Thursday, September 20, 2018 The northern monument marks the end of the PCT but not the end of hiking; I still had five miles to walk to Manning Park today. Along the way I met curious day hikers and PCT hikers heading to meet friends at the border after abandoning their own hikes. The fourth …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 112: Manning Park
Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - 18.90 miles Most of the Holman Fire detour was viewless, but the trail emerged from the trees a few times (sunlight! warmth!) before joining the PCT near beautiful Woody Pass. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539757766/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539264648/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539759361/in/dateposted-public/ Interesting conglomorate https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539265733/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539990727/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539993107/in/dateposted-public/ On Lakeview Ridge, I encountered a hiker who I had first seen …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 111: Crossing the Border
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - 17 miles I've felt colder overnight when camping (Heysen at the cow droppings campsite) but last night was the coldest I've felt in my -9.5 degree Celsius/15 degree F sleeping bag. The down is clumped up by now, so there's a bare spot on the bottom and I could feel …
Monday, September 17, 2018 - 17.70 miles Finally a nice weather day, chilly but without precipitation. The PCT switchbacked up to forested Glacier Pass, then to the more scenic Grasshopper Pass. https://flic.kr/p/2itzjUJ Climbing up from Brush Creek https://flic.kr/p/2itD38y Views of Azurite Peak (?) I began encountering/passing/being passed by Homebound and Hello Darkness (trail name given …
Sunday, September 16, 2018 Today was my 'zero to avoid the terrible weather' day. When the sun rose, the sky was blue through the trees. You're not fooling me, Washington! The weather has been following a pattern where the day starts clear, then rain begins later in the morning or afternoon, so I wasn't deceived …
Saturday, September 15, 2018 - 13.80 miles Another mishap today! The forest was sopping in the morning and not long after I started walking, I came to a shallow stream bridged by a log with a flattened but tilted top. https://flic.kr/p/2itCZ6w I was almost across when a piece of wet wood broke off beneath my …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 107: The Tragedy of Electronics
Friday, September 14, 2018 - 16.80 miles My first priority this morning was buying new batteries for my headlamp. The store opens at 8:00 AM and the shuttle bus leaves only fifteen minutes later, so I started hovering at the store doors at 7:45 AM. When they let me in and I asked an employee …
Thursday, September 13, 2018 - 6 miles I walked the rest of the way to Stehekin Road this morning. The trail was still in good condition, so I have to assume that whoever started the rumours of ill-maintenance skipped Grider Canyon (and can't be blamed for it). https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539283291/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49539513717/in/dateposted-public/ I didn't feel like hitchhiking so …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 105: Sticky Bun Sadface
Wednesday, September 12, 2018 - 11 miles Today's breakfast options consisted of toast, hard-boiled eggs and muesli/cereal with various toppings. When I accidentally took a piece of gluten-free bread, a man at the toaster recommended I toast it multiple times so it wouldn't fall apart. It didn't fall apart, but it tasted terrible. No amount …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 104: Chocolate Bars and Toothpicks
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 14.20 miles https://flic.kr/p/2itBHHJ Mushroom that would like a room of its own My tree spared me from nighttime drizzle. A nice early morning was interrupted by heavy rain as I left the PCT at Suiattle Pass and began the Bannock Lake Fire detour, which started with a devilish 'hikers shortcut' …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 103: Arrival at Holden Village
Monday, September 10, 2018 - 17.20 miles It rained during the night, but the fifty layers of branches overhead fulfilled their duty and my tent remained dry except a few wet spots from the wind. Morale and courage to face the upcoming weather strengthened. Low-hanging clouds created a beautiful scene in the valleys below Dolly …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 102: Morale and Courage
Sunday, September 09, 2018 - 14 miles The sun rose this morning into a beautiful high ceiling, so I climbed up to Fire Creek Pass before eating breakfast. My olive oil had solidified overnight. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49525701598/in/dateposted-public/ Fire Creek Pass https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49526432337/in/dateposted-public/ Looks delicious The climb down to Mica Lake was pretty, and the lake was pretty too. …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 101: Marmots Being Adorable, as per Usual
Saturday, September 08, 2018 - 15.70 miles Nighttime rain. The sunrise filtered through low-hanging clouds. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49525692793/in/dateposted-public/ Sunrise in the mist The only rain during the day was light drizzle, but I regretted missing White Pass and Red Pass and all the other views. I got one glimpse of an impressive glacier, but that's all. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49525693998/in/dateposted-public/ …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 100: Cruddy Thing
Friday, September 07, 2018 - 13.80 miles Bigfeet caught up with me early this morning, having changed his mind about taking another rest day at Stevens Pass. He explained that he's resigned himself to being in pain for the rest of his hike - poor guy. After matching his pace to mine for awhile, he …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 99: But What Does It Mean
Thursday, September 06, 2018 - 15 miles While packing up my gear this morning, I discovered the shredded remnants of a Snickers wrapper on the ground. I had placed it in a pocket on my pack strap and forgotten about it. Luckily, the backpack was in my vestibule overnight, so the mouse didn't chew any …
Wednesday, September 05, 2018 - 8 miles I tried to use the main lodge's Wi-Fi this morning to download an audiobook and app, but it was uselessly slow. At least I managed to access the detour maps and a weather report predicting rain every day for a week. There are no easy bailout points in …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 97: Leaving Stevens Pass
Tuesday, September 04, 2018 We were supposed to leave for Seattle around 10:00 AM, but a tire issue delayed Caribou's brother at a repair shop. When he arrived, Smileyface ended up coming along to pick up her package in Skykomish, where we also ate lunch. Considering the limited time we would have in Seattle, I …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 96: Visit to Seattle
Monday, September 03, 2018 - 4.20 miles Only 4.2 miles of hiking today. At Stevens Pass, another hiker greeted me... I have no notes for today and I've forgotten her name, but she was waiting near the trailhead with her father, boyfriend and trail magic. Thank you for the delicious oranges! https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49525667078/in/dateposted-public/ Stevens Pass Signs …
Continue reading Pacific Crest Trail (2018) 95: Mountaineers Stevens Lodge Is Awesome
Sunday, September 02, 2018 - 10.40 miles I ate breakfast at Glacier Lake. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186779238@N07/49525662578/in/dateposted-public/ Glacier Lake PCT thru-hikers/not-entirely-thru-hikers have been catching up to me since Oregon, but I'm starting to feel like I'm being hit by the herd rather than only the front-runners. That makes sense since the end of the hiking season is rapidly …
Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 10.10 miles https://flic.kr/p/2ispTAm Today's hiking began with a crossing of Daniel Creek, which is flagged in the water report as a potentially dangerous ford. A sign instructs stock to bypass the ford by detouring around the lake. I wasn't expecting the crossing to be difficult in September, and indeed it …
BANE OF THE TRAIL 