Day 70 & 71 – Steven’s Pass

I awaken at 5 am. The Eepers are up already. I hear their “eeps” clearly from the rocks across the lake. Then another’s Eeper starts chattering loudly. It must be the mom telling the kids to quiet down and go back to bed. They keep eeping. The mom gets mad and chatters, “If you don’t stop that eeping right now, I am going to come over there and give you something to eep about!”

Ah, the spirit of Lake Susan Jane

You may be wondering what I mean by “eepers.” They are like a cross between a gerbil and a rabbit and they live in the rocks like the marmots. They bounce around making little “eep” sounds. Here is a short video. Listen for the rep.

Down to the Pass

The clouds are ominous on the early trail. It almost looks like rain again. This dampens my spirits. I have got to get to the pass soon. I pass through a big field of power lines. As I climb to the top of the ridge, an enormous chair lift appears at the top. It seems enormous to me, anyway, but maybe this is how they are out west.

And then it’s down to the pass. I pass 8 people heading up for day hikes. I also pass a crew with chainsaws clearing small trees that have sprung up on the ski slopes. Finally, reach the pass. I step out onto the road to attempt a hitch.

Strategy sessions

I talk on the phone with Lisa Jenkins, who has been doing some research on the statue of Hart’s Pass and Rainy Pass. She tells me the good news that Hart’s Pass is indeed open. This clears the way for me to get off the trail there.

I relay the news to Robert and Cindy, who had offered to help me in Cascade Locks. They are also helping the Debbies. After some three-way communications, we have a plan for Robert and Cindy to pick up the Debbies and me at Hart’s Pass on August 26th. This means that I will reach Canada on August 24th. I let this settle in. I will need to plan my stops carefully for the rest of the hike to achieve this. But now I have something to work on!

The Dave express

As I am working this out, a car stops to give me a ride. It is another Dave! He is an artist who also plays in a speed metal band. He is a Midwesterner who left Illinois for the coast and never looked back. Now he is living in rural Washington and considering his options. We get to talking so much that before we realize it, Dave has gone 20 miles past Skykomish! Luckily, he has time to backtrack.

Skykomish

In Skykomish I connect with Nico after a nice breakfast at my hotel. Then it’s off to the library to upload some blog posts and then over to the post office to collect my three packages. The post office only has my resupply box and my order from REI. They do not have my shorts from Patagonia. UPS arrives later in the day so there is still hope.

As I walk past a residence, two chihuahuas run out the front door and bark at me. I woman yells from inside the house. I should have read the sign on the porch beforehand.

A new identity

Then it’s time to do laundry. There is a box of loaner clothes in the hotel. But there are no spare pants. So I grab the next best thing – a dress. It fits! I am a size 10 now.

I make quite a sight in the streets of Skykomish, but nobody really seems all that concerned. The feeling of the dress is actually quite pleasant. I could get used to this. Having no underwear (it’s in the wash) makes me a little self conscious. Oh well, this wouldn’t be the first embarrassing moment on this hike!

My new shorts do not arrive. After a talk with the folks at Patagonia , they are going to try to send them to the hotel tomorrow. I don’t know how long I should wait for them. I need to get to Canada.

Before turning in for the night, Nico and I go out for dinner. I finally get a shower. Nico is going to share the room with me to split the cost. It has been a long day, but much has been resolved. I need to finish my final planning tomorrow. Until then, clean sheets! And an alarm set for 7 am! What a lazy bum I am.

Day 2

As usual, I don’t sleep well in town. I toss and turn and then get up at 5:30 to start knocking out the rest of my chores. I see my old shoes downstairs where I took them off. I have mixed feelings about them. Let me first admit: I love shoes. Throwing shoes away when they are worn out seems callous. Shoes should be buried with respect, or at least recycled. But these shoes were not the right ones for the task. It would be unfair to them to list their shortcomings. Like the evil kings of Israel, they played their part. The shoes are dead; long live the shoes!

I get a little fresh air outside. Nico is lazing in bed, so I don’t want to wake him. This hotel is interesting. It is old, but it is not trying to be cute in the way that some restorations are. It has a history of housing people, and the people have lent it life.

It’s all about the people

Its proprietor, Henry, and his wife are running the place by themselves. It keeps them busy. They need help, but they are entrepreneurs and they are not giving up, especially with the economy finally improving.

Nico is finally up and we go review all our food. I should have enough food for the next six days, but it is heavy on the candy and light on protein. Nico is collecting stuff from generous souls and scavenged hiker boxes. He looks at food disparity as a challenge. Nico’s neck has been hurting. He searches without luck for a chiropractor nearby. He finally decided to just get back on the trail. We will meet again. I know it. He is now a friend.

I go the the post office to mail home some things I am not using (earbuds, mini tripod, microphone, map) and return socks that are under warranty. The postal worker, Bonnie as as sweet and professional as all the workers I have met. USPS should be proud of these folks.

Restorations

When I return from the post office, my new shorts are here! They are a size smaller than my old shorts. I hope that doesn’t matter. They feel great.

A key strap on top of my pack had started ripping in the last section of trail. I reinforce the Sean with dental floss. This should hold it for a while.

Life in a northern town

This town has one school building. It houses K-12. A rarity for a public school. Last year it had 56 students – total! The senior class had 1 person. She has a banner hanging from one of the light poles downtown. Her name, photo and the year 2021 are on the banner. If a big class comes along, they will need more light poles.

This town has a real train yard. Trains pass through here at all hours. I love trains. I love boats, too. They are mysterious, powerful, dangerous, enticing. Fun to watch, they are exciting to ride. Trains and forestry are what keep Skykomish viable. That, too, is a beautiful thing.

New friends

I go out to dinner with a hiking couple I met here yesterday. Jeff and Janet are hiking south to Mount Hood. We trade information about the sections we have seen. They told me yesterday that they had seen me on the Wander Woman channel. I think that may be on my grave marker as my most significant achievement: “HE HIKED WITH THE WANDER WOMEN”. Tomorrow we will walk to the highway together to hitch to the pass. I tell Janet that our chances to get a hitch quickly are improved because she is a chick. It sounds funny, but is it?

I have set up my Garmin so that I can communicate with my new friends, Robert and Cindy. This should make it easier to coordinate our movements.

Tomorrow a new heat wave settles over Washington, followed by more rain by Sunday. The plan is to hike 14 miles tomorrow, and then over 20 miles a day the rest of the way to Canada. I hope to reach the border on August 22. I have been giving myself the luxury of writing for almost two hours a night since the beginning of this hike. I may have to curtail my writing to meet my hiking goals. it pains me, but I know you understand. I am working against a deadline, and that pressure is spurring me on.

• August 10 & 11
• Starting miler: 2460
• Ending mile: 2465
• Daily PCT miles: 5
• Total PCT miles: 1093
• Animals: 2 bored chihuahuas