Day 66 – Damn the Torpedos

I finished uploading the last blog at midnight last night, but I did not feel tired when I turned out the light. I slept lightly, waking often for no reason. It is always this way in town. I just can’t get comfortable. My best sleep lately has been on the trail.

I get out of bed at 6 am because I just can’t lay there any more. On my map I look at the campsites between here and Steven’s Pass. I come up with a plan to get to the pass in five days and four nights. The plan involves two big-mile days at the beginning and three shorter days at the end. I feel more relaxed. I call the inn in Skykomish and book a room for Tuesday night. My confidence level rises.

Making due

I used to think I was the kind of person that tolerated uncertainty well. Lately, I am not that person. I call Patti as I finish packing my food into my food bag and then into my pack. The weather forecast has come true. My run of good fortune has ended. It will rain off and on for the next three days on the trail. It is raining now. If it were only one day, I might wait it out. But not three. Just go, Dave. Go.

Do you remember Sonia, the lady who took me to White Pass in her Suzuki? Before she drove off, she gave me two strips of KT tape for no reason. I use them today after watching a tutorial on how to tape a knee for patella tendinitis. It helps.

Rugged trail

The section I am starting today is supposed to be beautiful and difficult. The hike starts with a 3000 ft climb to Ridge Lake. This section is rocky. Some people like rugged tread. I don’t. I spend all my time looking for a place to step, and then I look up from the trail only occasionally. This is not my style. I want the trail to be easy so I can look around without tripping and falling down the mountain.

I get so attuned to difficult trail that I start choosing the difficult path rather than the obvious easy one. Check this out. In the picture below, you can go straight or right. It’s obvious, go right. The trail is clear and easy there. But I go straight instead, because I have been walking through a difficult stretch where there are a lot of rocks that look like the ones on the left. Some trail people who made the same mistake even piled a bunch of dead branches there so folks won’t go that way. I just stepped over that stuff!

Oh well, I get off the trail and don’t realize it until the trail became like an overgrown cow path. I retrace my steps until I see where I have gone wrong, then I record the spot for future generations.

A lot of the trail is cut into the side of these rock fields. It’s not so bad.

What I hate most are slate fields like the one below. The rocks are between the size of a deck of cards and a toaster. Often it is not easy to find the trail until you look ahead to find the slight depression in the slope made by the trail. Can you see the trail?

Gorgeous views

But despite all my complaining, the views really are magnificent. Since the weather forecasters have ordered rain for three days, a flotilla of clouds has descended from on high and are looking for things to rain on. A lot of these clouds are moving between the mountains.

There are dozens of people enjoying the trail today. A group of women are hiking up to the “catwalk”. It’s a kind of mini “knife edge.

I come face to face with my first marmot. They are sort of like a mountain beaver. They also don’t seem very afraid of people.

Alpine Lakes

This section is known as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. It is a popular destination for local folks looking to backpack for 4 or 5 days.

The views of these lakes is really stunning

Camp

The last of these photos is the lake at which I camp. There are several camp sites in that clump of trees in front of the lake. Here is what the lake looks like from my quilt.

Today has been challenging because of the rain. This is not one of those warm rains we get in Florida. This rain is cold and coupled with the 58 degree mountain wind, can chill you.

In camp I cant get warm. I try to eat and do all my other chores quickly so I can get in my quilt and get warm. My feet are wet and stick to my quilt. I can’t put socks on because I need my feet to air out (get dry). My clothes are another matter. My shoes and good socks are soaked. There is no way to dry them before tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes.

I wear my fleece and my raincoat to bed. This makes me warm. And then I am overtaken by sleep. I can’t even finish writing. Tomorrow I need to hike 20 miles to get to the next pass on time. If my feet hold up, it should be fine. Getting out of bed will not be easy though. I hope I sleep well.

These discomforts are part of this adventure. I accept them. But once in a while, I can’t help but think about my own bed, and the snuggle partner I have had for 34 years. November is a long ways away.

• August 6
• Starting mile: 2394
• Ending mile: 2408
• Daily PCT miles: 14
• Total PCT miles: 1036
• Animals: 3 marmots