Day 98 – 31 km – Friday 02.08.2024
Today I sleep again until 7 a.m. and then take another pleasant shower. Then I pack my things up and around 9 a.m. I make my way to the post office. Luckily my shoes have already been delivered and I can take them with me directly. With my shoes in my arms, I walk to the café and have breakfast there in a relaxed manner.
After about an hour I go back to the motel and try on the new shoes. They leave significantly better than the old ones and are pretty comfortable. Hopefully they will prove themselves on the next miles to Canada. I put the old shoes, which you can certainly wear another 200 miles, in the hiker box if someone spontaneously needs shoes and is the same size.
I leave the motel shortly after 10 a.m. I get an iced tea from the supermarket and while I drink it, I try to adjust my hiking poles again. Since a piece was broken off again the day before yesterday, I’m now on maximum length, even if it’s enough for my size. Hopefully they will still go to Canada and then they have to be in the garbage for better or for worse.
When I finally made it, I finally make my way to the ‘Bridge of the Gods’ to get to Washington. After just a few minutes I reach the bridge and we walk to the other side. There is no sidewalk for pedestrians, so I walk across the border in the left lane. The wind is blowing quite strongly and since the bridge only consists of a grid as a ground, I can see the water flowing underneath me.
After a few minutes I reach the other side of the bridge and I officially arrived in Washington. So only this state separates me from my destination Canada.
After the bridge, it goes briefly along the road and then the PCT quickly turns back into the forest. Washington then greets me directly with a 1400 meter climb, which makes me sweat pretty quickly in the midday heat. My freshly washed shirt is completely sweaty after just a few minutes and in the next few hours I’m going up the mountain more and more. After all, I’ve been out and about in the forest most of the time, which makes the whole thing a little more bearable.
Nevertheless, the climb is very exhausting and I notice how easy the relatively flat sections were in Oregon. Nevertheless, I steadily walk up the mountain. After a few hours I get to the top and at least get a good look back.
At a shady spot, I take a short break and join other Hikers who are just as exhausted from the climb as I am. After that it’s a little easier. The path is relatively flat and I’m making better progress. At the end of the day, things will go downhill for me for a long time. In between there would always be an opportunity to camp, but since I don’t have any more water I have to walk down to the next river. I’ll get there around 6:30 p.m.
I fill up my water and cook my dinner. Since I haven’t seen any mosquitoes all day and I don’t notice any of them at dinner either, I decide to stay overnight in a small square right on the water without a tent. Most of the larger places are already occupied and since I don’t feel like running any more, that’s a good idea for me. I quickly set up my camp for the night and can go to bed shortly after 8 a.m. today. Tomorrow I’ll be waiting for another day with a lot of ups and downs.
Day 99 – 43.1 km – Saturday 03.08.2024
Today I had slept well without a tent. I get up at 6 a.m. and pack my things up. Then I start walking and it goes straight up again.
The path itself is pretty good, but the 700-meter climb is still quite exhausting. Sometimes it goes up steeply and so I’m only making slow progress. It goes all the time through the forest and after the longer climb, an equally long descent follows on the other side.
At a viewpoint I take a short break and then continue down to a river. There I take a lunch break with some other Hikers. After about 45 minutes I set off again because I have another 1100 meter climb in front of me.
Again it’s going uphill for a long time and despite all the many up, I’m not really broken. On the way I get a good view and can once again turn off a fire in the distance.
The climb takes some time and I don’t get to the top until around 5:30 p.m. From there I can see a beautiful mountain.
I talk for a while with two day tourists camping here. Then I descend two miles on the other side to a camp with a water source.
There I set up my tent and cook my dinner. I also meet some PCT hikers, the Sobo (English: Southbound), i.e. from north to south and thus in the opposite direction as I am on the road. I sat down with you and get some information from you about the upcoming route. After a funny evening, I go back to sleep around half past nine.
Day 100 – 48.5 km – Sunday 04.08.2024
I get up at 6 a.m. and run straight away so as not to wake up the others in the camp.
Like yesterday, we’re going through the forest again today. The first few miles are relaxed downhill and soon I will reach a small campsite on a street. Here I sit down at a picnic table and have breakfast extensively.
This is followed by a longer climb, which is not particularly steep and therefore quite easy for me. After a long time I get to the top and the rest of the day it always goes up and down easily. Unfortunately, since some mosquitoes are on the road again today and longer breaks are therefore hardly possible, I continue to walk all day without breaks.
Since I’ve been out and about in the forest most of the time, not much happens. Although Sobos keep coming towards me, I only meet a few hikers.
On a small stream I talk to a Dutchman who has slowly gotten enough of hiking and longs for the end. I also enjoy it less today and I hope that the landscape will soon be a little more spectacular again. I’m still walking through the forest for some time and when I don’t feel like it anymore after 30 miles, I turn off at a camp. From here I can relax 5 miles to the next road tomorrow and take the first shuttle to Trout Lake, which departs on the road at 8:40 a.m.
After setting up my tent, I sit down with other people and have dinner with them. Over time, more and more people are coming and soon all the places will be occupied. We talk until 8 a.m. and then I disappear into my tent to be rested again tomorrow.
Day 101 – 36.9 km – Monday 05.08.2024
Shortly after 1 a.m. it started thunderstorms. Apparently the clouds were very slow as it lasted until the morning hours. So at 5:30 am I get up and pack my things. I’m going straight away and don’t have breakfast.
Today I only go 5 miles to the next road, where I want to reach the first shuttle to Trouth Lake, which departs at 8:30 am. Since I still have almost 2.5 hours, I don’t really have to hurry and walk up the longer climb relaxed.
After about 400 meters in altitude, I arrive at the highest point and from here it is only relaxed downhill. Since I still have plenty of time, I taste the many blueberries that grow along the way.
Shortly before 8 a.m. I reach the street and sat down with other hikers who are also waiting for the shuttle. I still make oatmeal.
The shuttle also arrives pretty on time and then we drive to the small town where there is a cafe and shop for shopping. I have breakfast in the cafe and meet Gonzo, Hudini and Marsupial, with whom I sit down to eat. After that, I buy food in the shop for the next few days and put everything in my backpack. I drink another coke, eat a burrito and get the latest news about the current fires. Then it’s time again to take a shuttle back to the trail. Luckily I can still get a seat in the car at 12 o’clock and so I’m back on the trail after almost 4 hours.
Since more than 20 hikers have been brought back with two cars, the first few meters feel a little like on the Camino.
To get out of the crowd, I run very quickly, although it goes straight uphill for a long time. After a few minutes I left most of the people down and can walk upstairs. In total, there are once again more than 700 meters in altitude that I have to deal with on this climb. Since I only broke open with half a liter of water and there is no source to the other side, I have to walk to there. Despite my heavy backpack (full of food for three days), I’m making good progress and soon reach a flatter section at the top.
From here it is only slightly uphill before I finally arrive at a small stream. Here I fill up my water and drink a liter directly on ex. After that it always goes briefly up and down and soon only downhill.
Next to me I get a good view of a beautiful mountain and in between I have to cross a river. Luckily there are a few very thin tree trunks that hold my weight well and so I can get to the other side with dry feet.
It goes on downhill and soon I will reach a few free places in the forest. First I’m thinking about going a little further, but since the hunger is so big, I’ll eat something first. When I ask a few Sobo Hikers about the campsites on the next few miles, I am told that many are already occupied. So I decide to stay here and finish the day after just 22 miles.
While I’m eating, other people come along and soon all the places will be occupied here too. After the meal I brush my teeth and write a diary. Then I read a few more minutes, which I haven’t done for a long time and after a relaxed day I go to sleep.
Day 102 – 42.3 km – Tuesday 06.08.2024
Today I get up again at 6 a.m. and have breakfast. After that, it’s already a little downhill again in the forest. The path is easy to walk and so I cover the first few miles in a short time.
Again and again I meet Sobos today, who appeals to me on the fire behind me, since the route has now apparently been closed and they are looking for a way to leave the trail. Apparently I was just lucky to pass the section before the fire got too big. I also see the closure on a street and somehow it feels strange to come out of this blocked area.
Then it’s on through the forest, which I now enjoy less. After all, I’ve only been walking through the forest for almost 3 days and rarely have a good view. The many mosquitoes that attack me again today don’t do the whole thing any better. I’m slowly longing for a little variety and after arriving in Canada. I’m more or less trotting around, although it’s always gently going up and down.
In the afternoon I get a longer climb, which at least leads me up a bit. This gives me a better view and can see mountains and the smoke from the fire behind me.
It continues steeply uphill and soon I will cross the tree line. From here I have a beautiful view and my mood increases immediately. It continues to a pass where I take a break and enjoy the view in front of me.
Then it continues in a dreamlike landscape. My motivation is back and I’m happy about the nice day, even if the start was a bit tedious. So it’s exactly moments like these that persuade me to hike and always amaze me.
I walk a few more miles happily, fill up my water on a stream and talk briefly with a German, whom I met for the first time yesterday.
After that I walk a few hundred meters to a camp. On the way I get another look at the mountain and I see the clouds of smoke, which have meanwhile become significantly larger.
At the camp I cook my dinner and enjoy the peace and quiet in my seat. For the first time in days I’m alone in a camp and that although it’s a very nice place.
Day 103 – 36.8 km – Wednesday 07.08.2024
I get up at 6 a.m. and have breakfast. In the morning the path leads me straight up. First briefly through the forest and then over smaller meadows. The view is a bit clouded by the smoke of the fire, but I still really like it.
In the ascending morning sun it goes up over snow fields.
At some point I turn onto an alternative route to climb a small peak. It goes steeply uphill.
At the junction to the summit I leave my backpack and climb the last few meters without weight. After a last climbing unit, I reach the summit, from where I have a fantastic view of the surroundings.
Here is a panoramic view:
Below me I can see many hikers running the official PCT and skipping this peak. Once again I ask myself why, but at least I can enjoy the view in peace.
After that I descend over scree for a long time and return to the PCT. From here it goes fantastically and both to the right and to the left of me it often goes steeply downhill. So finally I’m back in the mountains and enjoying the hiking very much.
Again and again I stop to take pictures and videos. After the last few days in the monotonous forest, today it looks like a paradise.
This is followed by a longer descent and then again a long climb. Half of me take an alternative route again and thus reach a lake that I have completely to myself. I wash my clothes and go for a swim. With the warm temperatures and after the long climb, the cold water is really good.
After the extensive bath, I go up again and then really relaxed downhill for a long time. First over scree along the slope and then through the forest.
After a few hours that pass pretty quickly, I’ll reach a street at the White Pass again. Here I turn off and follow the road to a small shop. Actually, a package from me should have come here. Unfortunately, since it didn’t work out, maybe also because of the fire, I’ll probably have to use the hiker box again. I find some things about the food and add a few little things from the store.
The rest of the evening I sit with other hikers before we pitch our tents in a place behind the shop and go to sleep around 8 a.m.
Overview
In fact, I’ve already reached the last section of my trip. After the longer passages in the forest, I am happy about the beautiful mountains in which I can currently be on the road.
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