Start point
Lava Spring and Tentsite, mile 2250.5
End point
Tentsites at mile 2277.3
Miles hiked
26.8
Wilderness area
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Mount Adams Wilderness
Goat Rocks Wilderness
The day on trail
Such a pretty morning. But y’all, it’s officially smoky.
There was a really cool little lava rock pile right by the start of my hike today. Lava Springs is really living up to its name, minus actual lava; thankfully just with the remnants of lava.
And I found the largest amanita muscara, or fly agaric, mushroom I’ve ever seen.
I found a trail plaque celebrating someone who loved helping our trails.
There was a trail junction for Potato Hill. An inspirational name for a hill.
And a road crossing. Yes, it’s smoky.
I’m starting to see some familiar names being back in Washington — the Yakima nation is well known out here and even have a city named for them. I was honored to enter their reservation.
I found another amanita and a puffball.
Finding trail blazes that have been marked up just bring me so much happiness.
If I thought the mushrooms in Oregon were plentiful, I was not prepared for the absolute bonanza that Washington is.
The last one was a bolete that had been eaten down from the top, probably by deer.
And now, one of the big moments I’ve been waiting for. Goat. Rocks. Wilderness.
I’ve been excited for this region and area for a while. It’s legendarily pretty. It also has one of the most exhilarating views on the trail with the Knife’s Edge. Which also looks over Tahoma (Rainier). I’m beyond excited to see Tahoma again. I love that stupid volcano.
It’s still a mycological wonderland. Some fried chicken, a bolete, and pine sap. I haven’t seen pine sap in a while!
The views here were smothered with mist and smoke.
The trail was just so beautiful, regardless.
I hadn’t seen a noteworthy blowdown in a while. This one barely qualified, but it had been a bit.
There was a young puffball just growing with its spiky self.
And a bee just doing its bee stuff in some flowers.
I started my ascent up, approaching Cispus Pass, which is just before the Knife’s Edge.
It leveled out in places.
And opened up to a view with this old post that had an inspirational message.
Hello, Cispus Pass. On a smoky, misty day.
There were some broken but respected signs just after the peak. We respect the land and the message, even though the signs may succumb to the elements.
I was just so freaking excited to be out here.
I’m excited to camp up high in the mountains. I’ve been missing this landscape since the Wonderland Trail.
But I still have a ways to go before I get to camp.
There was a field of white pasqueflowers which just make me feel like I’m in a Dr. Seuss book.
And a thicket of paintbrush.
There was a waterfall just waiting to be ogled.
And the whole area just felt like a dreamscape.
Even the desolate landscape felt like a beautiful dream with crumbles of thinly layered rock stretched over the land and carved through with any number of meteorological and geological phenomena.
There were a bunch of pika.
I even was able to capture one carrying vegetation back to its nest.
I continued on, passing a few people who had already set up camp. I was tempted to stop where they were, but I had a hunch it’d be better up ahead. Washington mountains have a way of telling you where the ideal spot is. They don’t just tease and deny you a view, rather they give you a buildup of beauty and then slam your senses with the peak of it.
I’m glad I waited. People had built up rock windbreaks, obviously needed with this elevation and exposure.
The most prime spot of spots was taken.
But mine wasn’t bad at all. I set up right behind the rock wall and started cooking my dinner. There was evidence of mice, and I even saw one, so I took appropriate precautions with my food. Luckily, these guys are still timid so it’s going to be easier to defend.
Weather like this is not cowboy camping weather, so it was definitely a tent night.
The sky was so beautiful.
I’m definitely happy with what I got going for me tonight.
