#ThrowbackThursday
This is part of a series of journal entries I have made while section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail since 2013 over on Trailjournals.com. I am moving them here to Must Hike Must Eat and updating them with photos (and maybe fixing typos). Look for them on Thursdays or you can head over to Trailjournals.com and read as many as you would like!
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/entry/428686
Destination: Snoqualmie Pass
Today’s Miles: 0
Start Location: Snoqualmie Pass
Trip Miles: 247
I’m not sure if I have mentioned how much FUN I am having, but I am! Today was a ‘zero’, meaning I did no miles on the trail. I woke up, had breakfast at the Summit Inn (okay) then checked out at 11am. My friend Barb was coming to join me on the hike, planning to arrive at 6pm. Hmmm, 7 hours to kill at Snoqualmie Pass. In the summer.
As I was leaving the Inn, previously mentioned hiker Charlie was also leaving. We chatted, checked the convenience store fare (he was resupplying on Pringles and tortillas), and I got some iced tea at the cute little coffee shop at the new DOT rest stop. They sell the most yummy looking FRESH pizza. Then I sauntered over to the Aardvark to wait until noon to try out their food.
I was there for the next 6 hours! Chatted with the locals and Charlie (who kept saying he was going to get back on the trail but didn’t seem in a hurry to do so). Daniel owns the food cart and it was delish and Sheri has lived there for 18 years and gave us the scoop on all that’s going on in town. She even gave me a ride to check out a new hostel that we ended up staying at tonight in Hyak. This is such a cool experience, seeing and meeting people in my own backyard in a different way.
Barb and Phil arrived at 7pm with a divine salmon dinner and we spent the evening at the hostel going over maps. Phil even helped me start moving all my photos (almost 1000 so far) onto Dropbox. This next section to Stevens, Barb is hiking with me. So excited to have a partner to share this with!
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/entry/429537
Destination: Park Lakes
Today’s Miles: 15.50
Start Location: Snoqualmie Pass
Trip Miles: 262.50
We started on the trail @ 6:15, dropped off by Barb’s husband Phil as he headed back down the pass to work. Feeling rested after a great stay at Kara’s Mostel, we started our climb up with a goal of 15 miles.
One of the reasons I love hiking with Barb is her knowledge of all things botanical. It is so cool to learn the names of the flowers and plants I had been seeing on the trail. Barb had a great time taking pictures of some of her favorite wild flowers and it was fun to hear personal stories that went along with each one.
This first day was filled with lakes and views, the famous Kendall Katwalk, and lots and lots of rock. I have to say that was the most uninterrupted rock covered trail of the trip so far. And with the blisters I gave myself during my marathon into Snoqualmie, it was a painful day.
Barb and I had set a goal of doing 15 miles a day so as to reach Stevens Pass by Friday night. We had also decided that we wouldn’t always hike together but set a destination ahead to meet at if our paces were different. I must admit this section of the trail was a learning experience for both of us and had its ups and downs (figuratively and literally). Snoqualmie to Stevens covers about 20,000 ft in climb and 19,000 in decent. Barb and I, also, had to learn how to communicate and hike as a team.
This day was rough as Barb adjusted to hiking a long distance and I tried to learn to slow down. Unfortunately, the day did not end well. It was almost 7:30pm and we were a mile from the place we wanted to be. We stopped for water at a creek and Barb told me to go on to the lake and set up camp. Unfortunately, at the junction for the lake, I went one way and Barb eventually went another. It got dark as I waited for her, making it hard to see the trail and signage. It was very hard to know what to do, I thought I was where we had agreed upon. Do I go look for her or stay where I was? I had no doubt she was fine, she is a very capable outdoorsman, but I had the tent!
After going up and down the trail in the dark calling her name but staying by the junction, I eventually set up my tent next to the trail. If I was in the wrong spot and she was in the right, I knew there would be other campers as we had talked earlier to hikers who were going to by at the same lake. I must admit this was one of my scariest nights so far, hoping I was doing the right thing. It was most 10pm when I fell asleep, promising to get up at first light to find her.
First post: Snuffy’s 2013 Pacific Crest Trail Journal July 20 &21, previous post: Snuffy’s 2013 Pacific Crest Trail Journal Aug 1, 2 & 3. Look to next Thursday for more of my journey on the Pacific Crest Trail!
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