Day 68 – Water Sports

For the second day in a row I could not finish writing before it just got too late. At 10 pm I put my phone down. Lying there on my back I began to dream. By some magic my truck had been shrunk to the size of a Matchbox car and thrown into a lake. I jumped off an embankment into the water to save it. At that moment something happened to me (in the awake world) that woke me up immediately. Something crawled up my shoulder and then quickly jumped off and ran past my head and out of the tarp.

I can recall so vividly the way the little hands (paws) grasped the fabric of my fleece as it climbed up. I don’t know why it happened. And I don’t know why it left, but it really bothered me that this rodent (I assume) could be so bold.

I retrieved my headlamp from my pack and shined it in the direction it ran. Then I lay there waiting for it to return with murderous thoughts in my head. I lay there listening and occasionally turning the lamp on, but nothing appeared. I would have killed it with my bare hands had it returned. I slept with my headlamp on my head for the rest of the night.

Breaking camp

In the morning, my alarm goes off at 4:30. It is raining. The cold dampness permeates everything except the toasty area beneath my quilt. I am not hiking that far today, so I close my eyes again. When I waken it is 6 am. I force myself to start to move. I focus on getting my warm clothes put away and donning my damp clothes from yesterday. Then I roll up my quilt and put it inside the trash compactor bag lining of my pack and hope there is no hole in the bag. This quilt must stay dry at all costs, for it my only guarantee of warmth at the end of the day.

Slowly I break down my camp and then eat my cold breakfast on a soggy log in the rain. I am wearing my rain jacket and pants. My shoes are still wet from the day before. I am pretty miserable, but hiking should warm me and I believe the forecast predicts the rain may stop today. If the trail is smooth, I should still be able to make my next camp by 5 pm.

I camped at a site close to the Waptus River. This is the river that produced the rainbow yesterday. I walk by the place where I think the young men camped. They are not there. I hike in a little farther and find some really nice campsites. it looks like the young men stayed here. I am glad that they found these sites and did not take the advice of an uninformed man who convinced himself he was helping, but deep down just wanted people to camp with.

The morning trail

I cross the beautiful Spade Creek. There is so much water flowing in these creeks today from snow melt and from the rain. I like this bridge

Quiz

Ok, let’s see who has too much time on their hands. I pass this newly cut log. It was cut because it was blocking the trail. It is about 30 inches in diameter. Count the rings and tell me how old it is. I know the rings are small but do the best you can. I wanted to know, but I was too much in a hurry to be able to stop. You can post the results in the comments.

This next photo may not look like much, but if you look closely enough you can see at least 20 ripe huckleberries. Luckily, I can resist them, but some hikers can’t.

Natural destruction

There is more deadfall along the trail today than I have seen since I entered Washington.

What is more disturbing are these “chutes” of destruction. These trees have been snapped off by a mighty wind. The destruction extends right up to the top of the mountain. You can see the broken trees all the way up. I see three of these destroyed areas today along the trail.

In the second area the destruction is almost unimaginable. The trail has been obliterated and only recently restored to the point that you can walk through it again. Notice how all the trees are laying to the left. It is like the mountain sneezed and knocked down everything in one direction!

Deep Lake

Deep Lake is a destination for equestrians. My first view of the lake is from at the lake level. I did not walk to the lake edge because it is too far off trail. But in an hour or so, I will be up on the ridge behind it looking down. Just remember this meadow.

Now I am on the ridge above Deep Lake. My pole indicates the meadow I walked through just an hour before. It sure looks different from up here.

This is my lunch view above Deep Lake again. Just look at the water spilling down the opposite ridge into the Lake!

Flowers

The flowers have not been as good today. Here are two that I liked

Sketchy crossing

River crossings can be dangerous. I cross a nameless river today over a log bridge while five other people watch holding their breath. All five had chosen to wade across the river further downstream where the water was wider and shallower. I am sick of wet feet and decide to go for the log bridge. I did not think to get a picture of it. It was an impulsive moment.

The bridge is actually four small logs (like fence posts) laying next to each other at a place where the river narrowed to 10 feet. Under the bridge the river tumbled down a narrow chute filled with water. It is a Class V rapids.

I step onto the first log and my left foot slips a little because the log is stripped of bark. It bends the least of the four so I need to stay on it. My right foot steps onto a log with bark, but it bends more under my weight. These logs are not tied together so they shift a little with every step. The two other logs don’t look strong enough to step on. I use my trekking poles on the logs to keep my balance in case one of my feet slips again. I edge across. Near the end, a flat rock has been laid across a gap between the two weak center logs. The rock is about the size of a bicycle seat. I step on that because it is the closest sure footing before reaching the other side. It holds and I step across. The five other hikers are waving their sticks in celebration. I wave back.

On the other side, I get sick – that feeling you get after you go through an intersection and just about get hit by someone who ran the light. I sit down and collect myself. I don’t analyze my actions. I just want to take a few deep breath’s and move on. I am not the first person to cross that bridge, and I won’t be the last.

Even a blind hog…

And although the sun remained hidden today. Here are two photos I am really proud of.

At the end of the day, one thing makes me happier than almost everything else…company in camp. I did not say more than two sentences to these people below me. We were all so busy. But I am so grateful that they are here. I really need people. I know that now more than ever.

• August 8
• Starting mile: 2428
• Ending mile: 2443
• Daily PCT miles: 15
• Total PCT miles: 1071
• Animals: Shoulder climber