was walking down the middle of a creek. Every few steps my shoes filled with water and I began to slip on spots of watery mud. My descent was unpleasant for a while until I reached the tree line. The ground became more firm with tree roots and pine needles and I could walk at my normal pace. For the next 3 hours I descended down to the valley floor. The trail leveled out and I found myself passing through the same wet, thick underbrush that I had seen on the Goldmeyer trail. Great.... Now I was not only walking in wet shoes and socks but I was also getting hit from all sides with dripping leaves and grass. Keeping myself and my things dry was hopeless. To make matters worse I was very hungry and needed to stop and eat. Stopping meant I would lose my hiker heat and I would get cold. There wasn't even a dry place to stop and sit anywhere. It was still raining and not even the trees could shield me from the drops. Eventually I decided to break under a fallen tree that was suspended above the trail. There was just enough room underneath it for me to sit and eat my lunch without getting rained on. So I paused and quickly inhaled some summer sausage and cheese. Just as I started to feel a chill creeping into my core I got up and left. I had ten miles until camp and one giant climb in the way.

The rest of my day was spent trudging up a massive hill. I had lost about 4000ft of elevation earlier and now I was gaining it all back. Thanks PCT... But I put in my headphones and kept going. At this point my rain jacket and pants were soaked through and my pack cover was starting to give in to the rain as well. I was soaked through everywhere but I was still warm. The trail didn't help the situation. The trees and shrubs were completely overtaking the trail in some areas and almost every quarter mile I was getting re-soaked by more undergrowth. It was miserable. I was wet, tired, sweaty, and frustrated. Even though I was nearing the end of my climb I was not happy. My internal core temperature was starting to drop and this worried me. Normally I could stay warm when I was hiking because my body was working hard enough and pumping lots of blood to my limbs. But now I was working as hard as ever and my hiker heat was slowly dissipating. That was bad.

I upped my pace to try and restore some heat but that didn't work. At the top of the hill the wind began to blow and my chill began to get worse. As I descended I could feel my hands going numb and my arms starting to shiver. I tried not to focus on how cold I was. I stared intently at the trail as I descended the last mile to camp. When I was .5 miles away I could look down and see the tent area. But first I had to get down there. It took me an unusually long amount of time because the trail was once again a river. This time the steep downhill grade made the mud very slippery and I had to save myself from falling several times with my trekking poles.

Eventually I made it down and set up my tent as fast as I could. I jumped inside as soon as it was up and assessed the situation of my pack and its contents. Just about everything was wet. My sleeping clothes were in a ziplock, thank goodness, and my sleeping bag was only damp, not soaked through. It was not ideal but it could've been a lot worse. I stripped down to my underwear and sat there trying to dry off before I put on my long underwear. I began to shiver. I was above 6000ft and it was easy to tell. The air was cold and clammy. I could see my breath in the tent. It was a miserable time sitting there trying to get dry. Eventually I was mostly dry and I got into my wool layers. Nathan showed up and I got out of my tent and grabbed water before it was completely dark. Everyone else except Ride showed up and set up their shelters. No one sat outside because it was still raining. So we did Highs and Lows from inside our tents. I climbed into a semi dry sleeping bag and tried to regain some heat.

Ride was not there when I woke up. The rain, however, had stopped. After putting it off as long as I could, I put on my wet clothes from the day before (worst feeling ever) and got ready to leave. When I had my tent put away I looked around at where we were. The cloud ceiling had lifted and I could see a huge glacier high above us. I must have been looking at the north side of Glacier Peak because it was the highest point around in any direction. Inspired by the view and the break in the rain, Vanish and I headed out. We rounded a corner and began to descend down long, winding switchbacks. The trail was smooth in some places and in others it was blocked by fallen trees and washouts. We spent a lot of time climbing over logs and sliding down muddy hillsides that morning. As we walked, I glanced across the canyon. As I looked, I caught a glimpse of something that I immediately regretted spotting. On the other side of the valley I could see the very distinct line of a trail zigzagging up the hillside. It was an immense amount of switchbacks and they were there in plain sight, taunting us. It looked brutal. Behind me I heard Vanish say "Oh no..." Good, she had seen it too. Suddenly the walk down was not as enjoyable now that we knew what was at the bottom of that hill.

We reached the canyon floor and crossed the river coming down from the glacier above. I sat down for a minute, ate some food, and collected my thoughts. Ok, it was going to suck until it didn't. I just had to get it over with. I saddled up and started the climb.

It took forever. The beginning really hurt my legs as the trail cut a steep path up the hillside. Eventually the grade became less intense but the ascent seemed endless. I rounded corner after corner. My body began to fall into the rhythm of the climb and I became a zombie slogging up the hill. After what seemed like ages, the trail leveled out. My legs hurt a bit but surprisingly I felt fine. I had reached what I thought was the top and I wasn't out of breath or energy. Hell ya! I was so pleased. That was a tough climb but I came out just fine on the other side. I guess 2500 miles of muscle building helped.

I kept going. Soon I had rounded a corner and was staring into a giant basin. I was directly below the glacier and I could see several rivers and creeks running down the hillside. Far off on the other side of the curving mountainside I could see Wright, who had passed me earlier that day, sitting near a water source. After several minutes of walking around the basin I reached Wright and ate lunch with him. Nathan showed a bit later and we all got out our stuff and dried everything off. It wasn't sunny but it was windy. It got our tents and other supplies mostly dry.

I left before the boys and spent several miles descending down to almost 2000ft. The last 5 or so miles to the campsite followed a river and were mostly flat so that was a wonderful end to the day. On my way I met two new hikers, Cough Cough and Turkey. I hiked with them for a while and then went the rest of the way to camp. I got a fire going and the pack showed up after dark. It wasn't raining so we all sat around the fire eating and doing Highs and Lows. Wright and I stayed up later than everyone else and just before I left the fire Riderdieh showed up! I was so happy to see him. We had been worrying about him since yesterday night and finally I could breathe easy. Apparently he had really struggled the day before with the rain and the cold. He looked frustrated and mentally done with the trail, which was especially apparent when he began to talk about getting off trail at Stehekin. No one liked that idea. We tried to talk him out of it but the conversation went nowhere. Ride said he would play it by ear.

We had one more full day until Stehekin. I left early in the hopes that I could make some miles before it started to rain again. It was just like the day before, one big morning climb and then a long slow descent to a very low elevation. This time the climb was not a series of switchbacks. It was a straight shot up a very deep canyon. It wasn't very steep so my legs weren't hurting too badly when I finally reached the top. It started to rain again. It wasn't a steady rain but rather a series of squalls moving through. On my way down I saw Matt stopped at a trail junction. From that spot we were exactly 100 miles from the border. I took a picture and did a small victory dance. Canada was within reach!

It was a rainy, cold afternoon. I wasn't as wet as the second day but I was close to it. I tried my best to avoid the wet leaves and bushes as I descended back down into the vegetation of the lowlands. Matt and Nathan passed me and a couple hours later I rejoined them at the campsite. It was only 5:30 and I was at camp! Awesome! We set up under a large tree and got in our tents. Vanish, Ride, and Wright showed up shortly and everyone celebrated getting to camp before dark. I put on some tunes with my phone and we sat in our respective shelters eating our dinner and talking about the next day. We had 5 miles to the High Bridge Ranger Station where the bus would pick us up and take us to Stehekin. We had to make it by 10:30am because there was only one bus that day.

I woke up at five and left around 6:30am. It was still dark when I left and I had to use my headlamp for a while. The sky finally lightened up and I was treated to a beautiful pink sunrise before the clouds rolled in. Soon I was getting rained on, again. Oh well, it was a town day. I pushed the last couple miles to the ranger station. Right before I arrived I reached the boundary of the North Cascades National Park. It was official- I had made it to all 7 National Parks on the trail! Woohoo!

I waited at the ranger station for everyone else. It was cold but I kept moving to stay warm. There was a small shelter barely visible across from the station and I went to check it out. To my surprise and delight I found some of my friends at the shelter! Kraken and Lil' Furnace were at High Bridge! We had been trying to catch up to them for ages and I was so excited. I howled and 'kakaawed' and then ran over and they gave me lots of hugs. My day was instantly better. Seeing them was such a treat and I couldn't wait to tell the rest of the pack. So we walked back down to the ranger station and waited. Matt and Nathan showed up followed by Wright and Vanish. They were all just as happy to see Kraken and Lil' Furn. Then Ride arrived. He had been hiking with those two for much of his trip and their reunion was such a beautiful thing to watch. When you're on the trail you can never be certain if you are going to see lost friends again so Ride was overjoyed to reunite with his fellow Eagles.

We all hung out and chatted until the bus came. We left Kraken and Furn at High Bridge with the plan to catch them a few days before the border. Everyone climbed on the bus, ready to be warm and dry.

Off to Stehekin!

-Smokey

When Trails Go Bad

On the trail again! After a couple miles of road walking out of Snoqualmie, Vanish and I reached the trailhead for the Goldmeyer Hotsprings Alternate. The boys weren't with us because they were taking their time leaving Snoqualmie Pass (as usual). Just as a reminder, we were taking this alternate route to avoid some elevation gain and extra miles. It looked fun and we were all pretty excited.

It was grey and cloudy when we hit the trail. Visibility was poor because we were practically in a cloud. I could see maybe 30 ft in front of me at the best of times. But, that didn't stop us from trucking right on up a big climb to reach the entrance to Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Once I reached the top of the hill I could see a lake far off in the gloom. Suddenly I was bitterly cold. The wind off the water was icy and the wet, thick air covered my face with a clammy layer of mist. I sped up my pace to try and warm up. Soon I was skirting the edge of the lake and heading downwards. All at once, the trail plunged down the side of a steep hillside. I rounded switchback after switchback of steep, slippery trail. Rocks constantly tripped me as I walked and the wet leaves slipped under my feet. The trail was rough. It was not the PCT I know and love. It was unpleasant to say the least.

I continued my descent for what seemed like ages. Once I had dropped at least 3000 feet of elevation the surrounding foliage began to change. We had previously been in a dense evergreen forest but now I was passing through dead underbrush thick with ferns and vine maples. Every now and then the undergrowth completely vanished as I walked on scree and loose rock. The trail kept getting worse and worse. Goldmeyer was turning out to be less fun than I anticipated...

I didn't take any breaks for the next four or five hours. It was too cold to stop. I kept going to the bottom of the giant descent and finally the trail leveled out. For a while I followed a creek upstream until I came to the trail's namesake: Goldmeyer Hotsprings. It was a backcountry spring area but there was a built up campsite and several cabins nearby. The springs were managed by some organization that served as steward for the area. It was something I had never seen before. It cost $15 to use the springs for the day and $20 to camp overnight. Normally, I am accustom to hot springs that don't cost a dime and are completely undeveloped. So, naturally I was a little confused.

I didn't stop to check out the hot springs; I kept going. No one had caught me yet and all I wanted to do was complain with someone about the terrible trail conditions but I was alone. At least I had my music to make the day a little brighter. Oh wait, no I didn't because I had misplaced my headphones somewhere deep in the recesses of my bag...great. I trudged on hoping someone would show. I waited at a bridge for a minute or two but nothing changed and I walked on.

After a short hill climb I reached an unpaved dirt road. I followed it for about half a mile until it ran by a river. I stopped for water in the hopes that someone would show up while I was filtering. I gingerly navigated the rocky ground down to the water and filled my Sawyer bag. Soon I had about a liter of clean water and was filtering my second. As I was sitting there focusing on my filter bag I looked up across the road and my heart dropped. Staring back at me was a mountain lion, stalk still and unblinking. My fight or flight reflex kicked in as my heart began to pound and I jumped up and began screaming and yelling. I leaned forward to grab my trekking poles and began banging them together. I even unzipped my rain jacket to make myself look as big as possible.

The cat was unfazed. Finally, with enough rock throwing and yelling it went away. I was once again alone but this time much more flustered. My heart was in my throat, I was shaking, and my thoughts were racing. That cat had been too damn close. And what had me freaked out the most was the look in its eyes. I could see that it thought I was prey. Its body language, its gaze, everything indicated that it was stalking me. I decided immediately that I needed to put some distance between myself and the cat. So I grabbed my stuff and left. I hadn't made it a quarter of a mile down the road when I reached a trailhead. This time the lion was on the trail waiting for me. It was in front of me, staring with the same cold eyes as before. Again, I screamed. My reaction was more panicked this time and I yelled and waved with all my might. The cat didn't seem very disgruntled until I threw a rock straight into its forehead. That got it moving away.

Ok, now I was sufficiently terrified. I decided I was not going to step anywhere near that trailhead until someone arrived. I walked back a little ways, planted my back against a rock wall, and waited for my group. It was over 2 hours later that Doc, who I hadn't seen in a long time, walked up. I told him about the cat and he seemed unmoved by my story. He left after a few minutes. About 20 minutes later Vanish showed. I sat her down and told her that I had been stalked by a mountain lion. She took the situation to heart. We immediately decided to stick together, especially since it was getting dark. It was only 2 miles to the campsite so we quickly grabbed our gear and headed towards the place where I had seen the cat. It got dark while we walked and I spent the next 45 minutes nervously eyeing every dark corner of the forest. Every rock, tree, and bush looked like it was an animal or predator. My adrenaline was still pumping and it was all I could do to hold a conversation with Vanish. I tried to play it cool and act like I was completely fine but on the inside I was still very perturbed.

We reached camp as complete darkness set it. Doc was there and we set up our tents quickly as a light rain began to fall. Nathan showed up shortly after and told us his Goldmeyer story. Apparently the trail had tried to kill everyone that day. He had fallen off a log at a river crossing and nearly broken his tailbone and probably gotten a mild concussion. So, it sounded like everyone was displeased with our choice to take the alternate.

A while later the rest of the group showed up with similar stories of pain and misery. They did not like the sound of my mountain lion story. Especially since Matt had noticed some large eyes in the glow of his headlamp that night. Spooky.... Anyways we all went to bed grumpy and sore. No one was impressed with this new trail. The goal was to get the heck off Goldmeyer as fast as possible the next day.

When I woke up the following morning it was grey and dismal just like the day before. I got up and put all my rain gear on and took my tent down in a hurry. I wanted to leave the Goldmeyer trail behind as fast as possible. All I had was a steep pass in my way and then it was smooth sailing on my beloved PCT.

I left camp after Doc and Vanish. I caught Vanish quickly but it took me a while to reach Doc. He was breaking near a river, probably to fill up his water, and he didn't even notice me walk by. Soon I was on my own again just like the day before. The trail was still just as rocky and wet but at least it was generally level. Well, until I began my climb, that is. This was not a 3% grade, of that I'm sure. My path shot straight up a hill, gaining about 600 ft of elevation in less than half a mile. Thats crazy! My legs were burning and I was pouring sweat but mercifully I reached a plateau where I could rest for a second. I checked my Halfmile app as I stood there panting and realized I was at the top! Woohoo! I put my phone away and walked through some sparse trees until I reached the other side of the pass. In front of my was a steep descent to a beautiful lake. Beyond the lake the clouds were breaking and the sun was finally shining out onto the valley. Finally, the alternate was almost over. It was only 5 or 6 miles until we rejoined the PCT. Thank goodness.

I began my descent. It was just as awful as what I had gone down the previous day. But thankfully, it was much shorter and soon I was at the bottom near the waters edge. The sun hit me for the first time in over 24 hours and I stopped to soak it in. I saw a small clearing ahead and realized it was the perfect time to dry out my tent and wet clothing. Hurray for dry things! I stopped awhile, munched on some snacks in the sun, and watched the steam coming off my drying tent.

Once my things were mostly dry I headed out again. Nathan caught me a few minutes later and we hiked the rest of the 5 miles to the PCT. Once we rejoined our beloved Pacific Crest Trail we stopped to breathe a sigh of relief. The PCT may be a difficult and sometimes cruel mistress but she is far sweeter and forgiving than we had ever realized. It felt good to be back on our home turf, so to speak. Even the ground felt more firm and solid beneath our feet. Nathan and I stood there enjoying the moment and then hiked on until we reached a good lunch spot. We bathed in the sunshine as we devoured our food.

The rest of the day was a blur. I was so happy to be on our normal trail I went into tunnel vision. I hiked very fast without stopping until I reached the last water for the evening. Nathan was there eating and filtering water when I walked up. We chatted for a while as we got our water. I left before him and caught Doc a few miles later as the sun went down. We hiked the last two miles together in the dark. He's a fast hiker but I stuck with him because there was no way in hell that I was going to hike alone in the dark with a cat somewhere in the area. No way, no how.

We got to the campsite around 8 pm. It was a great big open spot below the trail. It even had a small stream right next to it which meant we didn't have to walk up the trail to get water at the creek farther back. In other words, it was a cush camp spot. It even had a fire ring and some firewood that someone had left there so I got a roaring fire going. Everyone else rolled in (except for Ride) while I sat around the fire eating another delicious, hearty meal of Ramen noodles. I stayed up long enough to do Highs and Lows with everyone and then I went to bed. Ride hadn't showed up when I crawled into my sleeping bag. But that was normal so I fell asleep pretty quickly.

Around 6am I woke up to the sound of someone walking by on the trail. Then I head a "kookoo" noise. That was Riderdieh's very distinct bird call. I knew it was him. I howled back and then decided it was time to get up. Today we were arriving at Steven's Pass where I would once again get to see my folks! So, once again, I was in a hurry to leave camp in the morning. After I had some breakfast in me I left camp before everyone else. I caught Ride at a water source about 5 miles away and we sat a while and chatted until several of the others showed up. We all chilled for a minute before going on because we knew we had a tough hill climb coming up. But eventually we got moving and pretty soon Vanish and I were headed up a series of switchbacks. At the top we found Doc resting in the sun and just down the way I found Nathan perched on some boulders basking in the sun. I stopped and joined him and pretty soon the whole wolf pack was sitting on a boulder field soaking up the warmth of the day. We sat there enjoying our food and laughing about any and every little thing that came up in the conversation. Someone laughed loud enough that it echoed across the valley we were surveying. It was a tremendous echo. Soon we were all yelling and howling across the valley, creating a cacophony of sound bouncing off the mountain walls.

I left before I got too comfortable. If I had stayed longer I would've ended up taking a nap. And that couldn't happen because it was Stevens Pass Day! I walked for a long time until I caught Matt at a small lake. I sat down with him and munched for a while. From there it was about 7 miles to the highway. I didn't stay for too long with Matt. I waited until the boys showed up and then I quickly gathered my gear and headed for the pass and my parents. Between me and them was one more big climb. Luckily it happened all at once. It was very steep but very short. Soon I was cresting a hill underneath a chairlift at Stevens Pass Ski Resort. I walked by a ski area map sign and started to make the last descent of the day down to the highway. I cleared thicket of trees and from there I could see the lodge! Once I was close enough I could see my parents sitting outside enjoying some beer. Awesome! I walked down to them and planted myself at their table. It hadn't been too long since I saw my mom and dad but it was always a relief when I met back up with them. I chilled with mom and pop for a while and eventually the rest of the gang showed up. The plan was that they would go into Skykomish and stay at a trail angel house (Hiker Haven run by the Dinsmores) and I would stay with mom and dad in their trailer at the pass.

So the Wolf Pack and I hung out for a bit and then migrated over to my parents' trailer. Mom made us a bomb spaghetti dinner and we ate ourselves silly. After we were full (which is quite a monumental occurrence) my dad drove everyone down to the Dinsmore's. Aren't my padres the best trail angels ever? Yeah, they definitely are.

The next day I chilled with my parents in the morning and went to pick up Ride in Skykomish. It was great getting to spend some very mellow time with mom and dad. A relaxing morning of drinking coffee and chatting was just what I needed. Later that day, mom and dad hit the road for home and I met back up with my people at the ski resort. It was 2pm when Vanish and I once again left the boys at the trailhead. We had 12 miles to do before dark so off we went.



The next section included some intense elevation change and the infamous Glacier Peak Wilderness. It was the last big push before Stehekin and Canada. Off in the distance we could see Glacier Peak. Somewhere beyond that mountain was our last town stop...

-Smokey

Nostalgia and Volcanoes

We had spent the night at the trail head near White Pass and boy was it cold! I woke up to frost on my tent and on the ground. Getting moving that morning was definitely a struggle. I headed out first and spent most of the morning and early afternoon by myself. Once I left the morning frost behind after an initial hill climb I found myself enjoying some easy hiking. There was practically zero elevation gain or loss the whole morning. I was effortlessly doing 3 miles an hour ( I normally do 2.5ish) as I hiked by lake after lake after lake. I could see the landscape changing around me and it began to look more familiar the farther I went. The excitement began to build in my stomach because I knew we were getting close to Mt. Rainier National Park, a place that is near and dear to my heart.

Before the park boundary, however, I needed to stop and eat some lunch. I decided to relax in the sun near a large creek with a wooden bridge. As I sat there munching on dried pineapple and goldfish Nathan arrived. He joined me and we lazed in the sun as Vanish and Matt walked up. We all enjoyed a long lunch break and then I headed out. I really wanted to get to the park before the sun sunk too low in the sky.

So, I tromped down a hill and finally gained most of the elevation for the day on a long hill climb shortly after. Once I crested the top of the hill I came to the park boundary sign! I kept going, feeling very pleased. I could see the Mountain hiding behind the trees. As I continued walking it became obscured completely until I rounded a bend. The view that greeted me at the other end of that corner was astounding. It looked as if the trail ran straight into the heart of Rainier. I was staring down a tunnel of trees with a giant volcano at the other end. And just to top it off, Nathan was there enjoying the view. What a spot I had stumbled upon! I stood there with Nathan for a while and enjoyed the incredible view.

Eventually I left the lookout area. It was another 7 miles to Dewey Lake where we were planning on camping that night. I wanted to get these miles done and get to the lake, not only because I wanted to get off my feet but also because I had been to this lake before. This lake was special. Very special. Dewey Lake is where I first learned to backpack. I was a young kid when Rachel Haughton took me along with her and her kids to Dewey Lake. I remember being hot, sweaty, covered in bug bites, and tired beyond belief. Little did I know that I would come back to the same place in the same condition!  Dewey Lake is where I fell in love with backpacking and wild places. I was coming full circle! Back to the beginning, my friends. And it felt so good to be back.

I made it to the lake with Matt around 7pm. It looked familiar and different all at the same. We even picked a campsite near where I had stayed as a kid. Awesome. We set up camp and got all our warm clothes on very quickly because the sun had gone behind the trees and it was COLD. Camping next to lakes is always cold so we knew it was gonna be a chilly night! Once the sun went completely down, we were treated to a super moon eclipse. It was as if the PCT was welcoming me back to the lake in the only way it could, with amazing nature stuff! Anyways, the super moon eclipse was beautiful. We stayed up around the fire watching it fade.

The next morning was freezing. But the sky was clear and it was shaping up to be a beautiful day. We were heading to Chinook Pass today which meant we were going to be passing by Crystal Mountain, my home ski hill. This section was just one nostalgic moment after another.

But first! The three miles to Chinook pass and bathrooms! Huzzah! You gotta love a clean bathroom. We motored on out of the campsite and got to the pass in no time.

After we enjoyed the comforts of a toilet seat, we left the pass and climbed about 2 miles up to a lookout. From there we could look back and see St. Helens to the south and Rainier was peeking over the ridge to the west. We took a moment to enjoy the view and then kept going. As we walked, I called my parents. There is great cell service near Crystal. I chatted with mom and dad about logistics for my Snoqualmie Pass zero day for a while until it was lunch time. I planted myself on an outcropping on a ridge line and enjoyed lunch in full view of Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.

After a delicious lunch I left my perch and headed for the Ulrich Cabin. It was a cabin night! A night of warmth! And no rain! WOOT!! I was getting stoked  for the cabin as I rounded a corner and BOOM! Mountain goats! There was a herd of about 40 goats chilling on the trail. That was a surprise. I immediately called Shelly and told her what I was looking at. I had just enough battery left on my phone to snap a photo of the goats and talk with Shelly for a minute or two.

I waited for the goats to disperse. It took a minute but they moved eventually. I scooted on by the fuzzy friends and motored the last 9 miles to the cabin. It was great. It was pretty clean on the inside. No furniture, but there was a loft and a fireplace. That's all we needed. We sat around a roaring fire and ate our dinner while listening to some Jeff Buckley. It was perfect. We were warm and comfortable (more or less). I slept like a baby.

I was reluctant to leave the cabin the next morning. A warm, covered space or the cold outside?...eh...Ok fine I'll go. I signed the cabin log and skeedaddled. On my way I met some very nice elk hunters. They gave me a knuckle bump and sent me on my way. My morning was spent walking through a beautiful burn area. I finally caught Vanish and we hiked together for a while. We had such a good time chatting away while we walked that we completely missed the only water source for 11 miles! So, that was an "oops" moment. We missed it by over a mile which meant we couldn't walk back without losing a ton of time during the day. So we trudged on, worried and thirsty. I turned to Vanish and tried to reassure her that we would be fine. She had less than a liter and I had just over a liter.

"Don't worry, Vanish. It'll be fine. I don't know how, but somehow, the trail will provide. It always does."

She laughed and agreed with me. I couldn't tell if she was just playing along or if she believed me but we walked on. After a very steep little hill we had almost reached an unpaved jeep road. The climb had made us even more thirsty. Right before we got to the road a van drove by. My heart sunk because I knew I could've flagged them down and asked for water but I was too late. The van was far away by the time we crested the hill. Vanish and I paused on the road and drank some of our scarce water. I turned to watch the van drive away and saw an amazing sight - the van had turned around and was heading back towards us. We stepped to the side and it slowed as it rolled up. Three men got out and instantly started asking us about the trail and our trip. At this point we were totally used to this and we answered all their questions. They then asked if we needed anything, like water. Huzzah! I knew it! We believed in the trail and it provided, like it always does.

We chatted with our new trail angel friends for a bit and then headed up the rest of the hill, rehydrated and fully stocked with water. I spent a couple more hours hiking with Vanish and then I went back to hiking at my faster pace. Around 2pm I stopped for lunch at a water source and Vanish caught me shortly after. We sat munching on our grub in what sunshine we could find until the boys arrived.

I finished lunch and left quickly. I still had a big climb before camp so I was wanting to get it over it. I spent the next few hours climbing the hill into what looked like a christmas tree massacre. There were trees down everywhere and it reeked of chainsaw fuel and pine dust. It was a massive tree cut. I thought it looked like a timber sale but I wasn't too sure. I kept going through the downed trees. It reminded me of Winkleworld Christmas Tree farm and my family's yearly trip to tag a tree. It was another nostalgic moment. I spent the next hour or so reminiscing as I walked.

Soon I had finished the hill and was going down an absurdly steep descent. The kind of descent that your knees remember the next morning. Finally I reached camp and I set up my tent as dusk fell. Vanish and Nathan showed up as I ate my Ramen. Later, as I was about to go to bed, Riderdieh and the Oklahomies arrived. I fell asleep happy that everyone was in camp.

The next morning I left later than normal.  I missed my alarm so I was running behind. The day brought lots of short and intense little climbs. But I didn't slow my pace. It was Snoqualmie Day! We were getting to Snoqualmie today and that meant I was going to see my mom and head to Leavenworth for a zero day at Gramma's house. I was excited to see my family so I practically ran to the pass. About 1.3 miles from the road my mom was waiting for me on the trail. I hiked out with her and we hit the road for Leavenworth.

We arrived at my gramma's house about an hour and a half later. I took a shower, changed into some comfy clothes, and hung out with my family for the evening. It was wonderful to see my gramma and my cousins and uncle. I stayed up as long as I could chatting with them until I couldn't stay awake any longer. I fell into bed, tired and content.

The next day mom had to leave for work so she headed out early in the morning. Gramma and I spent the day together watching the news, walking the dogs, and relaxing on the couch. Later on my dad arrived and the three of us went out for dinner at Gustav's, our favorite restaurant in town. My uncle Colin and his family met us there and we all enjoyed some good food and good laughs late into the evening. When we got back from dinner I spent some time with my cousin Torin who is learning to play percussion. My dad had brought over an old snare drum of mine and I gave it to Torin in the hopes that he would use it to practice and perform and better himself as a drummer. He seemed to like it and it was fun to watch another Brine fall in love with percussion. Hopefully that drum gets a lot of use in the next couple years!


I stayed up with the family for a while and then hit the hay. Dad and I had to be up at the crack of dawn to get me back to the pass before everyone left. So, 5am rolled around and we said goodbye to gramma and headed for Snoqualmie. We arrived around 8am and I met the rest of the pack at the Summit Inn. We snacked on some donuts and then Vanish and I headed out. We walked the road until we found the Goldmeyer Alternate trail. We had decided as a group that we were going to take this route to save ourselves some gnarly elevation gain and shave off a few miles. So off into the mist we went to find out what Goldmeyer had in store. Little did we know....


-Smokey

A Good Ole' Washington Welcome

Well we had said goodbye to Shelly and it was time to go find a trail angel house to crash at for the night. I sat around with LB for a bit at the brewery and then met back up with everyone when his dad showed up to take him back to Vancouver. It was one goodbye after the other. LB and Dad were taking a few days off and this meant they would be hard pressed to catch us again. So with Shelly's absence still sinking in we hugged LB and Dad goodbye. We wouldn't see them again on trail this time. The gap was going to be too big for them to catch us. The Wolf Pack was going to be missing some members from now on.

I was numb as we walked the block to the trail angels house. Three pack members in one night. And one of them my hiking partner. I was so low. I had cried after Shelly left and now I was crying again. What had been such an exciting day had turned into a very sad evening. 

We got to the house and quickly went to bed. In the morning we slept in and then walked down to the local cafe/hotel for some delicious breakfast food and milkshakes and burgers. Around noon we crossed the Bridge of the Gods. My grief from the night before couldn't ruin this moment. We all triumphantly crossed with howling and yelling and laughing and maybe even some crying. It was a glorious moment, one we had waited for for so long. We were finally in Washington! 

After pictures at the Bridge we got on trail. 12 miles out up a giant hill? No problem. We crushed the miles and got into camp as night fell.

The next morning it was clear no one was very impressed with Washington thus far. I heard several comments about a "green tunnel" and the words "muggy", "wet", and "cold" were thrown around a lot. I was slightly offended by this but that was because I knew what was coming-the North Cascades. So I kept my mouth shut and kept going. We had a couple more days to Trout Lake and it was clear that it could only get better from here.

For the rest of the day we gained and lost a ton of elevation. Our morning was spent climbing a giant hill only to go down the other side and back up another one. It reminded me of Yosemite, which was not a good thing. My legs were burning all day and only occasionally did I get a good view of anything. But, just as a reminder of the amazing sights to come, Mt. Adams popped out of the trees every now and then when we reached a ridge line.

We pulled two 26 mile days to get within 20 miles of the Trout Lake exit. On our way we passed through Indian Heaven Wilderness, which was absolutely stunning. Every turn brought a new lake or a new view of the surrounding volcanoes. We also passed 2200 miles in this area, which was an amazing moment! Any three numbers with a "2" in front of them is pretty cool if I do say so. Anyways, we zoomed through this area while the weather was nice. The second full day we planned on getting about 19 miles from Trout Lake. I, however, somehow passed the group camp spot that evening and ended up camping 15 miles from the highway. It was my first night alone on trail and it was not fun. NOT FUN. I hate being by myself out in the woods. Its not something I look for in a recreation experience. I prefer the social aspect of wilderness time, which means I enjoy camping with people at night. Its more fun and it makes me feel a little bit safer. Anyways, I spent a very cold night wondering if I was going to be eaten by a mountain lion.

Luckily I wasn't! I got up very early and knocked out the 15 miles to Trout Lake. I got a hitch into town by an awesome trail angel called the Lounge Lizard (because he has a sofa in the bed of his truck). I was dropped at the Trout Lake Grocery Store where I found Wright hanging out on the porch. He had gone to Portland with LB and Dad to give his feet some much needed rest and recovery time. I hung out with him for a while on the porch while I updated my Facebook and drank way too much soda. An hour or two later the rest of the crew arrived and we went to the local cafe for burgers and shakes.

We decided to spend the night in town. Everyone was tired from all the climbing and we wanted to shower and relax. So, we got ourselves a room above the grocery store for the night and settled in for movie night! We watched Dallas Buyers Club and This Is The End while munching on popcorn, ice-cream, and burgers. Dinner of Champions!

After a good night's sleep we got back on the trail bright and early. Well, most of us did. Nathan's eye was bothering him so he decided to get on trail later in the day after seeing a doctor. So, we said goodbye to him at the store and piled in a big truck. Another Trout Lake local gave us a ride up at 8 AM so we got to log a full day of miles. Our morning was spent climbing up to the base of Mt. Adams. We were finally getting up close and personal with Washington's volcanoes! After the climb it leveled out into an amazingly easy day. The sun came out, the wind died down, and we were treated to views of Mt. Hood, Adams, Rainier, and St. Helens at every turn. It was fantastic! To top it off, everyone had stopped complaining about the "green tunnel". That's right, we were all on the same page now. No one was doubting the majesty of the Cascades anymore.

The next day we entered Goat Rocks Wilderness. This was a very exciting moment for us because we had been hearing about this place all the way down in SoCal. Thats how beautiful it is. Unfortunately it was a cloudy, cold day so we didn't get the full experience. We were, however, still blown away at the beauty we were passing through. We went over Cispus Pass and climbed a very steep grade up to the beginning of the famous Knife's Edge. As the sun began to set, Matt and I crossed the Knife's Edge. It was exhilarating and unnerving. To my left and my right was about 5-10 feet of rock and then a 2000 ft drop. The wind was blowing, the trail was wet, and the grade was extremely steep, up and down. So I gingerly led the way down this precarious trail as the clouds swirled overhead. It took us about an hour to cross this area because it was such a rough trail (and also because I was leading...I'm slow). When we finally reached the point where we could tell we were off the Knife's Edge we rounded a corner and saw a herd of mountain goats! There were about twenty goats munching on what little grass covered the steep hillside we were traversing. As we passed they moved away from us but not fast enough to imply any sort of fear. They had clearly interacted with hiker trash before...

Right at dusk Matt and I reached camp. Vanish was close behind and we hadn't seen Ride or Wright since the morning. Darkness closed in and no one arrived. As the hours ticked on even Vanish didn't show. That was concerning. She always shows up. Always. And so I fell asleep nervous and concerned for my friends, hoping they hadn't tried to attempt the Knife's Edge in the dark. That would be a death sentence.

It was bitterly cold and windy the following morning. Matt and I woke up and promptly looked for Vanish, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. I packed up my stuff and got off the windy outcropping we had used as a camp spot in an attempt to warm up. I didn't know whether Vanish was ahead or somewhere behind but I started getting the miles out of the way in order to find out.

Today we were coming into White Pass, a place where I have skied once or twice. We were about 15 miles from the highway and I was very motivated to get into town. There was a possibility that my parents would be there and that thought pushed me up the large hill that stood between me and the ski area. As I crested the hill and began to descend I found myself looking into a bowl-shaped valley. The trail cut across the hillside to my left, leading off into the trees in the distance. I could see the small speck of a lift house on a hill far off and I knew I was within at least five miles of White Pass. Movement caught my eye on the trail and I realized that Vanish was crossing the hillside! Phew! I breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing she had gotten over Knife's Edge safely.

I caught her at the trees about a mile later and motored into White Pass with her. We spent several hours at the little store down the road and soon Matt and Nathan showed up. Nathan had somehow passed Wright and Ride without seeing them, which was concerning. So, we waited until the store closed at 6PM and then walked back to the trailhead. It had been our hope to get back on trail much earlier that day and get about 10 miles into the next section but our people hadn't shown up so we camped at the road. About an hour later the two showed up. Apparently they had just been taking their time, which was very annoying. Everyone else had been busting ass (pardon my language) to get into town early so we could get in and get out but it ended up not mattering. That made me angry. But at least they were safe and back with us!

That evening we got a fire going because it was very chilly and we sat around enjoying our dinner and doing Highs and Lows. The next day we would head toward my stomping ground: Mt. Rainier National Park.

Weather forecast for the next few days was sunny with a chance of volcanoes.

-Smokey