Day 149 & 150: F-U-N

(Mile 2594 to 2620 = 26 miles; Mile 2620 to 2641 = 21 miles)

Tomorrow, if all goes well, we officially finish the PCT.  151 days.  2669+ miles.  Meanwhile, the weather has been great and the scenery stellar while the trail is just a smidge easier than it was a few days ago.  Washington has not gotten soft, but it has been getting more and more fun.

 

2600 miles, baby!



A happy fall morning.  I still love it out here.



Yesterday, we did 26 without too much struggle and were in camp before 7:30 PM.  Today, we only did 21, but that was because we had some of our best, most relaxing trail magic yet and opted to stop a little early and stay with a group.  Stryder and Jack Flash are camped with Maddog, Gumby, and me.  We chatted over dinner and have all just settled down for the night.  Complete silence over camp by 8:30 PM.  We are WILD.

Trail magic today was brought to us by Chuck, Gondo's dad, and Chris and Gauge.  Yes, Chris and Gauge appeared one last time on trail!  Chris decided to come up and hike the Harts Pass area--which is absolutely gorgeous--and it worked out that Gumby and I were in the area.  Lucky us!  And, if she decides to take it--and it sounds like she has--Chris got a trail name from Maddog.  "Where's Chris" since she appears all over the place on the Trail, and you never know where she'll be next.  It's a perfect fit.  I was trying to come up with something along that line, but didn't have anything with a ring.  These two both happened to be at the same campground and teamed up for some spectacular and relaxing trail magic.  It was just the thing. 



"Where's Chris?"  And Gauge.



And so it has gone the last couple of days.  Everything has fallen right into place.  Perfect weather, perfect trail, perfect views, perfect company.  The trip is ending on the best of notes.



If you look hard, you can see our trail on the left . . .



AND, as advised by Wired (Thank you!), I spent the first part of today in my head, reflecting on my trip.  It was the perfect morning for it, and it happened without my thinking about it.  I watched the sunrise as I climbed a mountain and breathed the crisp fall air as I marveled at the yellow larches, my mind a million miles away yet present at the same time.  It was just I needed and wanted.  I could not have planned it any better.



THE Cascadia track.  We all follow these.  The most popular shoe on Trail!



Tomorrow...I cannot actually believe that it is coming.  I am excited, though I know that tomorrow I will be incredibly sad as well.  A part of you does not want this to end, does not want to say goodbye to the people, the lifestyle, or the Trail.  We have identified as PCT Thru-Hikers for months.  For months, this has been our entire life, and for months before that it was our obsession.  We love this.  We love the PCT.  We love each other.  This is going to be harder than I thought, isn't it?  Well, we'll find out.

  

The moon as we hike on.



A perfect way to wrap up our trip.