Amazingly, after all the schedule disruptions, it’s been over a month since I’ve tacked a section of trail solo. For some family reasons, I needed to stay close to home, but did have a 5 day stretch to do a section of trail, walking back towards my ‘home’ crossing at Snoqualmie Pass, just 30 miles from home. Many times in many seasons I’ve done some walking on the PCT north from that location, but not once in all my backcountry life had a touched a single mile of this 70 mile stretch to the south. In fact, I’d always looked down on this stretch as ostensibly the most boring stretch of the Cascades in Washington. Certainly, it does not have the alpine grandeur and cragginess of the Goat Rocks to the south, nor pretty much all of the mountain country to the border north from Snoqualmie, But yet again, I found beauty I hadn’t expected, small and large and another reminder not to write-off wonders of the natural world, which I clearly never tire of, just shy of a half-century into this life.
Ashley dropped me back off at Chinook Pass on a Saturday afternoon and hiked the opening 4 miles with me (and with Aspen too!) We passed by Sheep Lake about 2 miles in, which was as crowded as Seattle’s Green Lake in the summer. But just a mile further up towards Sourdough gap, the crowds were thinned and a mile further, it was back to peace. We stopped for a late lunch and then bid farewell, with my goal to cover 70 miles in 70 hours for a Snoqualmie Pass Sheryl Crow conclusion of this leg with Ashley! It would mean two of the longest days yet on trail, a fun goal close to home. This first night was a push towards dusk and not surprisingly, the best campsite for miles in both directions was packed in with a Tramily who had been traveling together for a loooong stretch back I think to Chester CA, where I was nearly 2 months ago (except these folks hikes about 500 miles I’d skipped and will go back to later…). It was a classic Vesty Besty scenario with tents basically overlapping in the small site (another thing fairly unique to the PCT, being both remote with few other humans around and then packed into small spaces at breaks, or camp). I continued for a bit and found myself a flat space a quarter mile off trail at the border of forest and burned forest. I had forgotten about the Norse Peak fire that really fried most of this wilderness area north of the Crystal Mountain ski area in 2017. It was a beautiful mystical sundown with an owl swooping right over my tent and the full moon rising!
I woke the next morning thinking: could this be the day for my first trail marathon? I had 56 miles to go and theoretically could knock out almost half the distance in a day, depending on how I felt. On the way, I knew I’d be passing the main landmark and in this section: the Mike Ulrich cabin. It was as named for a Forest Service ranger from the 50’s and sat on the edge of the vast ‘Government Meadow’. It was a pretty spot, but the PCT chatter was all about ‘DONT DRINK THE WATER!’ Apparently poor fecal hygiene left the water tainted with norovirus, something that backcountry water filters usually don’t ward against. As usual, hard to tell how much was real vs imagined but the state of the pit toilets there was enough for me to put at least 5 more miles in before filtering water. As I was leaving the cabin, there were a couple ORV folks walking down. Often the dirt bikes (or snowmobiles in winter) can bust the forest vibe, but these guys were awesome. Chatting about the trail and offering a midday beer (and even more importantly, offering to take the used cab back out!). Just more great human interaction with all sorts along the PCT!
I didn’t stop for lunch until 18 miles in. It was about 2pm so another 8 miles seemed reasonable. However, just another 3 miles along I decided to take a side quest to the summit of Blowout Mountain. Again another place I’d never heard of and was just majestic! Also on a beautiful midsummer evening with 360 views south to Mt Rainier and a huge array of Central Cascades peaks, especially the jagged Stuart Range, a vista that always brings me great joy. I made the spur decision to call this camp, at barely 5pm. 21 miles was not a bad day either and I basked in the warm sun enjoying a lingering dinner. This of course is what I love in my PCT journey, giving up some distance in exchange for embracing a beautiful campsite and keeping a few more hours to just BE.
The next morning I felt surprisingly good after 35 miles in 2 days, with the same amount to go. So, today seemed like the day for the trail marathon… I still enjoyed a leisurely camp breakfast and so no early start for me (9:15 was fine). But I did push hard for 12 hours and substantively made my goal! I was nearly out of light at 9:30pm and had a flat spot by the trail, so 25.5 miles it was and my all time high! A bit humorously and reflective of the range of experiences on the PCT, there was some trail magic at Stampede Pass (18 miles in for me this day) where there were 10 people who all knew each other well, and me… They’re whole crew was one that had only skipped Sierras/Tahoe so we’re some 1,500 miles in with a Campo start in late April. I was closing in on 900 miles, no small accomplishment, but it was funny to listen to the chatter. My 25 miles, all time high after 4 months was this crew’s average, usually somewhere between 20 and 30. I get so much joy listening to these sessions. There was one guy who shared his final melted block of chocolate that has been a Snickers/Twix//Resses conglomeration purchased in Ashland, OR, about 600 miles earlier! Then there was the anti SoBo vibe mocking anyone going south. Of course all with a sense of humor (in part because many flipped to go south as part of this years Sierra skip! I enjoyed my Busch Light courtesy of the Magic host Ghost and then banged out my my last 7.5 miles!
Now the next morning, my legs (knees, ankles, hips) definitely felt the three days so I was pretty happy to have just 11 miles left to Snoqualmie Pass. Now this section was amazingly beautiful and so fun to stroll a trail I’d never touched so close to home. Past Mirror lake and the quirky spot called Rockdale. The trail actually formally crossed under the Summit West chairlifts – the typical ski traverse back to the lodge after the Thunderbolt run, where I largely learned how to ski – wild! (or Wildside as the chair is called). Ashley met me for the last mile and then we were first to arrive at Dru Bru, 15 minutes before it opened at noon. This has become another legendary PCT spot and so fun to share with some of the people I met this segment and my old friend from childhood Mirromont days, Gregg Sargeant, was able to join after his days meetings wrapped up since he lives just a couple miles away. Another childhood friend was also visiting and it was a beautiful blend of yesterdays friends and those of us working on a half century!
I basked in the glow of 70 miles in 70 hours and then just a short 30 min drive home. Next up, back to Santiam Pass in central Oregon where Ashley, Whitney and I will resume another northbound trek, shooting to make the annual PCT Trail Days event in Cascade Locks on August 19th and 20th!