Day 139, 20 miles, endpoint PCT mile 2323
We got a ride with the first person who drove past us at the edge of town this morning. The guy who picked us up was named Vinyasi; he drove an electric car and spent the entire trip back to White Pass talking about power and energy. His tangential speech (we didn't talk; we listened in amazement the entire time) included points about Nazi Germany scientists, U-boats, UFOs that are really secret military craft, a generator from 1910 that he bought, his YouTube channel, his fear of the road around Mt. Rainier, and rock concert power grids that get their energy from the ground. We thanked him for the ride, told him we would look for him on YouTube, and spent the next couple of hiking hours discussing the highlights of the car ride.
Speaking of hiking, we passed through some nice forests and decent-looking lakes before another long ascent gave us our views: the Goat Rocks mountains (still looking craggy but much, much smaller) and the rotund white top of Mt. Adams. It is always strange to look back southward, see familiar sights, and realize you walked from there. Both the Goat Rocks mountains and Mt. Adams looked very far away.
At the top of the uphill we crossed into Mt. Rainier National Park and had another view of Washington's tallest peak as the sun was starting to go down. We went a few more miles and reached a side trail to Two Lake, our planned destination for the night.
We took the side trail .3 miles to reach the lake, then found a camping area on the far side away from the only other tent we saw down here. For the very first time this trip we made a fire and enjoyed the heat it provided on this cold (but dry) night. We can hear elk bugling loudly nearby through the darkness, the fire has just a few coals left, and I am ready for bed. Only two more weeks left for this whole, crazy trip.
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| When you spring the big bucks for the lodging you get this fine art. |
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| The lovely and inexpensive Hotel Packwood. |
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| Mt Rainier National Park! We didn't even realize we crossed through the park until now. |
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| Mt. Rainier |
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| Josh making a rare campfire for the night. |
Day 140, 24 miles, endpoint PCT mile 2347
Today was all about Mt. Rainier. Right off the bat, we hiked over a ridge that opened up to a gigantic view of the gigantic mountain. We spent the day hiking along the eastern boundary of Mt. Rainier National Park, through the William O. Douglas Wilderness. The day was sunny, warm, and beautiful.
Late morning we walked past the clear water of Dewey Lake and began seeing hoards of people. The number of hikers only increased as we neared Chinook Pass, a popular trailhead near the road entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. We spent the next several hours dodging dayhikers and weekend backpackers; it seemed as if everyone from Seattle and Olympia wanted to take advantage of the great weather on a Saturday in September.
Over the pass we began an upwards climb. We went past crowded Sheep Lake and continued skyward until we had panoramic views of Rainier, Adams, Goat Rocks, and every other peak to the north and the south.
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