(Mile 2515 to 2538.5 = 23.5 miles; 2538.5 to
2564 (minus 5) = 21.5 miles)
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| Sunrise! Before we got socked in.... |
That is Washington. Talking to us.
Taunting us. Testing us.
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| About to get socked in. Pretty, eh? |
These last two days have been difficult, to say
the least. Yesterday was downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill. The
last down and up were five miles a piece and into and out of an icy fog.
We got to camp at 9 PM last night. And we didn't even do our 25 miles.
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| Gumby on the old PCT route near Suiattle River. FUN. |
A late night put us at a later morning this
morning and a 2-mile "old PCT" route had us scrambling over trees and
log crossings, trying not to lose trail. There were floods in this area
in 2003 and 2005 that took out a handful of bridges. An official new
trail opened in September 2011 with a brand new bridge. And 5 extra
miles.
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| Creek crossing with High Life. Water can be pretty powerful... |
It is supposes to be gorgeous, the new route,
but we don't know. We opted for the old, abandoned, overgrown
route. And we were treated to an adventure! Halfmile calls the new
route the one for purists, but I say a purist would take the old route!
It was a highlight of the trip for me. Three creek crossings, two over
slightly sketchy downed trees. And then heaps of downed old growth to
make your way up and over and under and around. I felt like I did when I
was a kid, trekking through the woods and swamp. Banged, bruised, and
filthy with twigs and needles everywhere, but happy as can be. I remember
one of my girlfriends declining an opportunity to try portaging a canoe by
saying that she was delicate, "like a flower." And I suppose
she was. But not me. I love portaging (even though my boat is like
trying to maneuver a 75 lb, 17-foot bullet over your head through the
woods). And I love stomping through the woods, balancing on logs, and
swinging on branches, trying, all the while, to keep up with the boys (Maddog
has been traveling with us!). I hurt like hell (two days of mountains
climbs mixed with landing leaps from logs and twisting the heck out of my
ankles has kicked my butt), but I am happy.
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| Gumby before our 5 mile descent and ascent. |
This is NOT an easy finish, this last week or so
in Washington. With the mileage we are all trying to make, I would say
that this is actually one of the most difficult parts of the trail. And
at a time where we would like to be excited to finish, excited to cruise on in
to the end. But there is no cruising here. Crawling is more like
it!
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| Interview with a marmot! |
