The Adventures of...: Day 134, 135, 136

Day 134, 28 miles, endpoint PCT mile 2221

It was another chilly day. We hiked through fog, overcast skies, wind, and brief rain during today's 28 miles. We were mostly in the trees without many views. During a long climb up into Indian Heaven Wilderness we did catch a fleeting glimpse of snowy Mt. St. Helens. Its wide base was just barely visible beneath swirling clouds; its flat top was hidden.

Indian Heaven Wilderness led us to a series of nice lakes surrounded by dark evergreens. We stopped at one to make dinner, then walked through the chilly, damp evening air to a camping spot near Sawtooth Mountain (which we cannot see).

Right now at camp the air is cold and moist, we can see our breath, and I have all of my warm weather clothes on. This is the last day of August, and it definitely feels like the weather is shifting.

Tomorrow we have about 16 miles to our hitching point into Trout Lake for our next resupply.

We were lucky to find this secluded campsite just before it got dark.

Surprise, it's Josh walking amongst the trees.

Fire lookout up on Red Mountain.

This would be the most we would see Mt. St. Helens

Day 135, 18 miles, endpoint PCT mile 2239

It was cold this morning. Real cold. I left the tent early to pee and found that the world beyond the rainfly was misty and bone-chilling cold. The fog was all around us, leaving a damp coating on everything it touched. I could still see my breath. I hurried back into the tent and under the covers as fast as possible. Neither of us wanted to leave.

We stayed in bed until the sun began creeping its way through the trees. By then we were running late but I think the delayed start to the day was worth it.

We left the Indian Heaven Wilderness and walked through the woods, with occasional views of both Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams. Besides that, it was mundane, viewless, tree-filled hiking.

We made it 16 miles and arrived at a paved forest service road that was our route to Trout Lake. In less than five minutes a pickup with three guys came by; they stopped for us and told us we could hop in the back for a ride into Trout Lake.

The back of the pickup truck gave us the best views of Mt. Adams yet. We drove next to the mountain's shoulder, the entirety of it now completely visible and mammoth in size. The summit, at 12,281 feet, is only 3.8 miles from where the PCT runs along its western side.

Once in Trout Lake, it was one-stop shopping. The gas station, coffee shop, store, and cafe were all part of the same building. We picked up our resupply box at the store (which included our last pair of new shoes) and had burgers at the cafe. The sun was out and the skies were blue; it was as if the rain from previous days never happened.

In the early evening we got a ride 13 miles back to the trail from Gary, a local retired forest service employee who often helps out hikers when they come through town. Thank you!

Back on the trail we crossed into the Mt. Adams Wilderness and found a camping spot two miles from the road in a nondescript wooded area. We carried out a few Worthy Brewing beers (a brewery from Bend) and are enjoying those before bed!

Early morning rays pounding the tent.

The Station Cafe in Trout Lake, WA. A must stop if you are in the area during the summer.

Woo-hoo Woo-hoo

Mt Adams Wilderness!

Day 136, 26 miles, endpoint PCT mile 2265

It was a cool but dry morning, and for that we were grateful. We proceeded up over a thousand feet to 6,200 feet, and spent the next six or seven hours walking next to the giant of Mt. Adams.

The clear blue skies gave us great views of not only Adams, but of nearly every other Pacific Northwest peak as well. At one point I spun around in a 360 degree circle and could clearly see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Rainier, the 14,000 foot beast to our north.

We said goodbye to Mt. Adams as clouds moved in from the West. Just as we went north past Adams, the mountain disappeared behind cloud cover. We dropped in elevation as the temperature decreased and the previously blue and cheerful skies became dark and gloomy. Around 5pm the rain came. Over the next hour and a half the rain increased in intensity until the trail became one long mud puddle and our pack covers were dripping wet. It was definitely the hardest rain we have had yet this trip.

We looked for cover and found a potential campsite in a wooded area near the trail. We huddled under a tree and debated our options of hiking on or camping for the night. Suddenly we heard a loud noise behind us. We turned and saw a huge tree only 20 yards away snap in half and plummet noisily to the ground with a huge thud.

Josh and I stared at the fallen tree, then at each other with our jaws dropped. Then we looked overhead, wondering what tree might decide to come crashing down next. We decided it was a sign of a bad camping spot and that we had to get out of there. The last thing we needed was a tree on top of the tent. With us inside. We pushed on through the heavy rain and diminishing daylight.

About a mile later we luckily found a flat spot of dirt amid a sea of rolling green vegetation. To make things even easier, the rain briefly stopped while we set up our tent, which meant the tent didn't become completely soaked. Once the tent was up, the rainfly secured, and all of our belongings safely inside, the heavy rain picked back up. Phew.

Tomorrow we will travel into the Goat Rocks Wilderness, an area that is full of beautiful, amazing mountains. I am crossing my fingers that the weather will clear up so we can enjoy it, but I'm not counting on it.