August 25, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 2625.8) to Hopkins Lake (miles 2643.7)

Miles: 17.9 

Our total miles: 2237.4

We watched the sunrise from the comfort of our sleeping bags. 

Since we had only 20 or so miles to hike we were in no rush to get going.

We shared how it felt to be so close to the end and discussed again the logistics involved in getting back to the trail in California.

Around 8am we finally stepped foot on the trail. There were darker, meaner looking clouds in the direction we were walking.  We hoped they wouldn’t produce precipitation. 

The first few switchbacks Andy commented again how much he enjoyed the sunset last night. 

“That spot and that sunset were absolutely spectacular. I’ve never seen a sky that red before! Washington sure did wow us on our 2nd to last night.”

We dropped into the trees, lost in our own thoughts until we reached the Holman Creek trail junction.

From there we climbed 1400 feet to Rock Pass in four miles. We took a long lunch break at the Pass, then made our way toward Woody Pass.

Our guidebooks warned us to not be tempted to take the old, unmaintained PCT as it’s treacherous. We stuck to the main trail and enjoyed the views between Rock Pass and Woody Pass.

The relentless climb up to Woody Pass kicked both our butts. We huffed and puffed our way up it.

“Where the heck did that climb come from? Did we really drop that much from Rock Pass?” Andy asked doing his best to catch his breath.

“I dunno” replied Laurie.

We kept hiking. There was a bit more climbing to do, then it’s all downhill to Canada! Nine or so miles with slightly more than 3000 feet down.

These mountains are truly beautiful and we continue to remain grateful for the weather we’ve enjoyed.

Around 3pm Laurie suggested that if we like it, we should camp at Hopkins Lake. We got to the lake around 4 and immediately decided we’d stay here. 

We were 2.7 miles short of our plan, but we can make that up tomorrow. We kinda like camping in pretty places. And this was our last night in Washington!

Laurie went for a dip before the sun hid behind the mountain while Andy soaked his feet. We stayed at the shores of the lake for about an hour, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beauty of our surroundings.

Around 5pm we left the lake, hiked about 150 feet to an established camp and set up our tent. We’re hoping for another clear, dry night. 

We ate, journaled, listened to music and watched the mountains to the east turn golden brown. Well, Andy did all of yhst. Laurie took a nap which turned into a 7 pm bedtime.

It’s really peaceful here. Just us and the birds. Not many hikers around since we’re only 6.4 miles from the monument.

It’s gonna be a chilly night. Chilly and clear. Hopefully we’ll see lots of stars.

As Andy was tucking away the electronics for the evening (we wrap them in a fleece to help preserve battery life) he heard rustling.

He pulled out his headlight and not even 10 feet from our tent was a creature with large, beautiful antlers. We think it was an Elk but it may have been a buck. It didn’t seem concerned or interested in us – just the bushes around our tent.

Andy woke up Laurie and we both stared in awe. It was beautiful!

Throughout the night we continued to hear munching. We futilely tried to scare them off but they kept coming back so after a few minutes we gave up and went back to sleep.

Tonight we’re grateful for solitude and naps at 7pm!

August 24, 2016

Methow River (26o4.1) to bushcamp (mile 2625.8)

Miles: 21.7

Our total miles: 2219.4

We slept hard again last night and didn’t want to wake up this am.

“We can sleep til six today, it’s gonna be a shorter day.”

“Ok” said Laurie with a smile, her eyes still closed as she turned to her right side.

At 5:45 Andy turned the valve on his air pad and let out all the air. He slowly started to pack while Laurie kept sleeping.

This morning was at least 5 to 7 degrees warmer than yesterday, but Andy still put on his fleece.

Around 6:15 Andy was done packing and Laurie still hadn’t gotten out of her sleeping bag.

She was cozy and warm and couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. We are definitely tired and even short hiking days and more sleep aren’t enough to overcome the fatigue.

Laurie finally willed herself to get up and get packing. We were on the trail by 6:45.

As we walked Laurie expressed her disappointment with stopping early yesterday instead of pushing on to Glacier Pass and having a campsite with pretty views. 

To Laurie, slowing down to enjoy our last days in Washington means we should camp in scenic spots with grand views. Andy wants that too but he also wants to enjoy the views along the way to camp.

We took many breaks yesterday, some longer than others, and enjoyed the day.

But Laurie was disappointed with our camp spot knowing what potentially lay 5.5 miles ahead. 

All morning she kept thinking about how we had missed out on the views, the beautiful sunrise with the alpenglow on the jagged mountains.

She wants Andy to push her to hike longer days to get to pretty campsites. And he has. But he didn’t yesterday. He loved how yesterday unfolded and was perfectly content with their camp spot near the river.

“If you want me to constantly push you to do more, it ain’t gonna happen. Heck I do my best to help you slow down.”

Laurie has been a ‘go, go, go’ type of person most of her life and has a hard time being content with where she is. The present is never good enough.

Our attention for the first 5.5 miles was inside our respective heads. How can we find a balance between our different personalities and mentalities? How can we as a couple make eachother better?

As we neared Glacier Pass we turned the corner and Andy shouted ‘hello’ to someone. It was Sam! We thought he’d be miles ahead as he wants to be done tomorrow. But there he was, still in his tent reading his book.

He was camped at Glacier Pass, the very spot we wanted to push to last night. The campsite was in the trees and it was cold. But most notably, there were no views to be had. 

Andy’s app was wrong. The pictures of the incredible views were from campsites 3 miles ahead, not Glacier Pass.

So after all that, even if we had pushed and hiked 28+ miles last night, we wouldn’t have had the evening or morning views we had hoped for.

Laurie turned to Andy, “go ahead, you can tell me ‘I told you so.'”

“I don’t live in that world hun. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about accepting where you are and enjoying it.”

We hiked on, with Laurie now beating herself up for creating big expectations and being upset when things don’t turn out the way she wants them to.

We switchbacked up to a ridge. Now this would have been the place to camp! A sheer rock wall lay to our south with mountains on either side. If we ever come back to this area Laurie vowed to camp up here to watch the sunrise and morning alpine glow.

We took a break staring at the incredible view. Far below us was a valley with 3 turquoise ponds. Little patches of snow remained on some of the slopes. 

The sun felt good against the slight chill in the air. Laurie took a 30 minute nap, using her food bag as her pillow and hiding in the shade of Andy’s body.

Once moving again we traversed scree slopes and dropped down towards Harts Pass, the last road before Canada. The last 2 miles to Harts Pass felt never ending. 

The trail twisted and turned every which way until we finally popped out on a dirt road and walked 100 feet to an intersection of 3 dirt roads. As we descended we could hear dirt bikes rumbling in the distance. 

Once at Hart Pass there was much more traffic than we expected. We sat on a log in the shade and ate some snacks. Sam joined us for a few minutes before he continued on. 

As we were preparing to leave a man stopped his car and offered us an OR sun hat just like the ones we wear. 

He said he had found it while cleaning up around a lake and had no use for it. Laurie’s hat was on its final leg, it had been sewed many times and was currently being held together with dental floss. We graciously accepted the hat as well as a beer for Andy.

Thanks Scott!

Before we got to Harts Pass Sam mentioned that he hoped for trail magic one last time. If only he had hung around for another few minutes he would have gotten it.

We left Harts Pass and gradually walked up to Buffalo Pass and eventually down to Windy Pass. The grade was so gentle it felt like we were walking on a level road. We sauntered through green meadows with the last of the wildflowers.

Lately, and particularly in Washington, many of the passes are low spots. This is counterintuitive for us. We think a pass equates to a high point and views. Not always the case.

We got to our planned campsite around 6 pm to find 3 parties already set up. We looked for another spot but didn’t find anything appealing. 

We decided to push on, hoping for something higher up and with a view.

At the top of the ridge right before Foggy Pass we found a little semi-flat area nestled between trees and protected from the sun. We set up the tent, placing extra clothes under specific parts our sleeping pads to create level ground.

We watched the sunset and the colors change from the comfort of our sleeping bags and tent. 

What a show! It was tremendous. 

Light orange sky turning pink and red with clouds joining in on the party.

Today was a hard communication day for us. We had more little struggles and misunderstandings than normal. Neither of us are sure what caused this but it could be that we are nearing the end and the stresses of city life are creeping back into our daily thoughts. 

At least for Laurie this is the case. Andy doesn’t stress. He believes everything will work out.

Tonight we are grateful for flat spots on ridges and blue skies in Washington.

August 23, 2016

South Fork Camp (mile 2581.3) to Methow River (mile 2604.1)

Miles: 22.4

Our total miles: 2197.8

Laurie woke up to Paul rustling 2 feet away. Once again she slept so soundly she didn’t hear her alarm. We were up and moving by 6:45am.

It was a cold morning. Our fingers ached as they gripped our trekking poles.

Within 30 minutes we caught up with Paul and the three of us continued up the gradual trail.

Branches and twigs snapped nearby, Laurie looked hopefully in the direction of the noise eagerly looking for a bear. But alas, usually they were just chipmunks.

Pine cones dropped from trees near us as well. We weren’t sure if they were falling on their own or if some critter was up in the tree. Either way it felt like someone (or something) was aiming at us.

We hiked the 6.5 miles to Rainy Pass through a dense forest. We crossed over beautiful clear creeks on logs and enjoyed conversations to help the miles fly by.

The trail opened up a few miles after Rainy Pass. We switchbacked up, periodically stopping to soak up the views to the south and west. Jagged peaks filled in the space between green carpeted mountains in the foreground. In the far distance were snow capped mountains. It was stunning.

We passed 2 women hiking with their dog and 2 goats and not even a mile later ran into 4 people and their 6 llamas. They were taking the llamas in to help pack out a trail crew.

We talked to the owner and crew as Laurie pet the llamas. They were all female lamas with names like Ruby and Sugar. 

Just like all the other llamas we have met on this trail, they each had a distinct personality which became evident in the 15 minutes we spent talking with the owner.

At Cutthroat Pass we took a lunch break. We shared a sticky bun from the Stehekin Bakery to celebrate our anniversary of meeting. Four years ago today we met on the top of Mt Whitney!

The views were expansive and the forests in the valleys were quite dense. We traversed through rocky trail and eventually dropped down to Granite Pass.

From here it was a little more down then steadily uphill to Methow Pass. We passed the trail crew at their camp and thanked them for all of their work. It looked like the trail had been washed away by rock or mudslides in some areas but thanks to all of their hard work it was now a wide and easy trail to follow.

We got to the top of Methow Pass at 3:30 and scoped out places to camp, but nothing looked good enough to warrant stopping that early. We love camping up high with views and although this was a pass, the views were mostly blocked by trees. 

So we continued on.

We dropped back down into the forest and eventually to the Methow River. We spoke with Paul about family and kids. Laurie asked Paul if he felt like he put his life on hold to have kids.

“Oh absolutely” said Paul.

Having children is something we have talked about a lot. Living in San Francisco we have friends that chose not to have children and their lives and travels appeal very much to us. 

We also have a lot of friends who have started families in the last few years and their lives are also amazing, but very different. 

Sure, being a parent may be the best adventure of a lifetime but at this exact moment neither of us are sure what we want. The question remains, will we ever know?

Paul joined us for a snack break before we set up camp and he continued on another 3+ miles. We shared cheese with Paul (for Laurie that is a gesture of true affection) and some fruit leather before hugging goodbye.

As Paul left Laurie again felt a sense of loss. Here we were, thru hikers stopping and camping before 6 o’clock in a not so scenic area with the hopes of catching up on our blog. 

We can afford to stop early, after all we did give ourselves 4.5 days to hike 90 miles. 

We could do it faster but don’t want to rush through beautiful sections; plus we need to pace ourselves since our hike isn’t over when we get to the monument. 

All that being said, Laurie gets competitive and doesn’t want to be left behind. If we had ended early at a beautiful spot, that would have been fine, but here, camped next to the Methow River, she felt lazy and foolish.

With some time, some tickeling and a bag of blue corn chips (thanks Tommy and Ali!!) the smile returned to Laurie’s face. 

We ate dinner, chatted with other hikers as they walked by our tent and caught up on blogging. We always have big agendas for these “early evenings” but somehow or another it is always 9 pm before we start writing.

Oh well, it’ll get done. 

Tonight we are grateful for no rain at Rainy Pass and feet that keep marching.