On 9/3 we did 19.8 miles to Snag Creek and slept at 1,430 feet. On 9/4 we did 26.6 miles to a reliable spring and slept at 3,556 feet. On 9/5 we did 22 miles to an unpaved jeep road and slept at 4,137 feet. On 9/6 we did 23.5 miles to just after Riley Creek and slept at 5,878 feet. On 9/7 we did 24.2 miles to Walupt Lake Trail and slept at 4,964 feet. On 9/8 we did 23.1 miles to Hidden Springs and slept at 5,556 feet. On 9/9 we did 14.2 miles to Pipe Lake and slept at 5,197 feet. On 9/10 we did 23.7 miles to Sheep Lake and slept at 5,760 feet. On 9/11 we did 26.0 miles to a small spring and slept at 5,053 feet.
On 9/3 we crossed the Columbia River and entered Washington State. I have several friends in front of us who all posted amazing pictures of them crossing the Bridge of Gods into Washington. SketchPad and I happened to cross the bridge on Labor Day Saturday and, with no shoulder on the bridge, we were just happy that the increased traffic on the bridge did not hit us. The weather was fitting for everything we heard about Washington State as we entered it on a cold dreary day. We spent our first day climbing out of the Columbia River Gorge into the fog and clouds.
As we were leaving Cascade Locks, OR we ran into a bunch of friends who were just arriving in town. It was a great to see them and we ended up not leaving town till mid morning because we were catching up. It was sad to say goodbye because the reality is they will most likely not be able to catch us again since there are not enough miles or town stops left to run into each other.
We took a spur trail on 9/3 to find a flat camp spot and I left my poles on the PCT with a note saying we were up on the side trail since I had a good idea my friend was behind us. Sure enough, we woke up in the morning and Frizzle was at camp! Frizzle and I hiked the last 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail together in 2015. She started the PCT only 3 days after SketchPad and I, but it took her nearly 2,200 miles to catch us because of a series of adventures and misadventures. It was great to see her and the three of us took off down the trail together.
Washington is known for a lot of things: rainy weather, steep terrain, big mountains and BERRIES. Its hard for us to make big miles in Washington since we are always stopping to eat. We are surrounded by blueberries, salmon berries, thimble berries and huckleberries (say huckleberry as fast as you can with a slight southern draw and you will sound like a local). Our lunch spots are dictated by berry patches and we have gotten very good at picking berries as we walk. I am still trying to figure out how I can incorporate this new found skill into my resume.
I thought the clouds and welcoming party to Washington, but the state threw another surprise at us as it poured down freezing rain on 9/5. We were soaked to the core the second we got out of our tent. We packed up in a haste and took of down the trail. I put on every layer of clothing I had and still had a hard time keeping warm. We only stopped to collect water, other than that we had to stay moving to keep warm. It was a major wake up call to what Washington can dish out, as we were in the southern part of the state in early September and will make our way to the Northern Cascades later in the month when it can have much harsher weather. The rain never let up through the day and as we got closer to camp we dreamed of a campfire and comfort. We setup our tents underneath Mount Adams, when a couple of section hikers showed up. These section hikers were out for a week to have fun in the back-country and brought everything including camp chairs and saws. I would normally make a snarky remark about the amount of gear these weekend warriors had, but they were able to cut some branches from underneath the fir trees that were still dry and were able to start a raging fire. They invited SketchPad, Frizzle and myself over to the fire. I sat on the ground and one of the hikers went to get a chair for me to sit in, I told him I had been sitting on the ground from day one, but he wouldn't have any of it and gave me a seat. While a chair and a fire was a more than I could dream of, he also gave us fine bourbon and a cigar to share. We sat in the now drizzling rain trying to dry out our clothes, and enjoying the high life as we paid for the kind services with stories of the trail. I have to say we got the better end of that deal.
As we climbed elevation it became apparent we were back in the mountains when we could hear the elk bugling as we went to sleep. SketchPad got an early start to the day on 9/8 and actually ran into an elk on the trail. Elk are not nearly as graceful as deer and she said it sounded like a bulldozer crashing through the woods as it ran away.
We entered Goat Rocks Wilderness later in the day. Goat Rocks certainly gave the High Sierras a run for its money. We came over a pass and out of a cloud bank entering a basin surrounded by jagged spires. We walked in awe along columnar basalt towers and in the distance could see mountain goats grazing. We climbed over a few more passes as we crossed high mountain streams and waterfalls towards the Old Snowy Detour. The Old Snowy Detour had us climb straight up a talast slope, giving us some of the finest views on trail. We could see Mt. Ranier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens (what's left of it) and the knifes edge trail which will have to hike along to get off the ridge. It was a particularly windy and cloudy day, allowing the mountains to be visible for a minute and then in the blink of an eye they could disappear from the cloud cover in front of them. We spent an hour up on the detour taking in all of the sights before we headed down the knifes edge. On our way down we realized we were higher than all of the mountain goats and I have to say if you are higher than a mountain goat, you are doing something right.
Crossing the Bridge of the Gods to Washington
An old PCT marker
Samson-the-Bear, Frizzle and SketchPad in Goat Rocks
SketchPad with Ranier behind her
What most mornings look like
Telling lies and drying out.
Couples picture in Goat Rocks, so nice to have a third hiking partner so we don't always have to take selfies
Knifes Edge, the trail follows the ridge line down
Contemplating the important things, like what's for lunch?, Oh yeah the same thing it always is.
Frizzle and SketchPad
Coming down knifes edge
So happy it's dry and sunny with Rainer in the back