Start point
Cascade Locks, mile 2148.2
End point
Tentsite and dirt road, mile 2159.9
Miles hiked
11.7
Wilderness area
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Table Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area
People I met
Level Up
Mia and Shannon
The day on trail
Woot. Another great night’s sleep.
I have a lot to do today before getting back on trail. First, another shower. Then I said bye to Dryden. She was off to work and I was off to do my two errands and catch a bus.
I tried to organize getting my fingerprints done for my Arizona PTA license. Unfortunately the online portal to get that sorted was down.
Then I headed to get lunch. I was hungry and shopping for resupply on an empty stomach is significantly more dangerous that your normal weekly grocery shopping on an empty stomach — you have to carry it all!
The grocery store had a clothing store attached to it, and my underwear was worse for the wear. I was able to find a brand and model that should work for me. I also grabbed a new town shirt which I needed. After that it was groceries.
I love the selection of a major grocery store. I got everything I needed.
After that, I walked to the bus stop to get back to Cascade Locks. While waiting for the bus, an unhoused guy started asked what I would do if he tried to steal my food. I told him I’d make sure he couldn’t. He asked if he could have some and, since I had exactly what I needed until my next stop, I said no. He made a couple threats and I let him know I wouldn’t tolerate any more of them.
Eventually he let it go and left me alone.
Shortly after that the bus back to Cascade Locks came by. I got on and it took off.
It stopped first at a feature called Multnomah Falls, where a lot of people got off to go hiking for the day. They all had matching stickers that came with their tickets for the area.
The. It was to Cascade Locks! I got off, sat down near the stop where there was a bench and packed my resupply. I took a selfie with the monument there, a mockup of the two terminuses.
And now it’s time to cross into Washington.
Across Bridge of the Gods.
A metal grate bridge. Where you can look down and see the river flowing 140 feet below you.
While coping with traffic.
I walked up to the access road, across a small park that was built within an onramp.
I approached the toll booth.
The worker told me how to cross, that I’d have to walk against traffic (standard) and just do my best not to get hit.
I can’t believe it.
I just walked into Washington.
I looked back to see where I came from.
When I first heard of Bridge of the Gods, I didn’t know if I’d ever see it. I was sure that if I did see it, I wouldn’t be able to walk across it. I was petrified of heights and I didn’t trust my mind or my legs to get me across something so high. And today I just breezed across it. I even knocked my trekking poles into a car that didn’t give me enough space — I was willing to fight for my space even though I was walking 140’ above a river with a legendary undertow.
I’m in Washington. I cried from joy and surprise and from mourning who I used to be. Eddie was scared of this. Minstrel is bold.
I called my dad to tell him about the crossing. We talked a little bit before he had to go.
Washington is providing so much right off the bat. First, it’s relief. One of the final gateways to the end. One of the final big affirmations of who Minstrel is.
Washington is also providing berries. Delicious blackberries.
There was some random gate across a road.
And the trail was so pretty.
I saw this beautiful little bird.
It was so hot, though. And dry so far. But I soon came to a lake.
There were two groups of day hikers, a group of 6 young adults and a mother with her teenage daughter and two of her daughter’s friends.
I talked with both groups for a while. The mother approached me and asked if I’d entertain some of her daughter’s questions. Of course, I was happy not just to speak to a kid about hiking, but a girl about it. Women hikers need advocacy and allies and I’m too happy to be one and bolster them. I work hard to not ask if they’re alone, why they’re hiking without a guy, or any of that nonsense.
We talked for about 15 minutes. She was really interested in backpacking and her dad was supporting her, but he was a super intense ultralight gear nerd and she was more into the experience. I told her what I could, told her that I wasn’t ultralight but ultra-happy. That it wasn’t about the gear but what you did with it. She asked me some questions about what I’d seen and I shared some stories.
She was smart and sweet and really engaging. It gave me a lot of hope for the future of our country, our world, and the trail.
After they all left, I made sure I was nice and alone, because I was too dang hot. So I stripped down and had a good old fashioned skinny dip.
And saw a dragonfly. I’m obsessed with dragonflies, especially after how they helped all of us with the mosquito problem.
I laid out to dry off, then got dressed and continued on.
There was a small creek ahead with one of my favorite bridge styles to cross.
And so many more blackberries.
Around a bend I saw the Bonneville Dam.
More beautiful trail.
And then something super appropriate. Lobster mushrooms.
Lobster mushrooms were the first mushroom I found on the Wonderland Trail, my first Washington thru hike. Finding them here felt like the trail was welcoming me.
I’m so excited to eat them. My freaking goodness.
There was a sign that fell down.
Apparently I was in Table Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area. How cool.
There were some trail marker signs.
And just some beautiful views looking back at Oregon.
I crossed through a blowdown that was broken in half.
And found a really cool sphere shaped spiderweb.
I continued on the trail just vibing.
I came across some power lines buzzing gently.
And just more beautiful evening trail.
There were some really interesting logs that were once part of a rail car housing that were melting into the ground.
Washington is giving so much, so far.
And then views of Hood and Jefferson.
I am overwhelmed. It’s so amazing out here. But I have to set up camp so I kept going. It’s going to be dark soon and I want some good rest tonight.
I got to the dirt road and saw a good place to set up camp. It was getting a little dark and I didn’t feel like setting up my tent in this perfect weather. Plus the Perseid meteor shower was supposed to be peaking tonight, so I decided to cowboy camp.
I laid out some of my stuff and started cooking dinner. Someone ended up stumbling nearby me, and I didn’t see their tent when I was coming in. They were startled to see me and seemed a little strained, so I offered them a cookie.
“Would you like a cookie?”
“Yes?” they replied.
It ends up they’re a really cool, nonbinary person, named Level Up. I rolled in as they were going off into the woods to go do their business and they didn’t expect to see someone on their way back. We ended up cooking dinner together.
I told them I was cowboy camping and they said they wanted to, but hated cowboy camping solo. I invited them to camp next to me and convinced them it was an even better idea to cowboy because of the meteor shower.
We stayed up watching for meteors and talked about life and how far we’d come. They were really cool and I was excited to share some space with them.
There weren’t many meteors, but we saw a few.
Washington gave me the best gifts I’d had in a while. The trail truly provides.