The final push: Mile 2404

Written 8/30/14

Posted 8/30/14

Well readers, we've reached the final chapter of our journey. It's been a heck of a run over the last 3 and a half months, but yesterday we officially left the trail. We decided to go through with our plan of finishing at I-90 near Seattle since it was just so easy to end there and we are both exhausted. 

The Wonderland Trail kicked our butts, leaving us sore, weary, and ready to get back to comfy living. Or to simply wake up and not have to walk 20+ miles with all of our belongings on our backs anymore. We thought we might be reenergized after the loop around Rainier, but it had quite the opposite effect on us. Once we hopped back on the PCT, it was a 70 mile home stretch to reach the highway and we chose to do this in 3 days. We had heard that the section was supposed to be some of the worst parts of the entire trail so we were sort of dreading it. Everyone said it was nothing but burn areas, clear cuts, and roads, which isn't a great way to end things. Much to our surprise, however, we thought it was great! Just more of gorgeous Washington with thick forests, rolling hills, and rainy weather. There were a few miles of unimpressive terrain, but on a whole it was pretty nice. 

We also completed our first 30-mile day which felt awesome. It was so incredibly flat compared to the Wonderland and our legs were feelin' good so we finished all 30 miles in only 12 hours, hiking from 6:45am till 6:30 pm. Getting that many miles in one day was a goal of ours from the start, so we were psyched to do it.  And to not be dog tired and sore and miserable afterwards was a pleasant bonus. It certainly wasn't easy and we have great respect and admiration for those that are able to do days like that for months on end. 

Despite that feat, we didn't slow down any, and the next day we did another 23 miles. It was the last full day on the trail for us, but it turned out to be one of the hardest days for me. I didn't have quite enough food to eat and by the afternoon I was feeling dizzy and exhausted. We still made it to camp by 6pm anyway.  It was a mentally tough day as well because we knew we had to have a big day, but it wasn't quite the last. The finish line was in sight, but we weren't quite there. 

Our last day we tried really hard to enjoy the last 16 miles of our trip, soaking in all the sights and sounds of the outdoors. But once the highway came into sight, it was really just a race to finish. My friends Meira and Kam met us at the pass, and it felt great to kick off our shoes, sit back in the car and take a sigh of exhausted relief.

In the end, we hiked around 1000 miles of the PCT and another 150 miles of side trails and excursions. It falls a bit shy of our initially intended distance, but considering all the unexpected obstacles and changes in plans, we're incredibly proud of what we did. There are plenty of places that we missed that we would love to one day come back and see, but when we recount all that we did experience, that seems more impressive. And more importantly, we got to the end and can still stand each other!!  Our next adventure is already underway, as there has been plenty of wedding talk over the last few weeks. And if that wasn't enough excitement, we still have to find jobs and figure out where we want to live.   Who knows, soon enough we might be wishing that we were back on the trail, where walking and eating are your biggest concerns and life seems a little simpler. 

Wonderland Trail: Days 4, 5, & 6

Written 8/26/14

Posted 8/30/14

Well tonight we finally got back home to the PCT! It's odd calling one trail home while another felt like a vacation, but that is what the Wonderland trail felt like to us... our hike away from home. We finished our 90 mile, counterclockwise loop around Mount Rainier with a bang. The final day was a rough and tough 19-mile hike up and over the Cowlitz Divide which hosted some of the most amazing views of the mountain we had seen yet. Being on the west side of Rainier, we had a clear look to Mount Adams and the Goat Rocks Wilderness, which as you can tell from our last posts and pics was pretty incredible. 

We spent the morning climbing up 4,000 feet from our camp at Maple Creek to the Indian Bar area. The final push was a steep climb up a two mile long staircase; my legs were burning and tired but the views were fantastic!

The day after our last blog post was the 4th day on the Wonderland Trail when we left our amazing campsite at Klapatche. After having completed the entire trail now, I think Klapatche was one of the best camps on the whole loop. It had a great view of Rainier, a lake, and it was up high enough that we could see the sun setting on the horizon. We sat and watched the sunset that night as it slowly disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. It was a hazy evening and the clouds filtered most of the sunlight out so you were left looking at the sun itself, which looked like a glowing red, circular ember. As the sun set,  it looked like a fiery wafer being dipped into a field of grey pudding as it vanished into the oceanic horizon. I think that'll be one of my favorite memories of the whole trip! 

Leaving Klapatche was pretty gorgeous, and when we descended back into the trees we got to walk across the largest suspension bridge I've ever seen! We were probably 100 feet above the raging Tahoma Creek swinging and bouncing across wooden planks tied together on massive cables. 

That evening we camped at Pyramid Creek and were able to set up our tarp and climb just moments before it started raining. We sat and listened to the storm pass us by while we chatted about the upcoming remaining weeks on the trail which was mostly about whether or not we wanted to continue our hike all the way to Highway 20 when we got back to the PCT. We both were feeling incredibly exhausted and sick of backpacking and debated exiting the trail earlier than planned. The beauty of the Wonderland Trail was impressive, but we were not nearly as jazzed about the scenery as all the other hikers. We talked to a bunch of folks on the trail and the conversations would be them saying something like, "gorgeous day today, huh!?!" with us having an underwhelming "yeah" as a response. I loved the Wonderland Trail but it also helped us realize that our enthusiasm for backpacking was dwindling as we started to really look forward to being done. We were not nearly as excited about alpine meadows and gorgeous forests as we were when we started this trip so we came to the conclusion that when we get to I-90 that we'll just get off the trail there and head in to Seattle. That means we have only one week remaining on the trail and the primary emotion I was feeling once we made that decision was a sense of relief. It is time for us to finish and get back to the real world!  Obviously the whole point of this trip was to have fun, and since the miles are starting to feel more like work than pleasure, then that's a sign that we might just be over backpacking for now. 

The next day we had a short 3-mile descent to get to Longmire where we hitched into Ashford. Hitching in a National Park is not allowed, but luckily the rangers at MRNP are pretty lenient about that rule. We got picked up in about 30 minutes by one of the park mechanics in a pick up truck who lives in Ashford. We went straight to the post office to grab our resupply and then were eating breakfast at the Highlander by 10am! I made the mistake of ordering way too much food (again...) and I was really aching when we started back on the trail. Hiking 12 miles when your stomach is so full is not recommended. On our climb up to Reflection Lakes we were walking over piles of hail from the storm the night before. It was interesting to see that the storms had hailed on the south side of the mountain but only rained on the west side where we had camped. Mount Rainier is just so massive that the conditions on one side of the mountain can be totally different than the other!

So after camping at Maple Creek last night and finishing the loop today, we both agree that the highlights of the Wonderland are:

• The east side, Summerland to Indian Bar

• The north side, Sunrise to Granite Creek

• The west side, South Fork of the Puyallap to Indian Henry Ranger Station

Anyway, we're so glad to be back on the PCT again where it's not so darn hilly! 

Wonderland Trail: Days 1,2, & 3

Written 8/23/14

Posted 8/25/14

We made it halfway around the Wonderland Trail so now we're seeing the west side of Mount Rainier and we've only got two more days till we pick up our resupply box in Ashford. The Wonderland has proved to be steeper and more rugged than the PCT has been since we've been in Washington. We're constantly either climbing up, stumbling down, or carefully navigating our way across a river every minute. We're almost the only hikers traveling counterclockwise, apparently it's the "wrong" way to do the Wonderland. I'm beginning to think it's because we're climbing up all of the gradual sides and coming down all of the really steep terrain so it's harder on your knees. 

Our days have been fairly inconsistent in difficulty because our campsite options were limited when we got the walk-in permit. The first full day was an 18 mile hike through some dense overgrown ferns where we ended up doing an extra mile due to a trail closure detour. The second day we had a 9 mile hike up through Spray Park with a huge 4,000 foot climb in the morning. Today we hiked 20 miles over two 2,000 foot ascents and descents. Even our difficult days on the Wonderland aren't so bad because we can still finish by 5pm without feeling overworked and exhausted. Our confidence is building and we're planning to attempt a 30 mile day when we get back on the PCT and into easier terrain.

On Day 1 of the Wonderland we had an amazing bear sighting! It was early afternoon and we were just past Mystic Lake walking through a meadow when I spotted a black bear and her two cubs about 200 feet off to the right of the trail. The mama was eating berries while the cubs were wrestling around and climbing trees. We stood there for about 15 minutes just watching until we decided to press on.

The mornings have been clear skies over Rainier but foggy in the lower elevations. In the afternoons we've been getting threatened by dark clouds and Rainier becomes completely hidden. Usually the clouds break in the evening so we get another view then. Unfortunately most of our campsites have been in dense trees but tonight we're staying at Klapatche Park which is the most beautiful campsite we've stayed at since we started the Wonderland. We have a gorgeous lake full of tad poles and a fantastic view of Rainier. I'm looking forward to the sunset tonight!

Today we got lucky twice with free food on the trail. We met a really nice guy who is cutting his trip short so he gave us a few of his extra treats from his MRE's. I've never had MRE's before but I'm really glad we've prepared our own dehydrated meals and not the army! We ate chocolate pudding, a tube of peanut butter, a cinnabun, some Italian breadsticks, a dense piece of bread, and a tube of cheddar cheese. Stuffing our faces while hiking is a new experience for us and I like it! We also met a really cool girl at camp tonight who gave us some freshly made popcorn! She said ever since she went hiking in Peru she started backpacking with popcorn because the Peruvian guides make it for their clients before dinner; that was such a treat! 

Today has been a very uplifting day which came just in time for us. It's becoming increasingly harder for us to stay motivated because we're getting so close to the end of the journey. Mike and I have been seriously debating if we should end the trip at Snoqualmie Pass instead of finishing the last 200 miles to Highway 20.  We decided to take a zero day in Seattle once we get to Snoqualmie Pass next Friday because we're in serious need of a rest day. That'll make 20 days without a rest day, which is the longest stretch we've gone so far. I think after we take a nice break and hang out with some Seattle friends we'll be reinvigorated to finish our trek!

From Goats to Wonderful: Mile 2332

Written 8/20/14

Posted 8/25/14

The past few days have all been incredible in different ways. Walking through Goat Rocks Wilderness was some of the most impressive and beautiful landscape that we've seen, White Pass was an exceptional rest day, and we've just stepped on to the Wonderland Trail in the foothills of Mount Rainier. 

Not long after went entered Goat Rocks we felt like we had transported back to the High Sierras. We emerged from the dark and mossy Washington woods into alpine fields bursting with wildflowers surrounded by steep rocky peaks. Unlike California, most of the climbs in Washington have ended without any great view, but the climbs in Goat Rocks ended on top of exposed mountain passes that made you feel like you were on top of the world. 

The pinnacle of our climb ended at the top of Snowy Peak which was a steep grueling climb which should've offered unparalleled views of the Goat Rocks Wilderness but unfortunately our clear day ended when we got there. The mountain ridges were engulfed in thick grey clouds which presented its own type of beauty but we would've preferred the unending views. We walked along an exposed knife ridge for 2 miles and the fog was so thick that it looked like you were descending into nothingness.

Despite our bad luck with the weather on top of Snowy Peak, we had clear skies on top of Cispus Pass early that day.

The day after Goat Rocks, we made a quick 15 mile scramble to get into our next "town" stop, White Pass, which was nothing more than a ski lodge and convenience store. Luckily we don't need much to keep us happy, so we decided to get a room at the lodge, sleep in a bed, and treat ourselves a bit. We stayed in a room the was outfitted for a ritzy skier so the rooms were a little nicer than we were used to but we decided to splurge as a post-engagement celebration. The ladies at the store were very sweet and hooked us up with lots of discounted snacks and drinks. This was obviously a small "town" with limited resources but it was only a half mile walk from the trail and it was nice to not have to hitch for a change.

After we left White Pass we did a quick 30 miles through some of the best berry pickin' terrain we've seen yet. Today we left the PCT to start our loop on the Wonderland Trail. We thought it would be tricky to get here since it was a roundabout hitch through a national park but to our surprise the first car we saw snagged us and took us directly to the ranger station. Also, much to our surprise, we got our permit figured out very quickly since apparently walking on to the Wonderland Trail is easier than we thought. So within an hour of getting off the PCT and after one of the rangers gave us a ride to the trailhead, we arrived with permit in hand on the Wonderland Trail. We even got a few miles in and are currently huddled in our tent at Sunrise Camp. We only hiked 3 miles but we've already had breathtaking views of Rainier which looks ENORMOUS!!!! 

We're really excited to make our way around this voluptuous volcano. We're going to have to get used to a few things that are different from the PCT like pit toilets at the campsites and noisy neighbors and crowded trails but it should be well worth it; this trail is supposed to be quite impressive. 

Since returning to the wet woods of the PNW, the mosquitos, that were starting to die down in California, have made an astonishing comeback. They've been driving us crazy and Mike was inspired to write his second poem, Ode to Mosquitos, to express his disdain. We hope you like it as much as Ode to Oatmeal! 

Ode to mosquitoes

O mosquitoes

Cruel, conniving creatures 

Nature's narcissistic nuisances

You unrelenting beasts

On my flesh do feast

Is there no place that you won't bite me?

From my ears to my toes

Arms, legs, and elbows

And even on my eyeballs to spite me

Your high whiny buzz

Leaves me weary because

It's like some form of sleep deprivation

The sound of your flight 

Near my head at night

Denies me any relaxation

For I fear if I sleep

Into my tent you'll creep

And leave me with itchy abrasions

It's not til I swat you

That silence ensues

And gives me total elation

It seems that spreading disease

And sucking my blood as you please

Are your only biological roles

I feel no pangs of guilt

For all that I've killed

Since you're breeding is out of control

You're as sure as the sun

Been with us since day one

I don't know if my sanity can hang on

I yearn for the day

When you fly away

And every last one of you are gone

Big volcanoes and big news: Mile 2269

Written 8/16/14

Posted 8/18/14

Washington is beginning to really live up to its reputation for awesome scenery. Starting around the time that we got to Trout Lake (mile 2237) this has become a phenomenal volcano viewing trail. We spent the last few days skirting around Mount Adams and now the monstrous Ranier is in view and getting larger by the mile.

We were lucky enough to stop in the small town of Trout Lake which is the biggest little town at the base of Mount Adams. We had some really friendly trail angles give us rides to and from the trailhead, one of which invited us to her massive weekly outdoor homemade pizza  party and took us mushroom picking! Unfortunately, we didn't find any mushrooms and we had to decline her offer for the pizza party because we needed to get some more miles in that evening. We did, however, have enough time to grab an awesome breakfast, complete with a Huckleberry-Mimosa!

I traded out my hiking shoes in Trout Lake because the sole was destroyed and the padding the heels was ruined. Mike's dad rush shipped me my old pair of trail runners and I returned my hiking shoes I REI. After we did our errands, drank a quick beer on the grocery store porch, and ate some ice cream, we caught a ride back to the trail and began our hike toward Adams. 

Last night we camped in a gorgeous alpine meadow with a view of Adams from our sleeping bags. We went to bed in a wet tent but awoke to rockfalls that sounded like thunderstorms and sunshine pouring over the mountain as the bad weather finally broke. We finally got everything dry for the first time since we got to Washington and it sounds like we'll have clear skies for the next week! This is good news since we're about to enter Goat Rocks which we hear has some of the best scenery on the PCT. I was in the Goat Rocks Wilderness two years ago after I had first moved to Washington but I wasn't able to get far because of all the snow. I'm really excited to see what I missed out on; hopefully there won't be as much snow this year! 

Other big news today: Mike surprised me by proposing while we were laying in bed watching the sunrise over Mount Adams this morning! He caught me totally by surprise and I was so stunned when he asked "will you marry me" that I was at a loss for words, but eventually I said yes of course! The ring is an incredibly gorgeous and unique family heirloom from his grandmother and he's been carrying it around ever since he left Pullman. He had it sealed in a piece of styrofoam which was duct taped to the inside of his bug net bag hidden well enough for me to not find it for three months. So as of today, August 16th, 2014, Mike and I are officially engaged!!!

Washington's amazing forest: Mile 2233

Written 8-14-14

Posted 8-18-14

After four days of hiking in Washington we still have yet to see the sun unhindered by clouds or fog. We've been waking up to the sounds of dripping water on our tent from all the moisture that collects on the pine trees. It feels like we're hiking in a cloud until about noon when it's warmed up enough to lift the fog away. I really enjoy hiking in the fog in the morning because everything is so quiet and peaceful but it can be a bit eerie when I can't see more than 100 feet in front of me because the fog is so thick.

Last night we set up camp next to Blue Lake and had one of the most windy nights yet. A group of three guys camped pretty close to us and each had a very interesting and unique single person tent design. They were all ultra-light backpackers, as are most of the northbounders who have made it to this point so early. I love looking at other thru-hiker tent systems because we've been lucky enough to try two totally different designs and seen the costs and benefits of both. Our tarp tent has been doing phenomenally well in Washington so far. We haven't had any downpours yet but still there's a lot of moisture in the air and the tarp hasn't collected any condensation because it ventilates so well.

We hiked through Indian Heaven Wilderness area yesterday and it was beautiful! We got a few glimpses of Mt. Adams in the afternoon when the clouds had lifted. 

We were hiking along a ridge that was lined with wild berries and we picked all kinds of different stuff but huckleberries are the most prominent. I love eating wild stuff that we find on the trail, especially when there seems to be a never ending supply of it. We've been lucky enough to be finding some blueberries, blackberries, salmon berries, and thimble berries. Today we found a few strawberries but they were about the size of a pea and not ripe yet. 

We've been seeing a lot of snakes when we walk through the brush, mostly small gardner snakes. When we saw the rattlesnake in Northern California I was frightened but not startled because I could hear it rattle and knew exactly where it was. The snakes in Washington are cruel and sneaky and like to try to scare me. I'm pretty sure they wait until I'm about a foot away and then slither out of the bushes right in front of my feet intentionally to see how high they can make me jump. One snake looked like a small stick in the trail so I was about to step over it and then it started to move. To make it worse, Mike came up behind me and made a slithering sound right behind my ear yesterday! I think I lost three years off my life because my heart skipped a few beats. Oh how I love hiking with a partner...

One of the things that you observe on the PCT is a variety of hiking cohorts. Lots of people set out alone but there are few who stay loners for the whole trail. There are also a lot of people who start with partners, whether it be a friend, significant other, or a family member. People end up traveling in packs of 1-5 people as hiker combinations change and recombine. Since we started this as a couple, we thought we would share some insight into what we've learned for any aspiring long distance hiking couples out there.

We'll start with the obvious, you're around each other 24/7 and there is really no break. It's like a very intense version of living together where you never get to go to work to spend time apart since your job is hiking. Of course this is going to lead to disagreements, squabbles, and fighting but oddly enough we find ourselves bickering at each other more during the town stops than when we're hiking. We think that it's easier to get along on the trail because our attention is focused on common goals and daily accomplishments. It's easy to get along when you're working together and supporting each other, plus you're very aware of the other person's needs because you have open communication. However, as soon as we get into town our communication breaks down and all consideration for the other person's wants and needs goes out the window while you're trying to satiate you're own indulgences as quickly as possible. For instance, the first thing Chappy likes to do is figure out lodging and set his pack down whereas all I want to do is go eat a ridiculous amount of food and drink a cold beer. We've had numerous fights on this very topic even though they're both simple, easy, fantastic options. Despite our anticipation of the town-fight, it reoccurs at every town stop. 

Another sure fire way to get on each other's nerves is how you communicate about your aches and pains. You're going to go through a fair amount of pain and suffering on a long backpacking trip and how you choose to relay that information to your partner is important. There's a fine line between complaining and simply making your discomforts known. I think that it's important your hiking partner is aware if you have some pains, but choose carefully how you word it and how frequently you express it. For example, instead of saying "my feet hurt," say something like "let's stop soon so I can take my shoes off." I think by complaining too much it can really sour the mood of the trip so neither of you are having fun anymore.

Another area of contention for us has been hiking pace and mentality. Some couples like us will stick together throughout the day while others will separate and hike at their own rates until the end of the day. When we first started, Chappy wanted to hike hard and fast for most of the day while I wanted to stop and take more pictures. Also, I hike uphill way slower than he does. This really isn't an easy thing for either of us to cope with because he's frustrated at the frequency of stops while it makes me feel like a slow burden because I can't keep up. Through some trial and error, it took us a while to figure out how long or fast we can hike before stopping to take a break so that we're both happy. We've also realized that it's nice to hike alone for at least a small portion of the day. Sometimes I'll leave our break spot before Chappy does so that I can hike ahead. He'll always end up catching me but at least we'll get to spend a small part of the day alone which I think is important.

I hope these few relationship observations have made it seem less daunting to those aspiring hiker couples because these problems aren't necessarily unique to the trail. Overall this trip has been an eye-opening experience about how we treat each other and how we are able to communicate well enough to solve our issues. 

Back on the trail in Oregon: Mile 2194

Written 8/12/14

Posted 8/18/14

Oh boy it feels so good to be back in the Pacific Northwest! After being suddenly transported from Northern California, everything feels so moist, green, and lush. We've been hiking through dense forests for the past 4 days surrounded by ferns, rhododendrons, and trees dripping with moss.

We had a total of 5 days off since we left the trail in Belden and it was almost too much of a break. Luckily we hopped back on at the base of Mount Hood, which was a beautiful area to get back in the swing of things. We only got to spend two and a half days on the trail in Oregon before we crossed into Washington but it had to rank among the best that Oregon had to offer. We spent the first two days walking around Mount Hood with its peak in and out of sight. In contrast to the scarcity of water in Northern California, the Mount Hood Wildernees is full of glacier fed rivers that are raging. Right now is peak wildflower season so everything is in bloom and the forest floor is alive with color!

There are a lot of off-shoot trails in this section of Oregon that are all well worth taking. Ramona Falls and Eagle Creek are on two such diversions. Coming up to Ramona Falls was pretty spectacular because I think this was the biggest waterfall we've seen since we left Yosemite. The day after Ramona Falls we got to go through Eagle Creek, a 15.1 mile alternate route. Mike and I have both been there previously but we were excited about returning there together. The river-carved canyon has tons of great swimming spots and waterfalls, even one that you can walk behind!

Eagle Creek marked the end of our short visit to Oregon as we finished the day by getting to Cascade Locks. We walked straight to the local brewery, Thunder Island, where a very friendly gentleman bought each of us a beer! The brewery had a great outdoor seating area right on the Columbia River where we watched the sunset.

We heard there was a local trail angle in town that would let us sleep for free in his yard but one of the co-owners of the brewery kindly offered up his place to us so we decided to stay with him instead. Dave is an aspiring trail angle-to-be and we were the first lucky two to stay at his new house which is sure to be a hiker haven someday! He was very hospitable and we even got to make French Toast the next morning! If you're a hiker passing through Cascade Locks, be sure to go down to the brewery and introduce yourself. 

First thing yesterday morning we got to cross the infamous Bridge of the Gods and enter Washington state. It was bittersweet crossing the Bridge of the Gods which was supposed to be our finish line, but now it marks the start of a new adventure. It was fun but scary walking over the bridge because there's no walkway, you walk in the lane of oncoming traffic. Also it's an entirely grated bridge, so you can look down and see the Columbia River way below your feet.

It was 103 degrees in Cascade Locks when we left so the first few miles in Washington were not so awesome. After a quick climb we soon entered the iconic PNW woodlands. We've been surrounded by enormous pines that feel like they're 1,000 years old and create an enchanted forest like you'd imagine in fairy tales. 

With new surroundings come new faces, as we now have an entirely new batch of people to mingle with. Since we're no longer in the back of the pack, we're hiking with considerably more fit, motivated, and serious hikers. All of a sudden, we're not the fastest ones on the trail anymore. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. The only person that we've passed has been a 70 year old man, and even he's right on our tails. Everyone our age does 26 to 30 miles per day and walks insanely fast! It's not really disheartening getting passed because we're still doing 20 mile days which is plenty by our standards, especially since the elevation gains and losses are more reminiscent of the High Sierras. Everyone that's this far north at this point are easily going to finish before the snow hits Washington. Most of these hikers have very light weight packs and resist the temptation to carry luxury items, like a half liter of Cabernet Sauvignon.

So far Washington has lived up to its reputation as it's only our second day and we're already getting rained on. This is exciting since we finally get to test our tarp-tent's rain protection power, however we haven't seen rain since our 8-day stint in the Sierras so we're going to have to renew our tolerance. Everything is already damp here to start with because of the forest's ability to retain moisture so it never really feels like anything is completely dry. I think we're going to feel slightly sticky from now until the day we finish but that's okay. If we start growing mildew we'll hop off the trail to take a shower. 

For the past two days, most of our trail food contained some delicious chocolate treat because we received three different care packages in Cascade Locks. We had to bump some boxes that were sent to Chester so we ended up with a lot of extra goodies. My best friend (sister for all  intents and purposes) Pam shipped both me and Mike a pair of dirty girl gaiters! I've been so envious of everyone else on the trail who has these because they keep the rocks from getting stuck in your shoe. Now I get to be a part of the cool PCT hiker club and not get rocks in my shoes too! 

Mike's mom Barb sent us another box packed to the brim of homemade desserts, this time brownies!! His Aunt Tina sent us a plethora of goodies. We loved the S'mores treats and the crackers with assorted dipping sauces the most. Thanks so much again to everyone for supporting us, it feels so great to know that people are keeping up with the blog and that our friends and family are proud of us. :-)

Portlandia: Mile 2107

We've spent the last 3 days in Portland partly getting organized and mostly gorging ourselves.  Our new plan of action is pretty much finalized, as long as we don't run into any problems with the permit situation.  Today Mikey is giving us a ride to a shuttle that will take us to the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood for only $2!!  From there, we're heading north and getting as close as we can to the Canadian border.  Neither Mike or I have our passport with us, so we wouldn't be able to cross the official finish line anyway, but we can come real close.  It doesn't seem like we'll be especially pressed for time; since we're starting at mile ~2100, this only leaves 550 miles until Canada.  With the 650 we've already covered, that would be a grand total of 1200 miles, 300 short of our original length.  After some research, we've decided to try and hop off the PCT east of Mt. Rainier to complete the Wonderland Trail.  This 93-mile loop will add an additional week of hiking to our trip, and isn't a big detour.  We have to hitch a few miles to get into Rainier National Park, then see how lucky we get attempting a walk-in permit for Wonderland.  It's a pretty highly regulated trail, unlike the PCT.  You're only allowed to camp in designated areas on the trail, with reservations for each night's camp.  We'll be taking a bit of a chance trying for this permit, but if it falls through it's not a big deal to get back to the PCT.  The fire situation in Washington looks pretty clear, except near Stehekin at the end of Lake Chelan in the Northern Cascades.  It's nothing like the CA/OR fires, so we're optimistic those won't close down the trail or cause us any grief. I updated the calendar on the blog to show the new plan, we'll see if it sticks :)

Though it was an unexpected detour, our time in Portland has been great.  We've been able to spend time with great friends who have been very gracious and hospitable.  Mikey and Krista live right downtown, so there has been easy access to food trucks, bars, and Voodoo doughnuts :)  The food trucks are a hiker's fantasy...restaurants on wheels from just about every nationality you could hope for neatly lined up in one city block for your appetites ease and convenience.  So far we've had Vietnamese noodles, wings, gyros, curry, Polish sausage, Thai food, and even a Transylvanian schnitzel.  It's the kind of spread we've been dreaming about since we got on the trail, and they have all been delicious.  We also made consecutive day trips to the infamous Voodoo doughnut shop, which did not disappoint (ohhhhh bacon maple bars.....) and got to witness a Voodoo wedding, which is apparently something they do frequently at this place.  And of course we've been drinking delicious Portland beer.  Thanks for the food circuit tour Mike and Krista!! Sorry we made you be gluttons with us...

We also met up with Grant and Amber while we were here, who wined and dined us while Mikey and Krista were at work.  We had a carnivorous meal of kabobs from just about every type of animal you can think of last night, which was a great way to power up before getting back to work.  We're really fortunate these great people were all close by to help us get over our trail woes and recuperate.  So thank you Portland and Portlandia!!  We're very excited to be back on the trail today and start pounding out these miles!  One more really great benefit of moving north on the PCT is that we'll be a whole lot closer to our Seattle/Pullman people, making the trail more accessible to them too.  It sounds like we might finally get some hiking buddies as we trek through the Pacific NW, which we can't wait to do!!

Since we were in Portland and had such easy access to an REI, I decided to stop in and try to trade out my hiking shoes for ones where the sole isn't peeling off. I bought my shoes 2 weeks before our PCT trip started and they've been amazing! I really do love these shoes, but they're starting to fall apart. Unfortunately, they wouldn't take back my shoes because "there is nothing functionally wrong with them, they've just seen a lot of miles." REI's policy has changed quite a bit since people have been taking advantage of their leniency on returns. I didn't complain or anything, my strategy was to simply look like a pathetic, poor PCT hiker and hope to get some sympathy points. Unsuccessful! I wonder if I had tried to be a little angrier and meaner if they would've taken them back... Anyway, I still picked up a new pack cover because I figured it may be little more damp in the PNW and a garbage bag probably wouldn't cut it. We also grabbed a new trowel because I broke our old one. Yay for new toys!

Anyway, I'm excited to get back on the trail. It'll be interesting meeting new PCTers because we'll be in a different group now. Before this detour, we were sort of at the back of the pack with all the slower hikers or the folks who started late. Now we should be up toward the front of the north bound pack. I'm expecting to be passed by a bunch of people who are doing consecutive 30 mile days while we do our measly 23-mile days.

The world is on fire! Mile 1335

Written date: 8-4-14

Posted:  8-4-14

Oh how our plans have changed. Just when we get momentum going we seem to run into more roadblocks.  Just yesterday morning we were hiking, as usual, headed into the small town of Belden to grab a quick lunch and some milkshakes before getting back on the trail and finishing our hike to Chester. The day before, on the horizon, we noticed what looked like a mushroom cloud that was sitting atop of ridge that we first took to be a large cluster of clouds. As we got closer we realized that those weren't clouds but in fact a large smoke plume. Once we got into Belden we looked up the fire reports and trail closures and found 8 to 10 portions of the PCT that were currently or soon to be closed due to the fires. On top of that, the area we are about to hike into was on a severe weather alert with more thunderstorms and intense lightning strikes eminent. After our last brush with danger in a thunderstorm we decided to play it a little more safe this time around.  And thus a new adventure began.

After careful reconsideration we decided that the remaining part of California and Southern Oregon should be skipped since it might all be ablaze soon. This was a bit heartbreaking to us because there were a lot of great stops and amazing terrain left in California that we had hiked so hard to get to.  But considering that there wasn't a continuous 100 mile stretch between Chester California and northern Oregon where we wouldn't need to reroute, we thought it would be best to move north.

So after arriving in Belden and getting an amazing milkshake and some fried food, we made a four-part, 60 mile hitch up to Chester.  We found a cheap motel where a lot of fellow PCT hikers were staying, cleaned up and stayed the night.  The next morning we caught a shuttle over to the much larger town of Redding where we rented a car to take to Portland.  We're currently driving out of California and on our way to Oregon and should arrive at our friends Mikey and Krista's place this evening.  

They just moved to Portland a month ago but were kind enough to offer up their place to stay and a ride back to the trail near Mount Hood.  We left the PCT at mile 1335 and are getting back on approximately mile 2100. 

It was interesting running into other PCT hikers who are also reevaluating their strategies. Most people were just recently updated on the trail closures and finding out the magnitude of the wildfires.  It seems like the majority of hikers are hitching or finding ways either to Reading or Ashland Oregon which are the large towns on the border of the fire closures. Some are trying to wait them out and continue on the trail; others are hiking around the burn areas where they can.  It's tricky in spots because new fires are sprouting up almost daily and there aren't guaranteed reroutes to avoid them.  One ambitious group of hikers that was staying at the same motel that we were decided to leave the trail entirely, get road bikes, and continue up to Portland via route 101. This sounded like the most interesting option that we heard but we weren't about to buy bicycles.  Redding wasn't a particularly nice place so we were happy to get out of there as fast as we did and are really looking forward to continuing our trek. 

 I think we have a solid plan and although it sucks to miss the portions that we're skipping, we will get to hike through the Cascades now which is awesome!  We're starting at the timberline Lodge close to Mount Hood, so we'll get to do the last hundred miles or so of northern Oregon.  Transporting from the hot desert like climate of Northern California to the wet, extremely green, and mossy Pacific Northwest will be quite a change.  We will also get to walk by Mount rainier and as an offshoot we might try to do the 100 mile Wonderland Trail, which the circumnavigated Rainier. We will likely end near Snoqualmie Pass on I 90, the very pass that Mike and I both drove through every time we were visiting each other in Washington.  This is ironic and kind of fitting, as we will hopefully find a ride back to Seattle from some friends (hint, hint) :).  This new stretch should be about 500 miles, slightly shorter then our original plan, and should take us about a month based on our current hiking rate.

We'd like to thank Amber and Ray for their generous care package that we received this morning.  Although the treats you sent us were meant for the trail they have turned in to road trip food but they are just as delicious in the car. Just a heads up to Barb and Mike's aunt Tina, we left Chester before your packages arrived but we had them forwarded to our next stop at the Cascade Locks so we're looking forward to getting them there.

Although we're excited to be leaving all the smoke which makes it impossible to see anything in the distance, we are sad to be leaving Northern California behind. The last few days of hiking have been hot, hard and dry, but they've had their benefits as well.

  The last few days we've been averaging about 22 miles a day. We really got into our stride and are able to pump out big miles consecutively.  After two 23 mile days in a row we were pretty beaten and exhausted but our spirits were revived upon our arrival to the middle Fork of the feather River. We got to go for a refreshing and cleansing swim in the warm waters and had arguably our best campsite to date.  

Not long after we arrived in Belden and the rest is currently being written.  One last thing worth mentioning was the small town of Belden itself.  In our guidebook, Belden was described as a rave town. We weren't sure what to expect based on this description.  It's a 5000 foot dissent into the town, and once we got on top of the ridge and started our descent we were greeted with the vibrations of bass.  The farther down we traveled the more intense the music started getting and we figured out that there was a music festival currently underway. Once we got to the bottom of the climb we could feel the bass pumping through our bodies.  This was quite a scene to enter as it was a full on hippie jam electronic music fest. There were hula hoopers, passed out hippies and partiers strewn across the ground everywhere, hookahs, and plenty of drug usage. This was sensory overload and the music was terrible so we move through as fast as we could and unfortunately didn't take any pictures. This was an enticing scene for some through hikers, who stayed to join in the festivities, however it was not what we were looking for.

Truckee, the happy accident: Mile 1187

Written July 29th

Posted August 4th

Well friends, our troubles are over. My retainer is out, we're back on the trail, well fed and rested. We had an overall outstanding time in Truckee and although it was an unintended stop, it was far from unfortunate.

Luckily my dental issue is fixed! We stayed in Truckee Sunday night so Monday morning I woke up early to go visit the local dentist offices. I struck out at the first two places I went, but the third office was super friendly and able to fit me in. My appointment was set for 3pm so we got to spend most of the day hanging out in Truckee. We soaked our feet in the hot tub at the hotel for almost an hour while chatting with The Three Stooges, Sunshine, and Vibes. After we checked of the hotel, we walked around town and picked up a book for the trail. We had some tasty Mexican food for lunch and topped it off with a slice of German chocolate cake from Safeway. Delicious!

When I got to my appointment, the dentist was shocked that my retainer had bent while eating ice cream. He cut through the retainer to relieve the tension on the wire and then removed all tooth attachments. After getting rid of the remaining cement and polishing the teeth, he noticed my gums were swollen from the retainer pressing down on the bottom of my mouth. He gave me some floss and told me I need to floss twice daily till the swelling goes down. Total cost: $81. Not as bad as I was expecting!

We just want to stop and recognize how great of a hiker town Truckee really was. It was extremely easy to hitch, and almost everyone we met and talked to had some appreciation for the PCT and its travelers showing us tremendous kindness and generosity. From the moment we got close, we ran into Reno Dave who handed us a free cold beer, received another free beer upon arrival to the ski resort lodge, and had our lunches paid for by the father of a former PCTer. Once we got into town, we got $25 off our hotel room, free rides everywhere, and even an unprompted offer to stay in someone's home. As soon as we came out of my dental appointment, the first passer by offered us a ride to the trailhead before we even got a chance to get to the road and stick out our thumbs. Every Truckee resident seemed very content with their lives and happy to help out some strangers. The town was set up much like South Lake Tahoe, surrounding a recreational lake in the mountains with several ski resorts, only Truckee is much smaller and less touristy. The Truckee residents are really down to earth and appreciate the outdoors. In addition to great people, there was climbing, boating, fishing, hiking, and biking close by. So for anyone driving through I-80, it's definitely worth checking out. We thoroughly enjoyed our short time there and would love to come back soon. 

We really lucked out with our hotel situation since camping wasn't an option. Sunshine and Vibes just happened to be getting off the trail for a wedding, so splitting the hotel room with them not only saved us some money but it was also really fun! This was the first time we had split a hotel with other people. It worked out really nicely and we couldn't have asked for better roommates, we'll have to do this more often!

We had enough daylight left yesterday to get a few miles in back on the trail. After some slight confusion about where the trail began, we found ourselves back on the PCT. We got to walk under I-80 and then made our way into the woods as the sounds of the interstate slowly faded out.

 

This section has been really pretty so far as we made our way through thick, mossy pine forests that feel incredibly old. Today we hiked a 20+ mile day up and down much of the same landscape. Water is becoming a little scarcer, so we're having to be more careful with the amount we're carrying. This will certainly cut into our swimming time but we can handle that. 

We'll be getting into Sierra City tomorrow where we have a couple of packages waiting for us! I love getting mail on the trail :-D