August 15, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 2421.9) to Glacier Lake (mile 2447.7)

Miles: 25.8

Our total mileage: 2041.4

Andy opened his eyes, sat up halfway and noted the orange and pink colors in the sky and silhouette of the mountains. It was too light to be 5:15am. He checked his phone – 5:29. He glanced over at Laurie who was sound asleep. 

He stroked her cheek and asked if the alarm had gone off. She had no recollection but must have turned it off and fallen back asleep.

We had a long day ahead of us and wanted an early start. We were tired of getting to camp just after others and losing out on our planned tentsites.

So although we were already a little behind schedule we moved quickly and stepped on the trail at 6:15 am.

We switchbacked down 1500 feet to the Waptus River. The trail was over grown in some places and well maintained in others. We occasionally stubbed our toe or tripped over roots as we walked.

This was all forgiven because we ate lots of thimble berries along the way. Seedy but delicious! 

The Waptus River was perfectly clear and powerfully cascaded over the rocky river bed. Upon crossing the wooden bridge we noticed some very nice campsites above the river. When we pass nice campsites or beautiful lakes we try to make a mental note for “next time.” 

Just after Spade creek, another nice creek seven tenths of a mile north of Waptus Creek, we caught up with Colleen and Diane. They had had another late night and were trying to get an early start to allow for a more leisurely day.

We hiked together, chatting about our previous day. Laurie introduced them to huckleberries and soon after we were all stopped, picking and devouring the delicious berries.

The trail started to climb but luckily we were still in the shade. We switchbacked up and up, walking across dry stream beds in the sun and back into the shade of the trees. 

This continued for another 7.5 miles. In total we climbed 2500 feet. Andy noticed some large ripe huckleberries and after trying one he proclaimed they were the best he had had. A statement like that required further investigtion. 

Soon we were both sans packs with Talentis in hand. We picked until we had 1.5 Talentis worth and a plan to have oatmeal and huckleberries at the top of the hill.

As we were picking we heard a loud noise. It sounded like stomping, but from a creature larger and heavier than a human. We heard 4 steps, then nothing. We stopped and stared at one another. 

We started talking loudly and looked in the direction that the noise had come from. We were in a delicious berry patch after all and wouldn’t have been surprised if we had a bear visitor. But we saw nothing and never heard the noise again.

We stuffed the Talentis inside Laurie’s pack and hiked on. The switchbacks continued and we were drenched in sweat by the time we got to Deep Lake. The lake looked magnificent – teal glowing against the talus and green meadows. 

Laurie resisted the urge to swim as we still had a pass to climb. We hopped across the lake outlet on a series of rocks and logs and continued up.

It was around noon when we finally reached the junction to Peggy Pond. We found a shady spot and sat down in the middle of the trail. 

We had warm oatmeal with fresh huckleberries as we stared down at Deep Lake and the mountains and waterfalls across from us. It was an awesome spot for a break.

Laurie took off her shirt and set it in the sun to dry. When she put it back on 45 minutes later it was stiff from the salty sweat. It quickly softened against her body as we hiked down another 2000 feet.

We are in Washington and this is what the trail is known for – big ups and downs all.day.long.

We met a lot of people who were hiking from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass. This seems to be the most popular section in the state, probably because it is beautiful and close to Seattle. One section hiker said he was taking a pole and wanted to know who we were voting for – Clinton or Trump. We get asked all types of questions!

The trail switchbacked down through the trees. We passed many small creeks offering opportunities to wet our hats and allow cold water to drop down our backs. We walked past broad green thimbleberry leaves and prickly small salmon berry plants. We ate as we walked, munching on the local cuisine.

We turned a corner and saw a large creek careening down a gully. The creek bed was rocky and much wider than the creek itself at this time of year. 

The maps indicated that this can be a difficult ford, particularly in the early season. Luckily we are not in the early season but the sound of the water still made Laurie’s heart rate quicken. Apparently she still has some fear associated with creek crossings.

Many people had passed us and none of them had mentioned a tough crossing, nor did their feet look wet.

As we got closer it was obvious where to cross. Logs had been clustered together to form a bridge over part of the creek and we were able to rock hop the rest.

We walked on, past Deception Lake and up toward Piper Pass. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was intense. 

Laurie felt great and powered up the hill. Andy was dragging but stayed less than a switchback behind. We got to the top before 6 pm and descended the final 2 miles to camp.

We switchbacked through a boulder field and down toward Glacier Lake. We were reluctant to camp at the lake in fear of too many people. Our concerns were valid once again. People were camped at our planned spot when we turned the corner at 7 pm. 

No real surprise to be honest. It’s close to Stevens Pass and a destination, two things a thru hiker should avoid when getting to camp late. 

Having said that, we were still hopeful and took the use trail to the campsites anyway. 

We managed to squeeze into a slanted spot very close to another woman’s tent at Glacier Lake. Thanks for sharing your spot with us Janet! 

Laurie asked where she was headed and when she learned we were thru hikers her eyes lit up. Seeing people’s reactions helps us see and remember the significance of what we are doing. Day to day it feels just like a backpacking trip. 

We think of this entire 2650 mile journey as a string of short 4-5 day backpacking trips. The best part is that at the end of a backpacking trip we get to go on another one!

We ate dinner sitting on a rock watching fish jump on the lake. Now we lay in the tent staring up at the stars past the tops of tall trees.

Tonight we are grateful for our trekking poles and manageable fords.

August 14, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 2399.9) to bushcamp (2421.9)

Miles: 22

Our total miles: 2015.6

Andy woke up to gaze at the stars. He saw a satellite but no shooting stars. Laurie rolled over a few times and thought about looking for a shooting star but could not will her eyes open.

We were walking by 6:45am. The air was refreshing but warm. We could tell it was going to be another hot day. 

We dropped down to a river, then climbed up towards a ridge. We were graced with views of Mt. Rainier in the distance and jagged, rocky peaks surrounding us. 

We passed another small tent city on top of a grassy ridge. 

We traversed across scree slopes, gazing down to dark blue lakes below. It was ankle twisting walking and we stopped frequently to take in the views.

Sunlight slowly casted a golden shadow on the hill opposite from where we stood. We could see Joe Lake and the trail we had come over the day before.

Around 9:30 we passed 3 small pools and the 2 French women (Diane and Colleen) who we have seen frequently since the Urich Cabin. 

Again we dropped down and then climbed. We turned a corner and were treated to more spectacular views of more gagged peaks.

Every 100 mile marker we stop and kiss. It has become our little tradition. After our 406.3 mile jump our century milestones are different than most people’s but with a little calculation we can easily figure it out.

Today we crossed the 2000 mile marker. Laurie was ahead of Andy, lost in her own thoughts. He called to her to stop. She did and walked back to where he was standing. We congratulated one another and kissed as we do normally. However this time, there was more to the celebration.

Andy dropped to one knee, pulled out a candy ring and asked Laurie to marry him. 

She said yes!

Together we have walked over 2,000 miles, climbed up 14,000 foot peaks, fought off thousands of mosquitoes and shared many moments of sheer delight, frustration and exhaustion. For both of us, this hike has been more enjoyable and tolerable because we have done it together.

We are excited to spend the rest of our lives climbing moutains, biking up hills and traveling the world – together.

We laughed at ourselves as we tried to stretch the plastic ring so it would fit on Laurie’s finger. Neither of us were sure which hand the ring was supposed to go on so Laurie resorted to sucking on the candy instead. 

Why a candy ring you ask? Laurie mentioned to Andy a long time ago she wanted someone to propose to her with a candy ring and he remembered. 

We took a few photos and continued on to yet another expansive and breath taking view.

A deep blue lake lay beneath a cluster of jagged peaks dotted with snow.

We descended 2200 feet distracting ourselves with talks of where we could get married, what kind of wedding we wanted and how many people we would invite. The only thing we decided in that 1 hour descent was that we would both wear trail runners.

We paused at a waterfall to get water. Laurie cooled off in a pool while Andy chatted with Diane and Colleen who were getting ready to leave.

We hiked down some more through a burn area. Fireweed was everywhere and Laurie was in heaven. She loves this pink flower.

We crossed a few more creeks, some with bridges and one without. We discovered delicious huckleberries and sat for a short lunch before starting the 5 mile and 2300 foot climb.

As we climbed we negotiated over and around 71 down trees. We had been warned about down trees but everyone said different things. Even today, when we asked 2 guys that were hiking together, one said the trail was a mess and the second guy said there were only 4 to 5 problem trees.

We agree, there were less than 10 of the more difficult trees to get around, but 71 is far from 4 to 5!

We switchbacked up the hill, mainly in the shade for which we were both very thankful. It was hot and we were sweating. 

Andy had beads of sweat forming on his cheeks. We dunked our hats in cool streams but within 10 minutes they were dry. The sunlight and heat did make for the sweetest thimbleberries we have ever had. Bright red and sweet thimbleberries lined the trail. We stopped to pick until we couldn’t handle the heat anymore.

Close to 5 pm we reached the top of the climb. We stopped to get water from a tarn and both jumped in. The water was surprisingly warm and felt so refreshing.

From here it was a gentle up and then long down to camp. We walked through alpine tundra, past two small lakes and down through thick brush. 

Less than a tenth away from our planned tentsite we heard voices and saw people setting up where we had hoped to camp. 

Man! 

We were near a flatish spot so we decided to make it work.

We ate dinner and quickly got into bed. We only hiked 22 miles but with the emotions of the day plus elevation gain and loss and climbing over trees, we were both pooped!

Tonight we are grateful to be sharing this experience together and for ripe thimbleberries.

August 13, 2016

Snoqualmie Pass Trailhead (mile 2390.8) to bushcamp (2399.9)

Miles: 9.1

Our total miles: 1993.6

The flurry of town chores got us yet again. Though we didn’t go to bed as early as we wanted to last night, we felt rested when we woke up at 7am.

Our room was cool during the night and the bed was very comfortable.

We called Andy’s dad to consolidate our Stehekin resupply boxes and spoke with other family before heading upstairs to be social. 

It’s easy for us to hide in a room with our faces buried in our phones, checking things off our to do list. We have to remind ourselves that enjoying the company of others is more important than purchasing new shoes or buying plane tickets. All of that can wait.  

We organized our food bags and made breakfast. Prior to this trip one of our favorite things to do together was cook and we miss being creative in the kitchen. Thank you Mollie and Tim for allowing us to feel right at home. We made scrambled eggs with grilled onions, broccoli and mushrooms for everyone.

We also finished the remaining coconut ice cream and raspberry sorbet because we needed the Talenti containers. And really, who doesn’t like ice cream for breakfast?

With all of the rain last week we decided it would be nice to have our umbrellas. Andy’s dad shipped them but unfortunately they didn’t arrive yesterday as we’d hoped. 

Rather than wait for the mail to arrive we drove to Snoqualmie Pass with enough time to enjoy a hike before Audrey and Mollie needed to leave to go to the airport.  

Around 12:30 we reached the busy (and full) trailhead parking lot. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday. It was nice to see so many people enjoying the local mountains although it made for a very different hiking experience than we are used to.

For the last 2 weeks we have seen quite a few SOBO and section hikers but nothing like the number of day hikers we saw today. We both found ourselves missing the quiet of a less accessible trail.

Mollie, her dog Cooper, and Audrey led the way as we ascended the PCT towards the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

We picked blackberries and huckleberries as we hiked. We really enjoyed Audrey’s and Mollie’s company. It’s nice sharing the trail with good people and learning a thing or two about the area.

After about 2 miles we said our goodbyes. Thank you Audrey for visiting us from San Francisco and thank you Mollie and Tim for opening your home to us. We really appreciate your generosity and hospitality.

We continued climbing on the ‘relentless switchbacks’ as the guidebooks put it, to the Kendall Katwalk. We were actually very grateful for the switchbacks since they made the climb less steep.

Because we started later in the day we didn’t encounter many others going up, but we ran into lots of day hikers, trail runners and backpackers on their way down.

Trail etiquette indicates that uphill traffic has the right of way but many people don’t abide by this. 

It was hard to gain momentum given our constant stop and go. Andy still made an effort to be cordial and chatted with almost everyone he met. He loves asking people where they are are coming from, where they are headed and wishing them well.

We didn’t take any breaks until we got to Ridge Lake – our scheduled stop for the day.

We were bummed to find the place full. Every flat or semi flat spot was already claimed by a tent or backpack. There were at least 30 people at or around the lake. 

Reluctantly we filled up our water bottles and kept going. We’re not antisocial but we do prefer our camps to be quiet, and that can be hard with so many people around.

We could’ve probably found a place to camp if we looked hard enough, but we elected not to. 

Two miles later we found a small quiet spot and set up camp. It was 6pm and we were ready to be done.

Coming out of town is usually hard for us and it takes a day or two for us to find our groove. 

We enjoyed dinner, then took a half hour nap. We hadn’t blown up our air pads yet but it didn’t matter. Laurie crawled into Andy’s arms and was out like a light. 

We woke up hungry and had dessert. Laurie had more banana chips she found in the hiker box and Andy enjoyed Lake Champlain chocolate. 

Hikers kept walking down the trail well into the evening. A couple stopped and camped near us in the trees. They didn’t acknowledge our presence. Perhaps it was because we were already in our tent? We didn’t make an effort either. 

Around 8pm we heard more hikers nearby, then heard sticks breaking in the trees. At first we both thought it was people camped nearby but then we heard sticks breaking again, and again. There was something out there but we’re not sure what. It’s gone for now and hopefully it doesn’t return. 

Tonight we sleep without the rainfly in hopes of seeing a shooting star or two. 

Goodnight. 

Tonight we are grateful for good friends and scrambled eggs with veggies. Veggies!!