Day 140 - A Tough Day In The Cascades

Mile 2471.4 to Mile 2495.7 - 24.3 miles

It's hard work up here in Washington with another 6500 feet of climbing today. The weather overnight deteriorated  & we got a lot of rain. However once we started, things improved with the cloud lifting around us slowly. The rain was replaced by a bitterly cold wind but I'll take it. The day was a series of ridge hopping with way points like Grizzly Peak, Wenatchee Pass, Saddle Gap (or Gap Saddle which would also work), Cady Pass, Wards Pass, Dishpan Gap & Indian Pass where we are camped - just inside the boundary to Glacier Peak Wilderness. We had some tricky rocky slopes to negotiate in the morning - the trail peaked over the gap at top right

The mountains to the east started to look interesting

At days end we camped at the base of the imposing Indian Head Peak

The trail has been jaw droppingly gorgeous all day with sweeping views. The next two days look to be promising as we sidle up next to Glacier Peak.
I mentioned Grizzly Peak before. We are in Washington so there is the remote possibility of bumping in to a grizzly bear or wolf. I wish to see neither thanks.
In Washington we have had toilets placed at some campsites. The decor is entirely natural as you can see

We go through 2500 miles tomorrow with currently 154 miles to go to the border....Weta

Day 139 - Rain. Rain. Rain.

Mile 2454.2 to Mile 2471.4 - 17.2 miles

Having been lucky to camp in the dry the night before we were awoken during the early hours by the pinging of the rain on the tent. By 7.00 am Tiptoe & I had packed out sodden tents, setting off in full wet weather gear. It was coming down felines & canines as we trudged up & over a couple of gnarly climbs on the way to Stevens Pass. Climbing in full wet weather gear usually has you wetter on the inside as you sweat away...this was no different . We eventually descended through Stevens Pass ski field & over the Cascade Railway Tunnel to reach the lodge at Stevens Pass

It soon became a magnet for hikers looking for coffee & somewhere to dry out gear

After collecting our resupply & catching up with Coppertone for the final time, we set sail at about 2.20 pm. Many of our fellow hikers opted for bailing to nearby Skykomish or Leavensworth to seek refuge.

While the rain relented for a few hours around midday it started again at about 3.00 pm. We are in our tents listening to Washington rain doing what it is good at. Let's hope for a reprieve tomorrow - 179 miles to go.....Weta

Day 138 - Cascades Keep Us Honest

Mile 2432.3 to Mile 2454.2 - 21.9 miles

You may have noticed that our mileage per day has been pegged back a bit. A combination of less daylight hours, colder weather & High Sierra like terrain has meant much tougher going. We had over 7000 feet of climbing today alone & that can take it out of you.
The weather sort of behaved today. After overnight rain we left under leaden skies which slowly cleared to sun mid morning. But by early afternoon we were back in the clouds again.
This was the view from our campsite of Cathedral Rock - the Pass is to the right

Looking back down from Cathedral Pass you can see Deep Lake - we were camped to the left.

The deer continue to be unfussed by human contact with this animal happy to pose

After climbing Deception Pass then Piper Pass we gazed down at the gorgeous Glacier Lake

Our last climb of the day was a gnarly ascent of Trap Pass where we climbed 700 feet in 1/2 mile with the view at the top of the ultra blue Trap Lake

Soon after we went through 2450 miles....less than 200 to go.....Weta

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