We finally found some internet, so be sure to check out the pictures from the last leg!
Steep climbs, towering volcanic monsters St. Helens, Adams and Rainier, glacial fed streams, wildflowers, and unpredictable weather… This, friends, is the Washington we were looking for. Touted as the best state on the PCT, we are constantly looking toward the skies for an oncoming thunderstorm, while climbing through unforgettable country. Completely at home on the trail, we are making this our last town stop, so as to stay focused on our goal which now is only 360 miles away. We are still walking with our funny friend Honey Buzz, the king of one-liners, and are on pace to finish in a little over two weeks… We can’t believe it.
Steep climbs, towering volcanic monsters St. Helens, Adams and Rainier, glacial fed streams, wildflowers, and unpredictable weather… This, friends, is the Washington we were looking for. Touted as the best state on the PCT, we are constantly looking toward the skies for an oncoming thunderstorm, while climbing through unforgettable country. Completely at home on the trail, we are making this our last town stop, so as to stay focused on our goal which now is only 360 miles away. We are still walking with our funny friend Honey Buzz, the king of one-liners, and are on pace to finish in a little over two weeks… We can’t believe it.
8/27
Honey Buzz, Bert, and Ernie woke at the Cascade Locks RV Park (free camping for PCT hikers!) after a late night to a dewy tent. After a cup-o-joe with our friendly neighbor, we hit the Char Burger for a terrible breakfast. We felt sick, which was not what we needed for our two 3,000 ft climbs awaiting us. Crossing the “Bridge of the Gods” over the Columbia River and nearly getting smacked by traffic, we entered our final state. Hitting the lowest point on the PCT at 140 feet, we were overwhelmed with bittersweet feelings about the final three weeks of our journey. The scenery out of Cascade Locks was drab on this hot day. We all felt pretty sick after the town food, so we hiked just 9 miles to a saddle where we all laid on our backs and nearly fell asleep. After reluctantly leaving our comfortable rest stop, we ascended and descended intensely, decided to call it an early day, and camped near a Forest Service road. Washington is steep!
22 PCT miles, 2177 S->N |
| Bridge of the Gods |
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| Wild Steelhead |
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| Dangerous Section of Trail.... |
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| Columbia River |
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Mt. Adams |
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| Lazy Boys |
8/28
Still recovering from lousy town food and town in general, we moved a little slow today. By noon, we only had 12 miles in and were pretty drained. We ran into friends Wrangler and Robby at Panther Creek, where we loaded up on water before a 9 mile climb. Atop the climb, we enjoyed lunch with views of Mt. Adams to the East. Passing by two refreshing springs, we wound down the ridge to an early camp at the Crest Campground. We crawled into the tent with thunder rumbling and lightning flashing nearby.
30 PCT miles, 2207 S->N
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| Adam and Mt. Adams |
8/29
The thunderstorm last night was quick and painless, and the three of us woke early for what turned out to be a long, yet easy day. Walking by 6, we ascended quickly for 1500 feet before leveling out. We strolled through weird cloud banks and took a snack break in a huge field of wild huckleberries. Honey Buzz has an incredible eye for wild berries and constantly points out strawberries, thimbleberries, huckleberries, blueberries, and raspberries growing alongside the trail. We were thankful now for the fresh fruit because we soon realized we had all miscalculated our calories for this 150 mile leg, and we were nervous for the blood sugar crashes that would haunt us for the next 3 days. After descending to 3,200 feet for lunch (23 miles into the day), we started a long but gently graded climb that would take us up to 6,000 feet to a stunning campsite at the base of towering Mt. Adams (12,300 ft). We climbed into our sleeping bags, away from the wind, cold, and the mesmerizing starlit night, at 9 PM.
38 PCT miles, 2245 S->N
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| In a Cloud and Huckleberries |
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| Mt. Hood |
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| St. Helens |
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| Rainier |
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| Heading Toward Mt. Adams |
We woke to a crisp, cloudy, windy Washington day after getting sand blasted in a dust bowl last night. With gorgeous hiking and weather, we cruised past towering Mt. Adams and rolled across ridges with occasional views of St. Helens and Rainier rising above the white cloud bank to the Northwest. Just prior to a Mounds Bar break, we encountered a small bull elk crashing through the brush. Nine miles down trail, we hydrated at the tasty lava spring and shortly after took a meager lunch break in a patch of wild strawberries. We then pushed 15 more miles, passing a herd of elk and entering the Goat Rocks Wilderness before reaching Walupt Creek for camp. A very cold night, we bundled up and hopped in our cozy tent for dinner and bed.
33 PCT miles, 2278 S->N
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| Mt. Adams Sunrise |
Now seriously low on provisions and shivering hard to keep warm, we woke early, knowing we only had 26 miles to finish the leg at White Pass (and to get food!). We shivered our way up 1500 feet to a saddle and caught our first views of the incredible Goat Rocks. We had been told that Goat Rocks would be a highlight of our trip, but nothing could have prepared us for the beauty of this day. With fog rolling over the 7500 foot pinnacles, surges of adrenaline were pulsing through our veins, as we had not seen this type of wild and inhospitable wilderness since the High Sierra. We were at home. We continued climbing through the clouds up to the high alpine zone of 7500 feet, walking over Packwood glacier, and past trees coated with a layer of ice. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the sheer 3,000 ft drops on either side of the “Knife’s Edge”, but we could definitely feel the power of this landscape. We then descended through fields of wildflowers, leaving the clouds briefly, only to enter them again on a gentle climb to 6600 ft. Now just six miles from the pass (and store), our stomachs took over and forced us to cruise. We chowed down heavily at the convenience store, caught a nice ride down to the town of Packwood, WA, and paid for a patch of grass to set up our tent. Completely shot from the climbing and the freezing wind, we ate a pizza and called it a night.
25 PCT miles, 2303 S->N
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| Honey Buzz and Ernie with Goat Rocks |
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Crossing a Glacier in a Cloud |
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| The Knife's Edge |
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| Down the Knife's Edge |
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| Crossing Washinton Deadfalls |
September is here! It is hard to believe we have been on the trail since April, and equally hard to believe that we are just 360 miles away from the end of this journey. Likely our last town stop, we are experiencing bittersweet feelings about the end. We have a lot of work to do yet, but it is hard to keep Canada out of our heads, as we try to somewhat prepare for the emotional turmoil we will experience in just two weeks. Today in Packwood, we are blogging, resupplying, and eating (over-eating). Back to the trail tonight for a 100 mile leg to Snoqualmie Pass. Deciding that the infamously rainy Washington weather could make for some uncomfortable nights in our tiny tent, we switched it out for a larger one, and are so excited for the extra space, that we will likely set the tent up 4-5 times a day just for fun. No longer do we need to snuggle just to fit! With temperatures dropping as we head North, we may be snuggling by choice now....
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| Honey Buzz, Bert, and Ernie Hanging Out at the Lib |
Anticipated Itinerary:
Snoqualmie Pass, WA (September 4th) – 99 miles
Skykomish, WA (September 8th) – 75 miles
Stehekin, WA (September 11th) - 98 miles
CANADA (September 15th) - 89 miles
Please continue to send your love, support, and good vibes our way, as we continue to push North to Canada for Camp AmeriKids.
Spread the word. Spread the love.
Much Love,
F+A
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