Day 137 - Cascade Mountains Experience

Mile 2411.3 to Mile 2432.3 - 21 miles

The Cascade Mountains were always going to be one of the highlights of the PCT & they just keep throwing up stunning views. Before the drop down to Waptus Lake these mountains scowled down at us

The day was about switchbacks with two up & one down with 3000 foot changes in elevation. It had been a bad night for condensation but luckily we had enough sun to dry out our gear.
The blowdowns were a problem for the first few miles. There's a trail under there somewhere

After the first climb we could see the way north - the trail visible under the ridge line

We dropped to Waptus Lake and traversed the top side before disappearing up Spinola Creek valley mid picture at the top

We're camped half way up the climb to Cathedral Pass next to Cathedral Rock. It's cold but hopefully the forecast rain will stay away.
25 miles planned tomorrow before we drop in to Stevens Pass for a resupply.....Weta

Day 136 - Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Snoqualmie Pass to Mile 2411.3 - 20.7 miles

The PCT (& Washington) pulled one out of the hat today with our hike through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Think about Swiss or Austrian Mountains & you will get the picture - real "What Will Do With The Lonely Goat Herd" country. Spectacular. Grand. Awesome. We were late away from Snoqualmie Pass with a 10.00 am start with the climb out all in low cloud. Once it cleared around midday it was all on (no wonder there were so many day hikers out). From our lunch spot you can make out the trail underneath the mountains

Frost, Digger & Tiptoe enjoying their lunch

After topping Alaska Mountain we looked down on Joe Lake with Huckleberry Mountain in the background - the trail snaking along this side

We passed 2400 miles (250 to go) before climbing up to the surrounding Chikamin Mountains to work around the watershed of a river down below. Before dropping in to the next valley you could look back to Joe Lake

On the other side Park Lake was set in pristine surrounds

The trail then dropped down in to the valley below 3 Queens Mountain

The 6000 foot in climbing & rocky shale like trail made progress slow & I didn't hit camp until 8.15 pm with my headlamp guiding the way over a horrendous section of blowdowns. A great day though.....Weta

Day 135 - A Nero in Snoqualmie Pass

Mile 2388.4 to Snoqualmie Pass - 2.2 miles. Distance from Mexico - 2390.6 miles

I awoke to a sodden everything this morning after a night of intermittent rain. That wasn't the problem though - it was the condensation in my single wall Six Moons tent from all my wet gear. I'm lucky that my One Planet sleeping bag is damn good so I was at least warm. I jammed it all in to my pack & was in Snoqualmie Pass by 9.00 pm. It's a ski resort that has all the services including the Summit Inn which was base for the day. The skifield was laid bare without snow

The resort sits next to the busy Interstate 90 but in the walk up to the Inn I got this neat shot of the angry clouds about

The surrounding peaks of the Cascade Mountains were also moody with clouds swirling around

The rest of the day has been spent trying to dry out gear, sorting my resupply through until Stevens Pass & cleaning body/clothes etc.
With about 260 miles left its starting to feel a bit surreal that I actually might get there. It will be interesting to see what emotions I will grapple with as the border approaches....but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves....Weta

Day 134 - Autumn Arrives - Part II

Mile 2364.7 to Mile 2388.4 - 23.7 miles

Phew - a tough day up here in Washington. It was a repeat of yesterday but much colder and a lot more rain. We'd slept okay with a few showers & awoke to low cloud again. But this quickly turned to rain and remained with us all day. When I could get a view it was mainly forestry country again. But after Yakima Pass the last 10 miles had some pretty gnarly trail high in the Cascade Mountains with some interesting looking terrain - what I could see of it anyway through the clouds.
I've camped solo tonight as Tiptoe, Muffin & Pacer got way ahead of me & I didn't think I'd make what I thought was their camp before dark - I discovered later that they had gone all the way to Snoqualmie Pass to escape the wet & cold in the Inn there. I'm only 3 miles short of that so will make it for breakfast in the morning.
I had my phone/camera safe & dry in my pack all day so relied on my old school maps instead of GPS.

The maps have way points which I used to plot where I was - this section included us going over a railway tunnel. The way points are in the top right hand corner & the PCT is the red line.

We also walked under a number of high voltage power lines & boy , were they humming & fizzing big time in the rain!!

The night here is punctuated by the rumble of the nearby busy highway as people head away for the US Labour Day weekend....Weta

Day 133 - Autumn Arrives

Mile 2344.5 to Mile 2364.7 - 20.2 miles

1st September & instantaneously we have autumn. We awoke to low cloud & misty rain meaning a tardy start to proceedings. The cabin verandah proved a smart choice by the sounds of the grumblings from my fellow hikers

The view from my spot spoke volumes

So most of the day was spent in low cloud with a reprieve around noon only for the rain to set in at about 2.00 pm. I arrived at camp at 6.00 pm & luckily for5 a break in rain to allow tent construction in relative calm.
So not much to report with the trail snaking its way through commercial forestry country. I got the bejesus scared out of me around lunchtime when a low flying military fighter jet roared directly overhead in the cloud at only about 200 feet. Its another 20 or so miles tomorrow before we hit Snoqualamie Pass for a much awaited nero.....Weta

Day 132 - A Glorious Day's Hiking

Mile 2317.9 to Mile 2344.5 - 26.6 miles

We had everything today. A beautiful morning with some gorgeous trail that had us high up on ridges. Then in the afternoon we had low cloud that made everything eerie that eventually turned to rain.
The morning however was special with the trail heading up and over a number of passes - Chinook Pass, Sourdough Gap (the toughest), Bear Gap, Pickhandle Gap, Crown Point, Blue Bell Pass, Scout Pass, Bernard Saddle, Hayden Pass, Martinsen Gap, Louisiana Saddle, Rods Gap - you get the idea of what the route was like. The views were to die for although Rainier was unfortunately hidden behind heavy cloud from mid morning.
This is Chinnok Pass from Sourdough Gap

 And from Sourdough looking the other way, Tiptoe is checking her GPS

Looking back up at Scout Pass near where we saw more mountain goats

We also passed the Crystal Mountain skifields on the opposite ridge

The trail up here in Washington is beautifully maintained including this impressive foot bridge at Chinook Pass

The day ended however with me in full wet weather gear for the first time for rain since Warner Springs at mile 109!!! The target for the night was Urich Cabin (one of the few on trail) which seemed inviting. One step in the door changed my mind as it was stifingly hot so I slept on the verandah where it was dry & bearable - even if the mice were friendly.
On a sad though I got an email during the day with the news an old running buddy from Whanganui had died. Those who knew Duncan McKenzie never had a bad word to say about him. A personable & chirpy battler, he was loved by all. The Wanganui Harrier Club will have a hole in its ranks that will be difficult to fill without the wee man around. My condolences to the McKenzie clan.....Weta

Day 131 - Washington Keeps Delivering

White Pass to Mile 2317.9 - 25.4 miles

After a morning locked away in trees & only the 2300 mile way point to show for it, the trail went ballistic in the afternoon. A solid climb of almost 2000 feet put us back up on a ridge with the result being this view of Mt Rainier

Rainier is one serious lump of rocky real estate at 14,411 feet. It's massive & towers over everything in its vicinity. The trail was interesting all afternoon with great views of Rainier & also the rocky mountain tops that we were in

We also got glimpses still of Mt Adams poking its peak over the nearer Snowy Mountain & Goat Rocks.
We've camped at a cloudy Dewey Lake with the prospect of rain in the next 3 to 4 days.....Weta