Day 127

I made it to Canada! After four months and three days my hike has come to an end. Last night it misted rain, a lot like my first night on trail. Around 10:00, the mist turned into fully fledged raindrops that lasted the rest of the day. I was initially planning on spending another night in the woods, but the rain motivated me to get all the way to the Manning Park Lodge in British Columbia. I got to the border around 2:00 and sat there digesting what just happened for half an hour. I still don't really know what to do next, but I'm sure it will work out.

Steps taken today/total: 54,456/5,458,703
Miles walked today/total: 28.39/2,658.91
Elevation gained today/total: 5,099/487,426
Elevation lost today/total: 7,132/461,644

Day 126

Today I crossed the last road in America, Hart's Pass. It's about thirty miles from the border and since the U.S. won't let people enter the country via the PCT, people who go south have to start here, go up to the border, then turn around and go south. Luckily tomorrow after I finish I can cross into Canada, where the nearest road is only nine miles away.

Steps taken today/total: 63,528/5,404,247
Miles walked today/total: 32.13/2,630.51
Elevation gained today/total: 6,137/482,327
Elevation lost today/total: 6,434/454,512

Day 125

I took off through the park this morning, starting a 25 mile stretch that was almost completely uphill. This is the last really long climb left, with one five miler tomorrow and pretty chill terrain after that. About twenty miles in, at Rainy Pass,  I hit trail magic courtesy of two hikers who finished yesterday. They came back down to see people hiked with and give out snacks and cold sodas.

Steps taken today/total: 56,689/5,340,719
Miles walked today/total: 28.97/2,598.39
Elevation gained today/total: 7,965/476,190
Elevation lost today/total: 3,335/448,078

Day 124

Since I was able to do bigger days than I was planning for this stretch I got to the shuttle stop in time to get to the Stehekin post office before it closed. That left me free to enjoy the stellar bakery in town and sit on a dock looking over Lake Chelan. This was the most relaxing day I've had in a while. I caught the last shuttle back to the trail, so I can start at a normal time tomorrow instead of waiting on town for the 9:00 bus. I camped just inside the border of North Cascades National Park, the seventh and last National Park on trail.

Steps taken today/total: 45,655/5,284,030
Miles walked today/total: 22.81/2,569.42
Elevation gained today/total: 3,295/468,225
Elevation lost today/total: 6,176/444,743

Day 123

Today was composed of just two really long climbs with an even longer descent in between. There were also a lot of blown down trees that I had to climb over or around. These blowdowns are trickier than the ones in Oregon since the mountains are steeper here so you can't just walk around them.

Steps taken today/total: 56,355/5,238,375
Miles walked today/total: 28.36/2,546.61
Elevation gained today/total: 8,238/464,930
Elevation lost today/total: 9,200/438,567

Day 122

I think today is the most elevation I've gained in a single day. It started this morning going into the Glacier Peak Wilderness and I just had climb after climb. They were also a lot steeper than most of the climbs I've been having, which slowed me down a lot. I used to average a little over three miles per hour when moving, but I hiked for almost thirteen hours today and only did thirty one and a half. I've heard this section is the toughest in Washington, and today showed me why. However, I did go farther than I was planning and now may be able to get into Stehekin early.

Steps taken today/total: 63,721/5,182,020
Miles walked today/total: 31.56/2,518.26
Elevation gained today/total: 9,243/456,692
Elevation lost today/total: 7,953/429,367

Day 121

I was able to hitch out of Skykomish and get back on trail around 9. Today was pretty boring, raining for ten minutes, but otherwise clear weather. I thought a lot about what it would take to finish on different days, and it boils down to when I can get into Stehekin, and therefore how much I can do tomorrow. I'm hoping to do around thirty to make up for the late start today which would set me up for a finish on the 17th.

Steps taken today/total: 48,357/5,118,299
Miles walked today/total: 25.09/2,486.70
Elevation gained today/total: 5,822/437,449
Elevation lost today/total: 5,711/421,414

Day 120

I got into Skykomish today where I met Jenny, the most hiker friendly postal worker known to man. She let me in to the post office after hours to get my food, then cooked dinner for me and some other hikers who she is letting camp in her lawn. It's a nice break from a tough, rocky section of trail.

Steps taken today/total: 47,786/5,069,942
Miles walked today/total: 24.35/2,461.62
Elevation gained today/total: 6,520/431,627
Elevation lost today/total: 7,056/423,703

Day 119

Today I finished the Goldmeyer alternate, going over the steep and rocky Dutch Miller Gap to get back to the PCT. When I got back on, I saw Lopsong, whom I haven't seen since Mather Pass in the Sierras. He got up to Mt. Shasta then came up to the Canadian border to do the rest southbound in order to beat the snow.

Steps taken today/total: 54,921/5,022,166
Miles walked today/total: 29.78/2,437.27
Elevation gained today/total: 7,643/415,107
Elevation lost today/total: 4,899/416,647

Day 118

I got to Snoqualmie Pass around 12:30 today after passing by mirror lake and going through the rocky descent to the pass. Snoqualmie is a ski area in winter, but now most of the people here are just stopping on their way to somewhere else on I-90. After picking up my food, I started off on an alternate route that passes by Goldmeyer hot springs. I went around beautiful Snow Lake then scrambled down a rocky section of trail that had been erased by a rock slide. After clearing that obstacle the trail entered a forest where just about everything except the trail and freshly fallen pine needles was covered in moss. I found a flat spot on an abandoned logging road and set my tarp up to dry since I think this will be my first rainless night since my first in Washington.

Steps taken today/total: 46,244/4,967,245
Miles walked today/total: 21.29/2,390.66
Elevation gained today/total: 5,420/407,464
Elevation lost today/total: 7,489/411,748

Day 117

Today I met Not Phil's Dad. His son, Not Phil, hiked the PCT in 2009 and every year since, his dad has come out to do trail magic the day after Labor Day until he runs out of food. He said it took four weeks in 2010 and eight days last year for his food to run out. Since I stayed there for quite a while I didn't get as far as I was hoping, but that means I avoided about 1,500 feet of climbing and I'm camped 700 feet lower, so I should have a warm night.

Steps taken today/total: 58,091/4,921,001
Miles walked today/total: 28.20/2,377.44
Elevation gained today/total: 5,621/402,044
Elevation lost today/total: 7,137/404,259

Day 116

It rained for a bit this morning, but it wasn't nearly as cold as last time. I also had the motivation of a cabin 21 miles away where I could dry off if I really needed to. The cabin is maintained by a snowmobile club who use it in the winter. It has a wood stove and a lot of hooks on the walls to hang gear up to dry. Luckily, the rain stopped and I was dry by the time I got there, so after warming up a bit I hiked on and got to camp early.

Steps taken today/total: 54,231/4,862,910
Miles walked today/total: 26.06/2,349.23
Elevation gained today/total: 3,679/396,423
Elevation lost today/total: 4,378/397,122

Day 115

I went into Mt. Rainier National Park today, but the trail just barely goes in as if only to say that it does. After going "through" the park, I got to Dewey Lake, a beautiful fishing spot nestled in the mountains. I went up around the park entrance and camped at Sheep Lake.

Steps taken today/total: 61,755/4,808,679
Miles walked today/total: 30.79/2,323.17
Elevation gained today/total: 5,612/392,797
Elevation lost today/total: 4,222/392,744

Day 114

I woke up above the clouds today which finally let me get a good look at Mt. Adams. As I went around the mountain a came up over a ridge and saw Rainier above the clouds. I then traversed one of the sketchier snow fields I've seen and got to the Knife's Edge, a long ridgewalk towards Rainier. I then dropped down to White Pass where I got some hot food and a resupply box.

Steps taken today/total: 43,375/4,746,924
Miles walked today/total: 22.51/2,292.38
Elevation gained today/total: 4,266/387,145
Elevation lost today/total: 5,826/388,522

Day 113

I slept in today to stay warm as long as I could and left around 8:30. My timing worked out really well for me because eight miles in I got trail magic! A couple and their son were out camping for the long weekend and were making pancakes, bacon, and hash browns for hikers. This definitely turned me around after having a tough day yesterday. Later, I entered the Goat Rocks Wilderness which I had heard good things about. Going up over Cispus Pass, I saw why. The mountains were surrounded by fog that made them look haunting.

Steps taken today/total: 52,866/4,703,549
Miles walked today/total: 28.04/2,269.87
Elevation gained today/total: 3,930/382,879
Elevation lost today/total: 3,926/382,696

Day 112

Today I learned that hiking in the rain sucks. The rain started last night and lasted until around 6 this evening. Being out in it with no respite while the temperature is in the forties killed the circulation in my hands and feet. Luckily, I found a group of guys on an annual backpacking trip who had a nice base camp set up with a fire under a tarp. They let me dry my shoes and socks and warm myself up.

Steps taken today/total: 47,127/4,650,683
Miles walked today/total: 20.51/2,241.83
Elevation gained today/total: 4,508/378,949
Elevation lost today/total: 1,674/378,770

Day 111

I met someone from Nebraska today! Mystery just graduated from UNL also and started the PCT about a week before I did. It was really cool to be able to talk about home with somebody who agreed that the best pizza in the world is Valentino's, but only when it's served in Memorial Stadium.

Steps taken today/total: 59,954/4,603,556
Miles walked today/total: 30.77/2,221.32
Elevation gained today/total: 3,655/374,441
Elevation lost today/total: 4,003/377,096

Day 110

The forest in Washington is different from what I've seen so far. It gets more rain here and a lot of what I walked through today has never been logged so the trees are huge and there is a lot of undergrowth. I also saw some slugs today as long as the space between the tips of my thumb and forefinger. It was more overcast than I've seen all trip but it hasn't started raining yet. However, I did put up my tarp for the first time since before Etna.

Steps taken today/total: 50,798/4,543,602
Miles walked today/total: 26.90/2,190.55
Elevation gained today/total: 6,905/370,786
Elevation lost today/total: 4,740/373,093

Day 109

Around noon we left Cascade Locks and crossed the Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River to get into Washington. As soon as you get on trail there's a sign saying that it's 507.2 miles to Canada. Now it's under 500 and I can't help but think about how little that is. I think back to the first 500 miles and how much it seemed at the time. It took me four weeks to get that far in terrain that is reportedly easier than what's coming up in Washington, but I plan on finishing in less than three weeks. With this said, I can't get ahead of myself. It's still a lot of hiking and I can only get there one step at a time.

Steps taken today/total: 36,167/4,492,804
Miles walked today/total: 19.29/2,163.65
Elevation gained today/total: 5,129/363,881
Elevation lost today/total: 3,870/368,353