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!!

August 12, 2016

Mirror Lake Junction (2382.1) to Snowqualmie Pass (2390.3)

Miles: 8.2

Our total miles: 1984

We were up and moving by 6:30. We were meeting Laurie’s friend Audrey and spending the night with her Aunt and Uncle in Auburn, Washington. Thoughts of a shower motivated us to get an early start.

Laurie woke up with restless legs. Lately our bodies feel best when they are moving. We wake up with sore feet but after a quarter mile they feel fresh and ready for the day.

Laurie was excited to see her friend and took off down the trail. Lately she has been hiking faster than Andy and today was no exception. We hiked up and then down the rocky and slippery trail. Our pants were soaked by the wet brush, but that didn’t slow Laurie at all. 

Since Laurie is ahead of Andy most of the time she created a game. She can stop and pick huckleberries until he catches up. But she must start moving again when he gets near so as not to slow his stride. Of course all of this goes out the window when the berries are delicious and we both want to pick and enjoy them.

We found Audrey near the top of the ski slope around 10:30. It was already hot. We stopped in the shade to hug, say hello and discuss plans for the day.

We walked back to the car together, chatting about life on the trail, life in San Francisco and her recent trip to Japan. 

It is so wonderful to see friends during this adventure. These past 4.5 months on the trail have been enriching and we have truly enjoyed spending extended amounts of time together, but we miss our friends and community. The world feels complete again when friends become part of our trail experience.

As we got to the trailhead parking lot a guy jumped out of his truck and offered us bagels, fruit and drinks. He had hiked the PCT last year and was a friend of Speed’s, out to surprise him with trail magic. We swapped stories and enjoyed some fruit and M&Ms (Laurie) and a bagel (Andy) before heading to Snowqualmie Pass for an early lunch.

Word of good food travels fast along the trail and people had recommended the Aardvark many times. It was a permanent food truck at the Chevron Station that is owned by a hiker and caters to hiker palates and appetites. 

Audrey, who is 6 months pregnant, fit right in with us hikers as she ordered the Avalanche pancake – bacon inside a pancake with ice cream on top. 

We shared a beebop, a slightly altered bibimbop, and a burger. Andy helped polish off all three dishes.

Nemo joined us to chat more while we ate. We spoke about the push and pull of towns. When on trail we think about town days and what we’ll eat, but once in town we all crave the quiet simplicity of the trail. 

After raiding the hiker box for more banana chips, we hugged Nemo, said goodbye to him again and headed down to yet another REI. 

All of our gear was functional but Laurie’s new pad was a tad short. Her feet hung off and got cold at night. It was tolerable but since REI wasn’t much out of the way we decided to go and maximize her sleeping comfort.

And really, we had been to 8 other REIs during this trip so why not try to hit them all?!

We exchanged the pads, got some fabric repair tape for Andy’s rain pants and a pair of socks. It was our quickest REI trip thus far.

We went next door to Safeway to buy new Talenti ice cream containers (Laurie left one at White Pass) and really we just wanted an excuse to eat more ice cream.

We finally got to the Burns’ house around 2:30pm, where we met Mollie, Eileen (Audrey’s cousin), and her two children Eleanor and Ronan. 

We are so grateful for the Burns welcoming us into their home. Again, the warmth and generosity of strangers deeply warms our hearts.

We showered, did laundry and played with the kids most of the afternoon.

We gave the huckleberries we had picked and carried for 20 trail miles to Mollie, who insisted on baking a pie.

Tim and Ben came came home from work and we shared an amazing dinner with pie and ice cream for dessert. As the evening air cooled we sat outside sharing stories of backpacking and hiking in Washington. 

We have become intrigued by the mountains and wilderness areas in this state. We would love to come back and climb Mt Adams and hike the Wonderland trail around Mt Rainier. If only we could find a way to make a living by hiking!

We all started to fade around 9 pm. We happily crawled into cotton sheets and continued to attend to items on our to do list.

“No matter what we’re doing and what else there is to do, we’re gonna go to bed at 10pm.” This is the commitment we made to each other this morning. 

And at promptly 11:05pm, we turned off the lights 🙂

Tonight we are grateful for the generosity of friends and their families and for delicious huckleberries.