Road Walk Grand Finale

After five months of walking through the mountains, ending our hike with 100 miles on a highway felt totally ridiculous. So we played the part!

The road warriors included hikers from four countries, spanned three decades, and bridged two language groups. Our route roughly followed highway 97 through the Okanogan Valley, a gorgeous agricultural area in a rain shadow, teaming with apples and pears ripe for the picking.

Walking on pavement was tough on our bodies, but we weren’t in any rush so we took 5 days to complete the 100 miles. Along the way, the local community and the surprising number of long distance hikers that live in the area supported us in the most beautiful of ways. The local papers picked up our stories (albeit somewhat erroneously) and the community responded generously.

Apparently we're the "protesters" coming through the county

I don't really know what she's talking about...but the photo is great! :)

Deleware Dave, a 2013 hiker recovering from an injury, drove a support car that enabled us to complete this section without full packs on, which would have wrecked our bodies on such a hard walking surface.

Splash and Dash heard about us on the PCT Facebook page and took us in for two nights along our way, preparing an amazing dinner and making us feel at home in the valley.

Delicious meal with Splash & Dash

The "official" 2013 PCT alternate alternate trail, at Dash's house

Broken Toe, a 2013 hiker who finished before the storm hit, brought us home with him for a night in Omak:

Two 2012 hikers drove out from Wenatchee and found us on the road to offer magic:

Notice the 2012 hikers on the right are still wearing their Brooks Cascadias!

Frosty and Goldilocks visited us twice with trail magic, including iced coffees from Starbucks!

A woman from the Colville Indian tribe brought us a woven strand of sweet grass, used in their tribe as a protection for travelers:

And local apple farmers offered fruit and words of encouragement. 

I was, once again, blown away by the generosity of time, spirit, and energy from strangers. It was such a surprise to us all to find that the element of magic still exists so far from the PCT. I think in some way it made the transition back to real life more palatable, because I was able to see that the spirit of the PCT stays present beyond the hike.

On our final day we accidentally crossed into Canada while posing for pictures at the border. Our car was still in the US (since we wanted to walk all the way to the border) but the Canadian officials apparently take the 49^th parallel quite seriously. After much confusion and a lot of waiting in the Canadian border security office with balloons (read: Detention Party), we were able to go back for the car.

The only semi-group shot we got at the border before being seperated by international boundaries

Moments before we were "detained" by the Canooks

Detention Party!

And we're free!

The next day we drove to Manning Park, the end of the PCT on the Canadian side, and hiked the 7.5 miles back to the international boundary on the PCT. It’s at a low elevation, so there was no snow to contend with. At the border we took pictures, drank champagne, ate our final meal of dehydrated beef stew, and celebrated with a victory dance.

Winter Wonderland

Our foray into winter wonderland was short-lived. We left Stevens Pass with 8 days of food, hoping

that the snow wouldn’t be as deep as predicted. It was deeper. After six hours of slogging along, gaining about 1200ft in elevation, we had only progressed 5.5 miles (our usual pace is 3mph). It was painfully obvious that the snow was too deep, the upcoming terrain too steep, and our progress too slow to safely travel the 100 miles to the next road crossing.

While disheartened about the conditions, we were all enjoying the beauty of the snow-covered landscape. It was still snowing for much of the first day, mist was drifting along the craggy cliffs above us, and the hillsides were totally transformed. One of the most beautiful aspects of this trip has been witnessing the changing weather, changing seasons, and changing environment day in and day out. There is beauty in the transitions--walking into the Sierras from sea level, watching spring turn to summer in the mountains, being surprised by an early mushroom season after the August rains, sensing a coming fall in the crisp night air, and then this: the forest in his winter coat. The bear prints in snow. The disappearance of trails and signage and all things that man uses to make the woods his summer escape. Winter erases the imprints of our seasonal presence.

We decided to camp in the snow next to Valhalla Lake and called a conference in our tent to discuss our options. Continuing on had been ruled out. We didn’t have the skills, knowledge or equipment for a 100-mile winter expedition in these conditions. Heavy on all of our minds at the time were the many PCT hikers caught in the storm and now overdue. Two had just been rescued by SAR helicopters. Rescuers were out looking for two more: Rocket Llama near White Pass and Taka, somewhere along the stretch we were attempting to hike. Three more friends of ours were still out in the storm (in their running shoes and shorts) somewhere north of Stevens Pass.

Making the decision to turn around and walk back to Stevens Pass was sad but it wasn’t a difficult choice. We all knew that we didn’t have a viable alternative.

Back at Stevens Pass the following afternoon, we ordered mochas at the ski lodge and started checking in with the 100+ other hikers waiting out the snow at Snoqualmie, Stevens, and Stehekin (the last 3 towns along the PCT). We thought we could hitch to Chelan and continue walking along some lower-elevation trails that would eventually lead us to the border, via Ross Lake. Other hikers had started to try this route. Much to our dismay, we then learned that the low elevation trails (which passed through a National Recreation Area) had been closed in the government shutdown. Hikers were turned away and even threatened with arrest when they tried to enter. Many of our friends, only 30 miles from the border, had to end their thru-hikes at that point. Now our alternate route was ruled out.

I was really depressed when we hitched back to Seattle and landed at my aunt’s house again that day. It

looked like our thru-hike was over, only 10 days from the border, after 160 days of hiking. There wasn’t any closure. I wanted to sleep in my tent again, feel the morning air again, walk for a few more long, spacious days.

Three days later, after far too much Netflix and beer, we came up with an alternate alternate plan: road-walking the last 100 miles to Canada! This is the notice we posted on the PCT hiker’s Facebook Page:

Hey PCT HIKERS!

Do you like sunny weather, costumes, beer, car camping, and MAKING IT TO CANADA??!

Join us for a road walk adventure from Chelan to Canada and fulfill all of your thru-hiking dreams. We’ll be taking scenic highway 97 on a 4-day extravaganza to the Canadian border at Osoyoos. From there, we’ll drive to Manning Park and hike in for the long-awaited monument photos. The weather along the route looks fantastic (sunny, mid-sixties) and the costumes will be wild.

If this sounds like the perfect way to end your epic summer adventure, come along. Timing is flexible, we are hoping to depart from Chelan early next week. That gives you plenty of time to put together your costume!

So give us a shout if you want to get down. Any and all PCT hikers are welcome to join us. Can’t wait to see y’all in your finest costumes and celebrate the end of this long walk with….a long walking party!

Cheers,

Dance, Focus, Skidaddle & Kitten

Waiting out the storm...

Snowing on Surprise Gap

Winter came early. It was September 27^th and we woke up to a dusting around our tent at Deception Lakes, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness south of Stevens Pass. It was already snowing at higher elevations but we didn’t know. From Deception Lakes to Stevens Pass is 18 miles and crosses two passes above 5000ft. We packed up with frigid digits and started climbing towards the first pass. It was a beautiful sight: not left over snow from last year, but a sprinkling of soft, fresh powder on all of the trees and under our feet. We were alternately sweating through our rain gear on the climbs and then

freezing on the descents. Focus and I, like most thru-hikers, wore running shoes and the snow on the trail was freezing my toes by nearly direct contact through the mesh. It was impossible to stop for more than 5 minutes without becoming too cold. Luckily I knew this section of the PCT from my days as a Forest Service wilderness ranger and I remembered a hidden trapper’s cabin set about 500 meters from the PCT with a woodstove where we could warm up. We hightailed it to the cabin, no stops. Once inside we lit candles, stripped off all our soaked clothes (it was raining below 4500ft) and put on our wool underlayers. I made soup and a series of hot drinks and we put a tape in the ancient cassette player that I remembered from my college summers. I was grateful for the opportunity to take a real rest during the day because the fast pace that we kept to stay warm was exhausting. After an hour we donned our wet gear and headed back out. The standing pools of frigid water in the trail immediately froze my feet and it took nearly an hour of walking to warm them up again.

Trappers' Cabin

We made it to Stevens Pass around 4pm and set about hitching a ride west to Skykomish, WA.

Hitching in dark raingear in the pouring rain was a tough sell to the cozy drivers of dry, heated cars that flew by at 60mph. We finally managed a ride and only had to listen to a 20-minute lecture on some wacked-out ideas about the afterlife in exchange.

By the time we got to Skykomish it was nearly dark and we had a full list of chores to do before our departure early the next morning: drying out wet gear, laundry, grocery shopping, dinner, showers, and for me the 30 minute weekly process of de-dreadlocking my hair.  We were so focused on our tasks that we forgot to ask the overarching question: should we even be hiking out tomorrow? The weather forecast was dire. It looked like record amounts of rain and a high chance of snow at elevations above 5000ft. Ignoring this for the moment, we resupplied food and turned our tiny room into damp, smelly fort of tent components, sleeping bags, and ground sheets hung from every possible angle. Rations for the upcoming 5 days blanketed the bed. While burgers were ordered downstairs I called my parents to check in. My dad reads daily weather reports like a good book over coffee each morning, so he had a much more clear idea of what this storm looked like. The asked me about waterproof boots and gaiters, warm jackets and heavy mittens. You know us thru-hikers, we don’t carry any of that “extra weight”! I had to agree, though, that leaving Skykomish underprepared with a chance of 10 inches of snow coming to enter a 100 mile stretch with no road crossings seemed like a bad idea. They convinced us to wait a few days until the storm passed, giving us the opportunity to get some good boots and warm gear in Seattle in the meantime. Bummed out but not totally without hope, we called my Aunt Judi who graciously agreed to pick us up in Skykomish the next day and bring us to her house in Seattle.

REI basement trying on boots

The next morning as we ate breakfast in the crowded downstairs cafe, a local Trail Angel recognized us a thru-hikers and came over to our table to scare the begeezus out of us. Without hearing our plan she basically told us that the season was over, bad luck, come back next year. She looked us in the eye and told us that 90% of the hikers who were waiting out the storm in Stehekin were quitting the trail (80 miles from the end) and that 90% of the hikers at her house were also going home (turns out later that neither was true…). She told us a story about a hiker lost for 19 days in the snow in 2012 (it was actually 9). She asked if I wanted my parents to “pull my body out of the snow next April.” I started crying, thanked her for the concern, and skipped breakfast to take refuge in our smelly fort room. I understand her desire to knock some sense into ambitious, goal-oriented thru-hikers that are so close to meeting their long sought-after goal. I resented the scare tactics and misinformation, though.  

Judi came to retrieve us at 11am in torrential downpours. We swung by the Trail Angel’s house and picked up Skidaddle and Kitten, too. For the next 3 days we checked the weather incessantly, dropped crazy amounts of money on warm boots and winter gear at REI, scanned maps for exit points out side trails, consulted with friends who knew the terrain and had winter travel experience (thanks Andrew McDavid!), and watched closely to see if other hikers were making a move. Not a peep.

On Tuesday we decided it was time to go out and see the conditions for ourselves. We packed 8 days of food, planned for snow, and headed back to Stevens Pass. At 4000ft, Stevens looked like this: 

So close we can taste it

Brief view of Jefferson

Made it to my second home—Seattle! We’re 5 months and 2400 miles into this trip with only 250 miles to go but it’s not going to be easy going. Sounds like the snow has started falling above 6,000ft in WA and we are in for an weather adventure here in the homestretch. I’m up early this morning worrying about storms, losing the trail in a blanket of white, and the prospect of not quite making it. We’re heading back out this morning and all we can do is keep walking north with our fingers crossed.

First chanterelles of the season!

The PCT in the NW has continued to surprise, delight and challenge us during these last weeks. Between the INCREDIBLE trail magic that my friends and family have provided on this stretch and the outstanding show of mushrooms that line the trail, we’ve been living the good life. Our first stretch from Silverton (Santiam Pass) to Timberline lodge on Mt. Hood was full of chanterelles, stunning views, and our first real storm as we went around Mt. Jefferson. We didn’t have the best timing—the wind picked up right as we got above treeline and the relentless hail and lightning hit us while we navigated the scree fields and snow patches north of the mountain. We were literally running from one stubby

At Timberline with Cream Tea!

bunch of alpine trees to the next between thunder, just hoping to make it below treeline again without getting nailed. The storm abated early in the evening though, and by the time we got to camp that night our rain jackets weren’t even wet anymore. The next morning it poured again and we learned the hard way that staying in the tent “just until the rain stops” isn’t going to get us to Canada, so now we just deal with the wet mornings and the soaked gear as if it were any sunny day in the desert. Ahh, the Pacific Northwest at its finest.

At Timberline we were greeted by an old friend of Focus’ who showered us in delicious food and positive energy. We car-camped that night right in the ski area under the chairlifts and it was beautiful. The next day it was all miles as we pounded our way off Mt. Hood down to the Columbia Gorge. It was a quick stretch, and on the second day we took the Eagle Creek alternate trail by Tunnel Falls and a million gorgeous swimming holes. For anyone who lives in the Portland area, I strongly recommend this as a day hike or weekend backpacking trip.   

On Wednesday the 11^th we crossed into Washington via the Bridge of the Gods. Much different than our entry into OR in the middle of the woods, the bridge has no shoulder so we’re schlepping our packs among commuters and tourists in SUVs. I think the toll booth man intentionally held up traffic as we took pictures in front of the Welcome to WA sign.

The next few days were all about the

mushrooms. Focus is as excited about chanterelles as I am and our pace slowed to a crawl as we spent countless hours wandering aimlessly in small circles as only mushroom hunters can do. Between the fungi and the blueberries it’s a miracle we made any miles at all. But the eating was good and the weather was too so north we wandered.

White Pass, our next stop, was 150 miles north of the WA border. To break up that long, uphill stretch from sea level back into the Cascades, our good friends Candie and Steve Schmidt graciously agreed to bring out a resupply box for us half way (driving all the way from Olympia to do so!). Well, I won’t get into too much detail about the mess I created, but suffice to say that I gave them directions to the wrong trailhead and sent them on a wild goose-chase up Forest Service roads and by countless PCT junctions. Focus and I sat at a trailhead 21 miles away, my stomach in knots, because I knew that I’d messed up but they were by then out of cell phone range.

 
That day was a comedy of errors, everyone in the wrong places at the wrong times, missing each other by mere moments on a series of gravel roads. At one point, while Focus was out with an elk hunter looking for Steve and Candie, I sat in a ditch by the highway and must have looked pretty miserable because three cars stopped to see if I needed a ride, help, or a granola bar. At 7:30pm we were finally all together and Steve and Candie just rolled out the RED CARPET for us: hamburgers on the grill,

Skidaddle with one shoe

beers, treats galore, foot rubs, folding chairs, a sun shower, and the most delicious chocolate torte this girl has ever tasted. I went to bed still feeling guilty that I’d messed up our meeting so much, but also with a full belly and a happy heart. It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized I’d left my hiking poles in their car when they left…just icing on the cake!

From there we walked around Mt. Adams and across glacial creeks. Skidaddle caught up with us and promptly lost a Croc shoe in a wild river crossing. Without my poles, I searched around for two long sticks and decided to leave my running shoes on before wading into the freezing water.

Focus’ birthday was on the 16^th and we celebrated with a 23 mile walk and some canned tuna. Ha. It wasn’t a very festive birthday, I hate to say. But we DID have a campfire and more delicious chocolate torte (from Candie and Steve) right before it started to rain and we ran for our tents. Unfortunately the Goat Rocks, which we’d been looking forward to for hundreds of miles, were surrounded by a dense fog as we ascended into them. The

ridgeline was steep and the trail must have been hard because it took us 4 hours to walk 5 miles through that section. It’s definitely a section of trail that I’d like to see in good weather, but the swirling fog was beautiful in an eerie way, too.

At White Pass, my extremely supportive roommates from Seattle, Evan and Jordan, set up the most amazing glamour-camping (“glamping”) experience for us. In their recently restored Westfalia VW van we spent a night living like royalty. They
 
cooked amazing meals with chanterelles in cream sauce and other fancy things. We had a roaring campfire, music, and lots of stories to swap. Onya, their Great Dane who I love and missed like crazy this summer, was just as sweet and cuddly as ever. In the morning we had a FEAST of a breakfast and spent the whole day living the good life before saying goodbye and hiking north that evening. Spending time with Evan & Jordan reminded me of my Seattle life and how excited I am to be back.

From White Pass we cruised north in a stretch of nice weather towards Mt. Rainier. Stephanie Schmidt met us near Chinook Pass with my poles, a warm sweater and lots of other treats. That night we camped on Dewey Lake and all around the lake we could hear the elk bugling through the night and into the morning. It was a wild, eerie, and somehow beautiful soundtrack to the place.

Steph at Dewey Lake

Stephanie camped out and even hiked most of the next day with us. It was such a novelty to have a guest along! Instead of walking alone, we all walked together and dug up riddles that we hadn’t all heard a million times. Fun day!

Right now I’ll just go out on a limb and say I’m the most spoiled PCT hiker in the world. After so much love & trail magic up to this point, what happened at Tacoma Pass just blew my mind. Two friends from Seattle, Andrew & Erin, had written to say they wanted to meet our there.

Urich shelter

When I showed up after a long day of walking in the drizzle, I was surprised by not only Andrew and Erin, but Bethany, Denny, Emily, Andi N, Alissa, Lindsey, and Andy P! My people!! They poured out of packed cars with so much food and drink and treats we could have stayed for a month. I was so surprised and excited to see all of my dear friends that I cried a little, ha, and probably couldn’t put a full sentence together for a half hour. I’m sure Focus and Skidaddle were surprised when they showed up to the pile of food and the tent city erected around the campfire. Erin had even made a cake with our mileage written on it—such a PCT thing! We had such a great evening around the fire, catching up on each others’ summers and staying up WAY past hiker-midnight. In the morning there was a campfire and coffee and an amazing breakfast and Andrew and Bethany even came out walking with us in a torrential downpour.  

My people!

So man oh man. The PCT in the NW has been nothin’ but love for this girl and her walking companions. We’ve been so well fed that Focus is evening gaining weight again after losing 32+ pounds from his already skinny frame on this walk. I, on the other hand, never had the “weight-loss” problem of other thru-hikers, and just because everyone asks, I’ll tell you here that I’ve actually GAINED weight while hiking the PCT. Am I bragging? Maybe a little. :)

Now we’re cozied up at Aunt Judi’s house in Seattle. We’ve been eating well, lounging around, and gearing up for this last wintery stretch of trail. We all blew hundreds of dollars at REI yesterday on more layers and last night we went out square-dancing which was maybe rough on sore feet but oh so good for the soul.

It’s Canada or bust at this point. Next time you hear from me it will be post-PCT, whether we make it all the way to Canada or end up bailing somewhere between here and the border. Either way, it’s been one hell of a season.