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!!!