The three days between White Pass and Snoqualmie Pass flew by in what seemed like an instant. Although the trail often passed through areas that had been recently clear-cut, the scenery was not nearly as dull as I had been warned. There wasn't anything to rival Goat Rocks or Mt. Adams, but the trail was clear as it made its closest approach to Mt. Rainier (~12 miles from the base). The weather also held out and continued to provide unseasonably warm and sunny conditions for hiking. At night, I was amused (although often awakened) by the loud buggeling of elk. Bow hunting season had just opened up for elk, so I ran into a number of hunters on the trail asking about where I had heard or seen the animals. Other than being questioned by soft-spoken hunters about the whereabouts of elk, the only other interesting note for that section was hitting trail magic every day. First there was Shrek parked near Chinook Pass with coolers of soda and beer. Then there was Magic Man parked at an unsuspecting dirt road crossing with Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee. I couldn't take many since I had just eaten a decent lunch, but Half Fast downed six fresh donuts so that he wouldn't be trumped by Sunshine - the 11 year old girl who had apparently managed five donuts while passing through just a few hours ahead of us. Finally, there was Not Phil's Dad (the father of 2009 thru-hiker Not Phil, named for his resemblance to Phil Collins) camped out at Tacoma Pass. I was hiking into the night with Red Blaze and Half Fast with the impression that I probably wouldn't even have dinner given the time. Then, just as we reached our campsite for the night, we saw Not Phil's Dad camped out with a pavilion, lawn chairs, propane stove, and multiple coolers. We went from planning to skip dinner entirely to indulging in hot chili dogs, chips, and cold drinks. No wonder my net weight less at the end of the trail was 0 lbs!
Before pulling into Snoqualmie Pass to pick up my resupply package, I pulled ahead of Red Blaze and Half Fast with the result being that I spent a night alone at the creepiest campsite imaginable. I was camped off-trail by the side of Ridge Lake with THICK fog rolling in. It was the quintessential scene from a horror movie, and I was preparing to run at the first sound of Friday the 13th music. At least I had 3G reception since I was so close to I-90 and was able to say a few final words to friends on Google Chat and Facebook. I definitely let technology invade my wilderness experience more and more as I moved northward, but I figured I deserved a break.
Fortunately I slept well without being awaken by ax murders or swamp monsters and was able to pick up my resupply package at the Summit Inn/Pancake House before noon. While browsing through the hiker box, I came across a trail magic container with "magic crystals" (quartz) and an attached story. I thought the story, posted below, was worthy of taking a crystal to defend myself against the onset of snow:
"PCTers,
You must have shown great courage to get this far, PCTer; but there are still many trials ahead before you reach the Golden Trailhead that guards the invisible borderland of Canada where the bravest of you will be greeted by a host of Furry Friendly Monsters, with wings, who will breathe raw freedom into your nostrils and shrink your feet back down to their previous proportion in reward for your hiking from Mexico to Canada...
Frozen fingers, days of 35 degree rain, vicious Wood Elves with a taste for skinny-assed thru-hikers, Bigfoot (and his mother) - all these dangers you must face as you pass through the Northern Cascades, the Sacred Evergreen Jungle that knows no state or nation or beaches...
BUT, never fear!
I, Bookmaker Jake (who made a book on this trail on Sept. 8th, 2011), formerly known as Cashe (who thru-hiked the Trail of Trails in 2006 and met the Furry Friendly Monsters), have some magic for you. The crystals in this NASA designed Tang container aren't any old crystals found in the circus stands of One-Eyed Carnival Wookies - these magical trail crystals were forged from the fiery blasting of we the Crystal Miners of Mt. Spruce - which you could gain access to if you were classified as a Miner, or an Assistant Miner/Human Pack Mule in my case.. Otherwise I am not permitted to say where Mt. Spruce is, other than to say that it's at the Heart of the Northern Cascades... Toothless Brit of the Queen's Empire is still searching for it. The Human Pack Mules, like me, of the Evergreen Jungle make lots of money on field trips seemingly looking for Mt. Spruce. Anyway! My fellow miners and I used all our crystal mining magic to put the purest of pure trail magic in these shiny rocks. They didn't, but I did perform the appropriate dancing rituals with spirits and Pip, Evergreen Jungle Cat In Training, to add a little something-something to keep the snow away for at least another few weeks.
Best of luck to you!
And remember - when all other lights fail you, don't hold your crystal up and expect it to shine. Pray for moonbeams instead. Ha!"
Climbing out of Snoqualmie Pass, everything around me changed in an instant. The second I reached the top of the initial climb, all the day-hikers disappeared, the weather turned south for the season, and there was no doubt that I had entered the North Cascades. I suddenly found myself surrounded by clouds of fog, jagged peaks, and rocky trail lined on one side by a dark rock wall and on the other side by a fog-shrouded abyss. Thick clouds continued to roll in such that by the time I set up my tent, I couldn't even see the alpine lake that was literally a stone's throw away. At least the rain held off until I had my tent set up, and it lightened up enough for me to pack up camp the next morning without getting things soaked. The rain continued incessantly for the next 24 hours and the temperature dropped into the 40's, but I managed to stay warm and dry enough to be happy. Even with the rain, Alpine Lakes Wilderness was spectacular. Rugged terrain, cloud-shrouded peaks in every direction, and dark-blue lakes everywhere I looked - this section was definitely a highlight of my trip. It was also the most physically challenging section since escaping the Sierras. Most of the trail was tightly-stacked switchbacks up and down steep mountainsides. The sections of level trail traversing the bottom of glacier-carved valleys seemed short and fleeting.
On my last night out before Stevens Pass, I got a reminder that the seasons really were changing and that summer was gone. I decided to camp on an exposed ridge at 5,700 feet, and I woke up to freezing winds and a slight flurry of snow. I knew it was going to be a cold morning, but I didn't think my hands would be going numb packing up! At least I warmed up quickly once I got moving- and by 2pm I was warm, dry, and freshly showered at The Dinsmores' Hiker Haven.
The Dinsmores are trail angels in Baring (small town just west of Stevens Pass and Skykomish on WA Highway 2) that host hikers in a garage that's been converted into a hostel. Although the small hostel was jam-packed with other hikers, it was good to catch a break from the weather. I also caught up with Buffalo Jump Sly whom I hadn't seen since he split into Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) in the High Sierras. He was pretty surprised to see me since he was under the impression that I had permanently left the trail when I took time off for my shin splint. Mrs. Dinsmore did my laundry as I watched Golden Eye, and it turns out that my pants were in worse shape than I thought. The back of my shorts were already torn to tatters by the time I finished sliding my way down the Sierra snow-slopes, and another 1,000 miles of hiking hadn't done much to improve their condition. In all her years of hosting hikers, she has never seen a pair of shorts that were as badly torn-up as mine. She wanted to hang them on the wall along with other beyond-destroyed pieces of gear that hikers had left over the years - so I agreed to mail them to her once I had finished the trip.
Before pulling into Snoqualmie Pass to pick up my resupply package, I pulled ahead of Red Blaze and Half Fast with the result being that I spent a night alone at the creepiest campsite imaginable. I was camped off-trail by the side of Ridge Lake with THICK fog rolling in. It was the quintessential scene from a horror movie, and I was preparing to run at the first sound of Friday the 13th music. At least I had 3G reception since I was so close to I-90 and was able to say a few final words to friends on Google Chat and Facebook. I definitely let technology invade my wilderness experience more and more as I moved northward, but I figured I deserved a break.
Fortunately I slept well without being awaken by ax murders or swamp monsters and was able to pick up my resupply package at the Summit Inn/Pancake House before noon. While browsing through the hiker box, I came across a trail magic container with "magic crystals" (quartz) and an attached story. I thought the story, posted below, was worthy of taking a crystal to defend myself against the onset of snow:
"PCTers,
You must have shown great courage to get this far, PCTer; but there are still many trials ahead before you reach the Golden Trailhead that guards the invisible borderland of Canada where the bravest of you will be greeted by a host of Furry Friendly Monsters, with wings, who will breathe raw freedom into your nostrils and shrink your feet back down to their previous proportion in reward for your hiking from Mexico to Canada...
Frozen fingers, days of 35 degree rain, vicious Wood Elves with a taste for skinny-assed thru-hikers, Bigfoot (and his mother) - all these dangers you must face as you pass through the Northern Cascades, the Sacred Evergreen Jungle that knows no state or nation or beaches...
BUT, never fear!
I, Bookmaker Jake (who made a book on this trail on Sept. 8th, 2011), formerly known as Cashe (who thru-hiked the Trail of Trails in 2006 and met the Furry Friendly Monsters), have some magic for you. The crystals in this NASA designed Tang container aren't any old crystals found in the circus stands of One-Eyed Carnival Wookies - these magical trail crystals were forged from the fiery blasting of we the Crystal Miners of Mt. Spruce - which you could gain access to if you were classified as a Miner, or an Assistant Miner/Human Pack Mule in my case.. Otherwise I am not permitted to say where Mt. Spruce is, other than to say that it's at the Heart of the Northern Cascades... Toothless Brit of the Queen's Empire is still searching for it. The Human Pack Mules, like me, of the Evergreen Jungle make lots of money on field trips seemingly looking for Mt. Spruce. Anyway! My fellow miners and I used all our crystal mining magic to put the purest of pure trail magic in these shiny rocks. They didn't, but I did perform the appropriate dancing rituals with spirits and Pip, Evergreen Jungle Cat In Training, to add a little something-something to keep the snow away for at least another few weeks.
Best of luck to you!
And remember - when all other lights fail you, don't hold your crystal up and expect it to shine. Pray for moonbeams instead. Ha!"
Climbing out of Snoqualmie Pass, everything around me changed in an instant. The second I reached the top of the initial climb, all the day-hikers disappeared, the weather turned south for the season, and there was no doubt that I had entered the North Cascades. I suddenly found myself surrounded by clouds of fog, jagged peaks, and rocky trail lined on one side by a dark rock wall and on the other side by a fog-shrouded abyss. Thick clouds continued to roll in such that by the time I set up my tent, I couldn't even see the alpine lake that was literally a stone's throw away. At least the rain held off until I had my tent set up, and it lightened up enough for me to pack up camp the next morning without getting things soaked. The rain continued incessantly for the next 24 hours and the temperature dropped into the 40's, but I managed to stay warm and dry enough to be happy. Even with the rain, Alpine Lakes Wilderness was spectacular. Rugged terrain, cloud-shrouded peaks in every direction, and dark-blue lakes everywhere I looked - this section was definitely a highlight of my trip. It was also the most physically challenging section since escaping the Sierras. Most of the trail was tightly-stacked switchbacks up and down steep mountainsides. The sections of level trail traversing the bottom of glacier-carved valleys seemed short and fleeting.
On my last night out before Stevens Pass, I got a reminder that the seasons really were changing and that summer was gone. I decided to camp on an exposed ridge at 5,700 feet, and I woke up to freezing winds and a slight flurry of snow. I knew it was going to be a cold morning, but I didn't think my hands would be going numb packing up! At least I warmed up quickly once I got moving- and by 2pm I was warm, dry, and freshly showered at The Dinsmores' Hiker Haven.
The Dinsmores are trail angels in Baring (small town just west of Stevens Pass and Skykomish on WA Highway 2) that host hikers in a garage that's been converted into a hostel. Although the small hostel was jam-packed with other hikers, it was good to catch a break from the weather. I also caught up with Buffalo Jump Sly whom I hadn't seen since he split into Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) in the High Sierras. He was pretty surprised to see me since he was under the impression that I had permanently left the trail when I took time off for my shin splint. Mrs. Dinsmore did my laundry as I watched Golden Eye, and it turns out that my pants were in worse shape than I thought. The back of my shorts were already torn to tatters by the time I finished sliding my way down the Sierra snow-slopes, and another 1,000 miles of hiking hadn't done much to improve their condition. In all her years of hosting hikers, she has never seen a pair of shorts that were as badly torn-up as mine. She wanted to hang them on the wall along with other beyond-destroyed pieces of gear that hikers had left over the years - so I agreed to mail them to her once I had finished the trip.
It poured all through the night and was still raining the next morning, but I was itching to get an early start and to finally finish the trail. Fortunately my mom's cousin from Seattle drove all the way out to say hi and give me a ride back to the trailhead - so I was able to get 18 miles of hiking in and pitch camp just as the rain let up. Slowly but surely, Canada was getting closer...
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