Start point
Creek at mile 2437.3
End point
Tentsite at 2455.9
Miles hiked
18.6
Wilderness area
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Wenatchee National Forest
Snoqualmie National Forest
The day on trail
I woke up feeling good. It rained and thundered after I went to bed but it was super comforting. I love the sound of rain and thunder out here, especially when I know I have a site that won’t flood.
I shook the remaining water off my rain fly, wiped down the little condensation I had, and packed up. I left the rainfly on the outside of my pack to finish drying, and so I could lay it out at lunch to dry.
It was a really clear morning, the kind of morning that’s crystalline from precipitation taking everything out of the air.
The trail wasn’t muddy, which is nice. The organic matter soaked up all the water and the scent was thick.
I came across a sign.
Bipeds only on this trail!
And another trail crossing.
I love Washington.
And more stock warnings. More here than I’ve seen anywhere else. I find that interesting.
By now, the weather was turning misty.
But the mist didn’t diminish the beauty. It just offered a different kind.
There was a little waterfall in a valley.
It’s so pretty today. I love this.
I came to another trail crossing with these four signs. One was getting eaten up by the tree. It was a good spot for lunch, so I sat down, laid out my stuff, and had lunch.
There were mushrooms!
And I had to cross a little creek. It was shallow, but would still get my feet sopped if I just trudged through it. Luckily, there were some rocks and a log to cross on.
There was another trail crossing.
And a really nice looking, wooden PCT emblem.
I hit some mud and then got to a bridge.
I was glad for this bridge. It was just mud and water underneath.
There was a really cute, fishy blaze.
I found a really shiny, slippery looking mushroom.
The weather was starting to turn wet again. The mist was getting thicker and it was feeling like it was about to open up in a big way.
There were some brief openings in the mist.
The trail is so beautiful even when it’s like this.
I found a weird hole in some soil at the base of a tree and rock.
And just continued on, making the distance I could before the weather got less than ideal for hiking.
I came to another trail crossing.
And another.
About now, the skies opened up. The rain was fat and heavy. I stopped and got my pack set up for the weather, which mostly entailed putting my camera away.
Shortly, the rain got heavier and almost violent. I pushed as hard as I could and made it another mile or two. There was a small clearing with another tent in it. I asked them if I could set up next to them and they agreed. I set up quickly and was successful in not getting water inside. I huddled in the vestibule to cook dinner as quick as I could. I was famished and knew the calories would keep me warm while I slept.
I flossed and brushed my teeth, while wearing my rain jacket, stepping out only to spit my toothpaste out.
I ducked back in and still managed to keep most of the water out of my tent.
I fell asleep to the sound of rain pelting my tent, happy to be cozy in the weather going on outside.