Sunday, October 14th.

Sunday, October 14th: Today's miles = 24.2. Total PCT miles = 2,660.1 . Miles remaining = 0.

Today I stood at the US - Canadian border at the northern monument of the PCT!

It did not stop raining ALL day. It was raining when I took down my tent this morning and it was raining when I reached the monument and the end of the PCT this evening in the dark, soaked to the bone in rain and mud. My feet were squishing in my shoes (I lost a toenail) and the whole trail was a river. There was no escaping it. I got to a point 6 miles before the monument where I just stopped caring that I was dangerously cold. Until that point I was going to stop and set up camp, get my wet clothes off, and tend to the hypothermia I knew I had. When I reached the camp spot, though, it was 5pm and I said, "Screw it" and started storming off sloshing through the trail, kicking mud everywhere, putting my hands in plastic bags for warmth, and determining to to finish the PCT tonight! It wasn't smart. I know it wasn't.  I have only ever been that cold one other day in my life; when I summited Katahdin, ending my AT hike. Its when you go from being that cold to being all the sudden warm and delirious that you have to worry. I was warm and delirious those last 6 miles. I though those last 6 miles would be the longest 6 miles of the whole trail. They were in fact the shortest 6 miles of the whole trail! I was so determined to get to the end of the PCT. I was hiking faster than I usually ever do partly because I wanted the border, partly because it was getting dark, but mostly because I knew I needed to keep my body as warm as possible. I reached the border and ended my PCT thru hike at 7pm tonight! Of course it was dark, raining, and miserable. I took a picture, signed the log book, and left. I didn't waste much time there because I needed to get my wet clothes off and have a warm drink. I was planning on camping just 2/10ths of a mile into Canada so I told myself I would come back in the morning. At the camp site when I got there were Funk, Trooper, Big Cat, Styles, and COWBOY! Shep dog and G came in after me. Cowboy had gotten a ride up trail a little, had his arm in a pillow case sling, and finished the PCT with his friends.

Even though I am done with the PCT I am not done hiking. I have to hike 8 miles from the border here where I am camped to Manning State park. I was wishing so badly last night that there was a road at the end of the PCT so I could hitch into town, shower, and eat. Instead I had to set up my tent in the rain and mud. Many people can't enter Canada for one reason or another; it mostly seems DWI's. Those people have to turn around at the monument and hike 30 miles back to Hearts pass where they can hitch. So, I have to say goodbye to Big Cat and Styles tonight before the rest of us go to Manning. We are all technically in Canada right now....but who's going to know? There is no official border crossing here, just a trail that leads into Canada. When I leave Canada there will be no record that I ever entered.

Tonight is my one last night on the PCT. It's because I'm still out here all smelly and gross that it dosnt seem like the trail is over. Tomorrow when I am clean and sleeping in a bed; when I wake up in the morning and don't have to hike, it will finally feel like I have completed a thru hike of the PCT!

Saturday, October 13th.

Saturday, October 13th: Today's miles = 20.6. Total PCT miles = 2,635.9. Miles remaining = 27.6.

It rained the entire night last night and was continuing to rain when I woke up this morning. There were a number of factors as to why I woke up in a puddle this morning, one of which was my fault. I set my tent up last night on a slant due to laziness. I did not expect it to rain like it did. Either way, I had about a liter of water in my tent this morning. My sleeping pad doubles as an inflatable raft and it sure came in handy last night. I have a down sleeping bag so it was my first priority to keep it dry. I succeeded mostly.

The rain didn't stop all day. It was another view-less day. Rifle hunting season for Washington started today and there were plenty of hunters out despite the rain. I had been hiking in my black rain gear but after I started to see hunters I put my bright orange skirt back on. I'm not trying to get shot just a day away from the border. One of the hunters informed me that it snowed this morning where he was and that it was suppose to snow all around this area tonight. Also, there's a 90% chance of rain for tomorrow upwards of an inch. They are also saying that it may be cold enough tomorrow afternoon for it to snow. If this is the case it could snow up to a foot!!

I think it's time to get this trail over with. I haven't been completely ready for it to be over until today. I had gotten to the top of a climb this afternoon covered in rain with the wind blowing a chill so brutal that I actually said outloud "yeaup, Im ready for this trail to end". If it were warm and sunny I know I would have never said it.

I set my tent up better tonight due to the fact that the rain has yet to let up at all. I wonder if it will start snowing!

Friday, October 12th.

Friday, October 12th: Today's miles = 21.2. Total PCT miles = 2,614.7. Miles remaining = 48.8.

RAIN!!!

Today it rained...

It was miserably cold and wet pretty much the entire day. I didn't see any views or much of anything besides wet and slippery rocks. It was an uneventful day. Just one day closer to the border monument.

Thursday, October 11th.

Thursday, October 11th: Today's miles =13.3. Total PCT miles = 2,593.5. Miles remaining = 70.

We all woke up wondering how Cowboy was doing. We began to speculate that instead of breaking his bone he might have torn a tendon. Either way, he was in a lot of pain. I knew I needed to catch the 8am bus back to the trail but Cowboy, Funk, Trooper, and Shep dog were all waiting until 3pm. As I was getting ready to leave I saw Shep dog trying to fit a pillow case on Cowboys arm in attempts to make it work as a sling. From the looks of it Cowboy was trying to figure out a way to get back on trail and hike the remaining 89 miles of trail before getting himself to a doctor. I wanted to tell him that he should take a boat across the lake and see a doctor but then I thought 'what if it were my arm?'. I would want everyone to shut up, speak nothing of a doctor, help me make a sling out of a pillow case, tell me they knew I could make it, and wish me the best as I set out on trail to finish this Goddamn thing! Hopefully he knew best for himself and made the right decision accordingly.

I caught the bus but wasted a lot of time being lazy and only hiked a few miles today. I ended up camping with Chef, Pocahontas, Pitfall, and Baboon. We all sat around the camp fire for hours swapping stories and enjoying the last few days of trail.

Wednesday, October 10th.

Wednesday, October 10th: Today's miles = 0.

I woke up this morning in time to catch the 9am bus from Highbridge to Stehekin. I wasn't going to stay the night there but a group of people ended up staying and it was too enticing. I got to shower (kind of), although, I didn't do laundry. You realize just how disgusting you and your clothes are when you shower and put the unwashed clothes back on.

Stehekin is a tiny town tucked away in the mountains. The only way to get here is to walk through the mountains or take a boat from another town across a giant lake. The town sits right on the edge of the lake and has only a restaurant and a post office. To buy groceries the residents of Stehekin order from the grocery store across the lake and the goods are then transported to the town a few days later via barge. The little town had a rec room with a pool table and a computer. All the hikers hung out there. Funk got a room for the night and Cowboy, Trooper, Shep Dog, Big Cat, Chef, Pocahontas, Pitfall, Baboon, and I ended up staying in it. It was a smelly situation for sure.

My zero day was relaxing until about 8:30pm when some of the boys got a bit intoxicated and started wrestling each other. As their were 10 hikers there, some of us were in the hotel room, others in the rec room, and I was sitting outside enjoying the view from the lake when I heard a ruckus coming from the rec room. Chef then came storming by shortly after saying, "Cowboy broke his friggin' arm!". My first thought was "how in the hell..." and then I remembered. We are 89 miles from the end of the trail and Cowboy has to go and break his arm wrestling!!!

Now, Stehekin has no doctor. All it has is an EMT in the ranger station. The boats were done running for the day to get across the lake and his injury wasn't serious enough for any other action so poor Cowboy took a bunch of painkiller Opiates and it toughed it through the night with ice on his arm. The wrestling boys weren't feeling so tough anymore and I might say that they all seemed to either sober up rather quickly or pass out. 89 friggin' miles from the end of a 2,663.5 mile hike and to break your arm...!!

Tuesday, October 9th.

Tuesday, October 9th: Today's miles = 22.6. Total PCT = 2,580.2. Miles remaining = 83.3.

Today was one of my latest starts in a long time. I was not hiking until after 10am. There was one big climb early in the day but the rest of the day was mostly downhill. Big Cat caught up about halfway through the day and he, Baboon, Funk, Shep Dog, Cowboy, Pocahontas, Chef, and I camped at the Highbridge.

Monday, October 8th.

Monday, October 8th: Today's miles = 26.3. Total PCT miles = 2,557.6 . Miles remaining = 105.9.

I woke up freezing this morning! As with most mornings, all my gear (including my socks) was frozen. Taking that first cup of coffee in the morning is my favorite part of the day (thanks Monkey mom!).

Today was another beautiful day, minus the cold. It IS October after all. I couldn't ask for better weather even with the cold. Normally Washington provides hikers with a lot of rain but this year so far has broken records! The sky is blue and sunny. The only clouds in the sky were created by wildfires. I'll take wildfire smoke over rain/snow clouds any day.

I ran into Upchuck and Bounce Box today. They are two hikers who I met very early into the trail. I have not seen them since around mile 750 and I'm walking along today and there they are, perched up on a rock at the top of a climb. They were the last people I expected to see today.

Shortly after I ran into them I had a decision to make; take the old PCT or take the new PCT. There is a section of trail were the trail splits into two trails. One of these trails is the old PCT that was the official PCT up until a few years ago. The new PCT in this section is 7.1 miles and is a smooth hike to the river, where there is a newly built bridge. The old PCT is 2.2 miles and not maintained. There are countless blowdowns on the trail, sections of trail that you can't even find, and two rivers to cross without bridges. I chose the old PCT. The first half a mile of this trail was fine, and then I started to run into the blow downs. They were nothing I hadn't dealt with before on the AT. I actually found climbing up and down these giant down trees to be exciting. The two river crossings had logs over them as bridges. The log at the first crossing was a lot smaller than the second, although, the second river was a lot bigger. After the second crossing the trail disappeard. I knew that the PCT was upwards so I just started climbing up the mountain. Eventually I ran into the PCT after a bunch of bush whacking. I was glad that I had found the trail before it got completely dark. I rolled into camp around 10pm and Funk, Cowboy, Trooper, and Shep Dog were there.

A stream that froze over and, well, beautiful things!

Sunday, October 7th.

Sunday, October 7th: Today's miles = 22. Total PCT miles = 2,531.3. Miles remaining = 132.2.

This morning I hiked through what was possibly the most beautiful section of trail on the whole PCT. Some would argue that the Sierras are the most beautiful but I prefer to see green things. I had no idea Washington was going to be so beautiful. It took me almost 4 hours to hike 4 miles this morning because of the distractions. I could not believe I was climbing up a mountain in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to with the fall leaves literally falling on my head and the sun rising behind the distant snow covered peaks! I took my time for the first part of the day.

The second part of the day was quite different. By 3 pm I had only hiked 10 miles and still had one of the steepest climbs in the state ahead of me. *sigh*. I made it only 3 miles before my goal today and still didn't get to camp until 10:30pm. Once I got to the spot by an alpine lake Funk and Cowboy were screaming that there was good camping down by the base of the lake. They were already set up and warm in their sleeping bags. The lake was huge and I asked them how the water from it was. They replied, "good luck getting water from the lake. Its completely frozen over!". It was another COLD night!

Saturday, October 6th.

Saturday, October 6th: Today's miles = 23.7. Total PCT miles = 2,509.3. Miles remaining = 154.2.

I knew I had camped by a lake last night but I couldn't see it until the morning. I tried exceptionally hard to get up early this morning but all I was able to do was roll over in my sleeping bag and make coffee. My brother has offered to drive to Manning State Park in Canada to both meet me to celebrate the end of my hike and also to drive me to Bend Oregon. I have happily accepted his offer and have agreed to meet him Sunday night, October 14th. This obviously means that I have to finish the trail before then. So, my desire to get up early this morning was spurred by the prospect of actually making it to the border by this date.

I didn't start hiking until 9am and didn't stop until 10:30pm, and yet somehow still only managed to hike 23.7 miles. I must say that I have under estimated Washingon both in difficulty and beauty.

I'd like to hike three 25's and a 21 into Stehieken, the last town on the PCT. If the mountains stay as hard as they have been this will be more difficult than I would prefer. Must sleep...eyes closing themselves.

Oh, my tent is an icicle again.

Friday, October 5th.

Friday, October 5th: Today's miles = 9.6. Total PCT miles = 2,485.6. Miles remaining = 177.9.

Neither the other two hikers or I in the bunk room got up during the night to put more wood on the stove so I woke up cold, as always. I didn't mind though because I didn't have to pack up my tent with wet and cold fingers. Jerry Dismore had told me the night before that he would take me to the post office in the morning to get a package I had sent to myself. After the post office he took me to the cafe in town where I ordered a veggie scramble and a bagel. Finally, he drove me to the deli where I ended up hitching  back to the trail but not before I spent most of the day loitering and eating. I ended up getting a ride back up to the pass around 5pm.

On my 9.6 mile night hike to my camp spot I realized that one year ago today I summited Mt. Katahdin, ending my AT thru hike; one year ago I was sitting in a bar in Millinocket Maine doing shots of whiskey with my closest trail friends and my mother! I spent the night dancing to the juke box and beating everyone at darts (although, my mother puts up a good fight). Turk, Bubbles, Woodstock, Boom, Baboon, and I all spent the entire evening reliving the past 6 months of our lives on the trail. In the morning I knew I would be leaving Maine and the people I had met on the trail that had come to mean so much to me. So, we all got drunk to celebrate yet also to forget the sadness of it all coming to an end... and here I was, hiking up a giant mountain on the PCT. For a moment I forgot I was on the PCT and felt almost like it could have been an Appalachian mountain I was climbing. I kind of wish it had been. The AT has a hold on me. Perhaps because it was my first long distance trail. Hiking the PCT has made me want to return to the AT and rehike my favorite sections; to spend all day at the horn of Saddleback, to take my time through the Whites, to spend ten days in the 100 mile wilderness! I suspect in a year from now I will look back on the PCT the way I now look back on the AT.

Friday, October 5th.

Friday, October 5th: Today's miles = 9.6. Total PCT miles = 2,485.6. Miles remaining = 177.9.

Neither the other two hikers or I in the bunk room got up during the night to put more wood on the stove so I woke up cold, as always. I didn't mind though because I didn't have to pack up my tent with wet and cold fingers. Jerry Dismore had told me the night before that he would take me to the post office in the morning to get a package I had sent to myself. After the post office he took me to the cafe in town where I ordered a veggie scramble and a bagel. Finally, he drove me to the deli where I ended up hitching  back to the trail but not before I spent most of the day loitering and eating. I ended up getting a ride back up to the pass around 5pm.

On my 9.6 mile night hike to my camp spot I realized that one year ago today I summited Mt. Katahdin, ending my AT thru hike; one year ago I was sitting in a bar in Millinocket Maine doing shots of whiskey with my closest trail friends and my mother! I spent the night dancing to the juke box and beating everyone at darts (although, my mother puts up a good fight). Turk, Bubbles, Woodstock, Boom, Baboon, and I all spent the entire evening reliving the past 6 months of our lives on the trail. In the morning I knew I would be leaving Maine and the people I had met on the trail that had come to mean so much to me. So, we all got drunk to celebrate yet also to forget the sadness of it all coming to an end... and here I was, hiking up a giant mountain on the PCT. For a moment I forgot I was on the PCT and felt almost like it could have been an Appalachian mountain I was climbing. I kind of wish it had been. The AT has a hold on me. Perhaps because it was my first long distance trail. Hiking the PCT has made me want to return to the AT and rehike my favorite sections; to spent all day at the horn of Saddleback, to take my time through the Whites, to spend ten days in the 100 mile wilderness! I suspect in a year from now I will look back on the PCT the way I now look back on the AT.

Thursday, October 4th.

Thursday, October 4th: Todays miles = 20.4. Total PCT miles = 2,476. Miles remaining = 187.5.

Today was another 9am start. Even with the drive to get to Stevens Pass/Skykomish I still could not get out of my sleeping bag any earlier. It was another sleepless night for me. Its been two nights in a row now that I have not gotten any sleep! Hiking Washington miles are hard enough as it is but hiking without any sleep and a resupply of just sugar is, well... just miserable.

The hike was beautiful today, although, I will admit that I didn't take much time to soak it in. I knew I had to hike 20 miles today and get to the pass in time to hitch in the day light.

I made it to the pass around 4:45pm and got a ride almost immediately from a girl about my age. The hitch from Stevens pass to Skykomish is 25 miles. This very kind girl, Jenna, drove Baboon and I about 20 miles East on the road before we realized that Skykomish was West! Jenna turned around, drove us back to where she picked us up and then continued another 25 miles out of her way to drop us off at the deli in Skykomish! I couldn't thank her enough. She helped us out more than she can know. It was getting dark and our chances of making it to town at that point were very slim.

We arrived at the deli 8 minutes before close and I was reluctant to order because, I've worked food service and you always hate those bastards that come in just before close with a big order, and hikers always have big orders. The lady behind the counter told me she could do cold sandwiches and told us to take our time shopping. I started grabbing random things off the shelves as my sandwhich was being made. To be honest, I had no idea what I was buying at the time. After the lady handed me my samdwich she told me that if I waited until she closed up shop that she would give me a ride 6 miles down the road to the Dinsmores, a trail angels home. I don't remember eating the sandwich, really, but it happened sometime between the time she handed it to me and the time I got in her car. She turned the heat up all the way in her car because she could see how cold I was and drove me right to Jerry and Andrea Dismores. They met me outside and explained to me that I was welcome to shower and give my clothes to Andrea. She would then wash them for me. They had clothes for me to pick from for while my clothes were being washed. I chose very oversized sweat pants and a cotton hoodie! They then directed me to a building in the back of their house that had 6 bunks for hikers, many recliners circled around a coffee table, two TVs, about 200 movies, a microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, fridge, computer, and a slew of books. Andrea told me to make myself at home and rest up for the last part of my journey.

After I was clean I sat by the wood burning stove in the hiker room for quite a while looking through the bag of goodies I bought myself at the deli. I had Cheese Its, Pringles, soda, fruit, and microwave popcorn! It was a good night! I actually slept for most of the night!

Wednesday, October 3rd.

Wednesday, October 3rd: Todays miles = 24.9 . Total PCT miles = 2,455.6. Miles remaining = 207.9.

The big cat from the night before was indeed a mountain lion and her cubs. Their paw prints were all over the frozen ground in the morning. I was grateful they didn't have much interest in me the night before. The temperature last night got well down into the teens! My guess would be that it got as cold as 10-15 degrees. I did not sleep. Not even a wink. I spent the entire night shivering, tossing and turning around in my sleeping bag. It was less than enjoyable.

By the time the sun came up it had warmed just a little bit and I felt like I could have finally fallen asleep. Unfortunately, Instead of sleeping, I knew I had to pack my things and start hiking. I got on the trail around 9am. The day didn't warm up much at all and I hiked the whole day in most of my gear. The miles were slow again today. I think its a Washington thing.

Lunch was a short oatmeal break. I didn't even want to stop hiking because I knew I could keep warmer if I stayed mobile. So, I ate as quickly as I could and continued on. I made a mistake in my resupply coming out of Snoqualmie. I somehow thought it was a great idea to buy all candy and cookies. Once I got back on trail I realized that all I had to eat were sweet things....and I don't even really like most sweet things. I seriously had an entire resupply of sugar (minus oatmeal and hard pretzels). Opps. 

The sun has been starting to set around 4:30pm it feels. Its around 6:30 before it actually goes down but it begins to get cold much earlier. By 4pm I still had 14 miles to hike. I knew it was going to be a cold and late night.

7 miles from my camp spot I came across a sign that read "Impossible creek crossing 2 miles ahead". I looked at it for a minute, said "eh, it cant be that bad", and continued hiking. By this time it was already as dark as dark can get and my eye lashes were beginning to freeze. "Keep walking, keep walking" is all I kept telling myself, and then I heard it; the raging white water of the river I decided wouldn't be that bad to cross. I could hear the water long before it ever came into sight, although, that's not saying much because with my headlamp I couldn't see much at all. I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to put my new batteries in my lamp, hoping that the enhanced ability to see would calm my nerves about crossing the river. It did no such thing. On the contrary, being able to clearly see what I was about to cross did the opposite. What I saw was a raging, white water river nestled in between a jumbled pit of boulders. I decided that before I even attempted to cross the water I needed to take a break and eat something. I sat mostly to prep myself for what I knew I was about to do. After a few moments of rest I got up and began surveying the river, looking for possible crossing points. I didn't really find anything. After a bit of investigation it was clear that the only way to get to the other side of the water was (ummm, cough, cough), a little less than ideal. Baboon asked me what my plan of attack was. I explained to him that the best way I saw to cross was to simply....jump and hope for the best. We couldn't ford the river with the temperature being what it was. Fording would have surly resulted in hypothermia. There were no good stepping stones to use nor were there any down logs to balance on. Most of the rocks and larger boulders that were in the river were either completely saturated with water or too far from shore to ever reach; except for one. I saw what was a large, somewhat flat boulder in the water. It was definitely a decent jump away from shore. I pointed to it and explained to Baboon that I was going to make the leap, hoping to land on the slippery boulder. He looked at me doubtfully. It wasn't encouraging. I took a minute before I began to edge out from shore on a rock that was just part of the giant rock pit we were in. I had my pack on my back and trekking poles in hand, and then I had a thought, a moment of doubt. Now, this moment didn't stop me from making the jump, but it did deter me from doing so with a 35 pound pack strapped to my back and trekking poles flaying around. My reasoning was as follows, if I jumped and missed the rock I felt sure enough that I could make my way out of the water where a perfectly dry pack with my dry sleeping bag would be waiting on shore for me. If I made the jump but failed to get my pack dryly across the water I knew if I was dry I could keep warm enough by fire side throughout the night. It was essential that either my pack or I stayed dry during this endeavour. I was hoping for both. So, I took my pack off, set it on shore, and made the jump. I took the wetness of the rock into consideration as I made my landing and made it across flawlessly. Thats when I remembered that the rock I was standing on was only halfway across the 'impossible creek crossing'! The other half of the crossing was less eventful and much easier and dosnt warrant a story. Baboon later tossed my pack to me and followed up with a leap of his own.

By the time I got across the water I still had 4 miles to hike on a ridge before I got to a flat spot for the night. 75 minutes, one meandering elk, and one encounter with a gigantic furry spider (white fur, red eyes... a creepy looking mother F-er) I made it to camp for the night. I made dinner, discovered my stove was broken, and was in bed by 11pm. It was another sleepless night.

Tuesday, October 2nd.

Tuesday, October 2nd: Todays miles = 21. Total PCT miles = 2,430.7. Miles remaining = 232.8.

Washington played a game on me today. I woke up in a cloud but it did not stay that way all day. The sun has been rising later and later and by the time I got moving today it was already 9am. The morning was cold so I packed up after breakfast as quickly as I could and was off to find the lake from the night before. As predicted, the lake was about 30 feet from where I was posted up for the night. It was that foggy the night before that I really could not see it!

The first few miles of the day were extreamly hard for me. I'm not a strong morning hiker and the climbs that started off my hike this morning were not merciful. The first climb of the day was perhaps the most beautiful. It was alpine so naturally it was rather scenic. The wind today was what really got to me. It was absolutely freezing! When the sun wasn't shining directly on me today I became instantly cold. It was one of the coldest afternoons I have ever spent on trail....any trail!

I ate lunch in a hurry because I was too cold to enjoy sitting still and took off for my last 10 miles of the day which were all uphill. I actually didn't mind the uphill because it was easier to stay warm that way.

I hiked until about 9pm well into the dark to a somewhat flat spot by a pond. I wasn't excited about setting my tent up tonight because it was still wet from the night before. Last night it rained pretty much the entire night and when I pulled my tent out of the bag it was still dripping wet. I didn't even want to touch the tent because wet fingers in this temperature are sure to be uncomfortable. I set my tent up as quickly as possible and went to unzip the fly. It was then that I realized that my wet tent had frozen! I knew it was cold and I was wearing every piece of clothing I have but I didn't realize that it was THAT cold! My tent literally froze within moments of being exposed to the air. As a matter of fact, everything that I have that can freeze has indeed frozen. If I were to guess at the temperature right now I would say its about 20 degrees, if not colder. I'm bracing for a cold night. I have literally every piece of clothing I carry on me right now, bundled up in my zero degree sleeping bag. I have a feeling actually may get that cold tonight.

There is another cat like animal stalking my tent tonight. I'm too cold to care.

Monday, October 1st.

Monday, October 1st: Todays miles = 10.2. Total PCT miles = 2,409.7. Miles remaining = 253.8.

It's raining. Right now I am in my tent. It's 10:04pm and I have just finished eating dinner, cleaning up my stove and cook pot, and brushing my teeth. Even despite the rain and strong winds I feel safe and protected in my tent. I have seen this tent brave through many strong storms and I have (almost) full confidence in it for tonight. I woke up this morning to another beautiful day. It took me a while to get moving because of the migraine I've had for the past few days. Yesterday I took both Ibprophin and Excedrin Migraine to try and kill it but it didn't even come close. I managed to get some more Ibprophin down this morning to take the edge off so that I could open my eyes and start thinking about packing my things. Eventually I got up and moseyed my way down a ski slope and into "town". As many of the "towns" on the PCT they are not really towns. This particular spot, Snoqualmie Pass, was a ski resort with a motel, gas station, and pancake house. Despite the fact that they are not actually towns us hikers call them that anyway because they are examples of some sort of civilization. I got into town around 9:30am and headed straight for the pancake house. I ordered blueberry pancakes with hashbrowns and an english muffin. Perhaps it was too ambitious of me because I had to give my english muffin away. I think I had filled my stomach with too much coffee and was unable to eat it. I did clean the rest of the food off the plate, though, with almost no trouble at all. My appetite for the past week has been amazingly strong. I know that I have hiked 2,400 miles so far and that my body wants as much as it can get but the hunger I have felt recently is nothing like I have ever experienced. Even throughout my entire AT hike I never felt this way. People keep telling me that its because its getting cold and the mountains are getting harder. Thats exactly what happened at the end of the AT as well. Although, I experienced the opposite last year on the AT. During the end of my hike my appetite lessened. I was eating a normal amount of food; the same as if I hadn't just hiked over 2,000 miles. I don't know what it is but the habit of eating this much food is starting to get very heavy on my pack and wallet (especially when resupplying at gas stations where everything is three times the price).

I stayed in town from 9:30am to 4:30pm. I ate, resupplied, sewed my pants back together (they had become more resemblant of chaps than pants) and watched as all the other hikers within a day of me booked themselves a hotel room for the night. I wanted to get a room as well, of course, but the rooms were expensive and the owner was a dick. So, I left town as dirty, smelly, and pathetically repugnant as I entered it.

I hiked 8.2 miles up a giant mountain with a full pack to my camp spot tonight. There was suppose to be a lake up here (which was my water source for the night) but I have yet to find it. The sky was clear until the last few miles of the hike and with the darkness came the fog and eventual rain. I did manage to set up my tent just in time before the rain began, however, I still couldn't locate the lake. The fog is so thick I could not see a thing coming down the pass which was on the side of a cliff (which my luck always seems to prove while night hiking). I looked around a bit for the lake but heavy fog mixed with a head lamp = zero visibility. The lake is most likely a few yards from me and in the morning with the sunlight I will feel rather disinclined by the situation. It was a good thing I lugged too much water up this mouuntain or else I wouldn't have had water to cook dinner, that or else I would have had to put forth more effort in finding said mystery lake.

Sunday, September 30th.

Sunday, September 30th: Todays miles = 24.9 . Total PCT miles = 2,399.5. Miles remaining = 264.

Today was another late start and another late night! It was a rough 24.9 miles today! Although, the weather was BEAUTIFUL! I wouldn't have dared to ask for a better day. During the afternoon I actually took my pants off and went down to my hiking skirt. I didn't realize how dirty my legs were until that moment. There were also new muscles that have appeared in my legs that I have not noticed until today because I've had them covered for so long. Today was a good mood day; a "sad the trail is ending" day.

It is Fall and the mountains are behaving to the season! The trees have become an amazing array of colors and textures. The ground is crisp and chill. The smell of Autumn is everywhere; there is no escaping it. I'm not complaining in the slightest. Autumn is my favorite season by far and I am throughly enjoying being in the wilderness for it. I'm from Buffalo. We don't have a 'season' of Fall, we have the 'week' of Fall. It's Autumn in Buffalo for one week (give or take) and then it snows. So, having the season be so prevalent out here is a wonderful experience!

I walked most of the day muttering to myself things like "Amazing, simply amazing", "How beautiful", Holy shit, look at those colors" and so forth. I would hike todays hike 10 times over just to see those colors again! I couldn't tell you what mountains I hiked over today or where even I was exactly. All I knew was that I was in Washington on a beautiful day being smothered with Autumn, and I loved every minute of it!

Saturday, September 29th.

Saturday, September 29th: Todays miles = 24.5 . Total PCT miles = 2,374.6. Miles remaining = 288.9.

Cold, foggy, wet (but not raining), then freezing cold. I think this does a good job at summing up the day. I woke up in the morning and knew it was going to be one of those days; those Washington horror story days that I have heard about. The morning pretty much tells you what the rest of the day is going to be like here in Washington and I knew I was in for it. I hiked the entire day bundled up in my pants, fleece, hat, and gloves! The wind was whipping through the fleece and chilling me to the bone. The hiking was pretty mellow today but the conditions were not, making for a difficult day. The nice thing about today was the smell of the forest. All day smelled like Christmas because of the abundant pine. It made me anxious for the holidays with my friends and family and all the creature comforts I can take. My mood changes from day to day. Some days I can't wait to be home baking Christmas cookies while others I become depressed at the thought of the trail ending. I have come to discover that there is a direct correlation between the weather and my mood.

I climbed up and over Blowout Mt. late in the afternoon and for a split second the sky cleared and I had a view. It didn't last long and before I could even take a picture it fogged in again. Ah, well...at least it didn't rain.

Friday, September 28th.

Friday, September 28th. Todays miles = 18.1. Total PCT miles = 2,350.1. Miles remaining = 313.4.

I woke up this morning to the sounds of hungover hikers rustling around in want of coffee. I don't know how they all managed to wake up before I did but I too got up shortly after and had my fair share of coffee. The trail angel, Sam, let me make banana pancakes for breakfast before she drove a few other hikers and I back to the trail head. I didn't start hiking today until 11am. All these late morning starts are cutting my mileage down. Some days I care (when its freezing rain) and others I don't (when it's sunny and warm). The hike today was decently easy and I got to my camp spot just before dark. Big Cat was there already setting up his things for the night. I camped with Baboon and Big Cat.

Thursday, September 27th

Thursday, September 27th: Todays miles = 9.2. Total PCT miles = 2,332. Miles remaining = 331.5.

The mornings hike was difficult and slow for me. My energy level was low despite the amount of food I have been eating. I only made it 9.2 miles today before I got to highway 410 where there was a note from a trail angle, Sam. I had no idea who Sam was but I didn't care. She had written in her note that she had a camp set up just 5 miles down the road off of the highway AND that she would be around every hour or so to pick up hikers and take them there. So, I sat and waited. She rolled up about 45 minutes later and asked "you guys in a hurry or down to have some fun?". Baboon and I looked at each other and our answer was clear. We then piled in to her Jeep and road to the camp. At her camp she had a BIG tent set up. She also had shelves built into trees that held copious amounts of food, all which she said we could eat at our will. She made daily beer and liquor runs to town, enticing hikers to stay the night. We were successfully enticed. I chose not to drink, remembering my punishment suffered in Crescent City. I did, however, enjoy watching everyone else drink themselves into a stupor and pass out in various places around the camp site. Instead of drinking, I chose to eat. It was a good nero (near zero mileage) day!

Wednesday, September 26th.

Wednesday, September 26th: Todays miles = 19.8. Total PCT miles = 2,322.8. Miles remaining = 340.7.

I got a ride out of Packwood at about 10am from a man driving a BIG produce delivery truck. You never think semi's or other large trucks are going to stop and to be honest, even if they did I didn't know how comfortable I would feel about getting in. This truck was the first one to ever stop for me and it was not uncomfortable at all getting in. The driver had a lot of questions about the trail and after the 20 mile ride he dropped me off right at the trail head. My pack felt so heavy for the first 10 miles. I was hiking slowly and wasn't really enjoying myself... and then I entered Ranier National Forrest. By this time it was already dark but the moon was almost full. Mt. Ranier came into view with the glow of the moon just behind it. The smoke from the wildfire sat at the base of the mountain but peaking up through the smoke I could see the snow capped summit of the 14,000ft mountain! It stopped me in my tracks. Part of me was wishing it was daylight so I could have a better view but after being introduced to Mt. Ranier the way I was I wouldn't want it any other way. I hiked another 2 miles on the side of a cliff (in the dark) with the mountain in view the whole time. Everything from that point on was perfect. I got to my camp spot and no one else was there so I didn't have to worry about making noise. The temperature was perfect; just a bit chilly but completely comfortable. I could see the almost full moon between the trees of my camp spot. I didn't have any trouble setting up my tent (I usually have a hard time getting the stakes in the ground because its always so hard). My tent which usually seems so small felt like a mansion. My dinner cooked perfectly and it was the perfect amount. The elk were making thier call down in the valley and the sound carried up, putting me to sleep. I felt more at home there at that random spot in the mountains than I ever have. I slept well.

Nothing significantly special happened today, but in years to come when I look back on the Pacific Crest Trail tonight is one of those nights that will stand out. For that evening, my whole world was unmistakably beautiful!

Tuesday, September 25th.

Tuesday, September 25th: Zero day in Packwood. As most zeros, this one was not planned. The Motel Packwood offered a cheap enough room to convince me to stay, eat popcorn, and watch TV. There was nothing good on. I filled my belly with an unadmit-able (probably not a word) amount of peaches. I've been having a thing for peaches since Bend and the ones at the general store were surprisingly good. It was a good zero.

Monday, September 24th

Monday, September 24th: Todays miles = 20.2. Total PCT miles = 2,303. Miles remaining = 360.5.

Goat Rocks was spectacular!! I did not expect it to be as wonderful as it was nor did I expect the sky to be clear enough to see any of it. The smoke from the wildfires hindered the view a little but the view I had was sufficient enough. Goat Rocks is a mountain range that was formed when Mt. St. Helen's errupt in 1980. What is now Goat Rocks used to be part of the mountain but due to the explosion of Mt. St. Helen, Goat Rocks are now their own mountains. Because of the explosion the mountains are jagged and sharp. Every part of the mountains are steep and dangerous to hike. I actually hiked across what is called 'knifes edge'. The trail is about a foot wide in this part with about a foot or two of ground on either side of the trail. Past this extra space on either side of the trail are cliffs that go straight down to the valley. All I kept thinking while hiking this section was 'keep you hands and feet on the trail at all times...' and then I slipped. I managed to catch myself without any real danger but it scared me into being more careful with each step. Even with my increased level of awareness and precision I still managed to slip and fall a few more times. The trail was not the most sturdy and each step I took I felt unsure about. Especially the section where the trail was washed out leaving just a sand slide on the side of a cliff that we had to pass through. The ground in this section gave away under your feet. After studying the trail for a moment trying to decide how I was going to pass without falling thousands of feet to my death I decided that I would have to hold on to the mountain rocks with my hands as I dragged my feet across the washed out section. The moment I grabbed onto a part of the mountain rock it pulled right off the mountain as well, leaving me with nothing to hang onto. Baboon passed through first. Terrified, I was screaming as he attempted to make his way to the other side "I swear to God if you fall and I have to watch you bouncing off that cliff for a thousand feet...." and so on...
He made it though but not without a few slips resulting in panicked gasps from me. Next it was my turn. I took my first step and the ground felt like it was melting under my feet. My strategy was to test the ground before I put my foot on it. I was mostly trying to step on rocks but even the rocks were not held tightly in the ground and would give way. My heart was racing. It was the first time I actually felt in danger on the trail (except on Katahdin in a blizzard). After it was all said and done and we both were safely on the other side it seemed pretty bad ass...but I wouldn't want to do it again.

I made it to the road by 6:40pm! It wasn't until 8:15pm that I got a hitch into town. It was dark by the time I got the hitch and I wasn't sure at that point if I would get one at all. By this time it had gotten so cold outside I was bundled up in almost everything I have. I was so relieved when the car stopped to let us in. The man drove us right to the center of town where I got a pizza and walked over to 'Motel Packwood'. I had one of the better hot showers of my life then curled up under the covers not believing that just that afternoon I was hanging off the side of a disintegrating cliff.

Sunday, September 23rd.

Sunday, September 23rd: Todays miles = 20.7. Total PCT miles = 2,282.8. Miles remaining = 380.7.

It was a decent day today. The first part of the day was really cold and damp. It warmed up for a little while in the afternoon but then began getting cold again around 4pm. My only complaint about today was my knee. I thought it would get better if I ignored it and just continued walking but apparently 'walking it off' is not the solution for this particular problem. Or, maybe it is and I just need to suck it up and walk some more. Either way, by the time I got to camp tonight my knee was so swollen that I could not even straighten it out all the way. I was hobbling around like my leg was broken again! It made for a rough night. The pain of it kept me up most of the night and I could only lay in one position because there was only one position in which my knee would bend. I'm a little concerned about tomorrows hike because I am climbing Goat Rocks. The downhill on Goat Rocks is the steepest downhill on the PCT and downhills are notorious for damaging ones knees; that and the fact that I will be pushing to hike 20 miles in time to get to the road tomorrow to hitch into Packwood before dark.

Saturday, September 22nd.

Saturday, September 22: Todays miles = 42.8. Miles hiked = 20. Total PCT miles = 2,262.1. Miles remaining = 401.4.

There is a reason my miles for today and my miles hiked are different numbers. It's because the PCT was on fire....again. The section of trail around Mt. Adams closed officially on the 20th because the PCT itself caught on fire. I didn't know of this until I got to the road to Trout Lake. My initial plan was to skip going into Trout Lake altogether and continue on to Packwood Pass. I had no choice but to go into Trout Lake after I got to the road and found the trail ahead to be closed. I got a hitch almost immediately from a couple going in the opposite direction who turned around and drove me 25 miles out of their way to town. 'Town' was a very small general store and a diner, nothing else. No joke. It was enough, though, to find out enough information about the fire to make a decision. I decided to take the detour around the fire which was shorter than the PCT. There wasn't another option really, besides walking into a burning fire zone.

I had a hard time getting up this morning. It rained last night; not too hard and not for very long but it was enough to wet my tent fly and make the air humid. It has rained twice on the PCT for me. Both times were at night. I'm not going to say anything more about this because I don't want to go jinxing anything. Anyway, I didn't get hiking until after 8am. This morning felt like an AT morning. My tent was wet. The air was frigid. The ground saturated and almost frozen. The wind was blowing just enough to chill you to the bone and shake the access rain off of the trees. Fog blew in and covered any view you might have had. Even the trail itself seemed more AT like. The ground was dirt, a mud (which I had yet to see on the PCT). There was actually moisture on the ground and in the air. I walked through an old growth forest away from the ridge of the mountains. Even with the miserable conditions of this morning I actually really enjoyed the hike. It was nostalgic in a way; reminding me of all the uncomfortable moments of the AT that you look back on thinking..."eh, that wasn't so bad". Yes, yes, it was. It's miserable. Time allows you to forget just how physically uncomfortable you can actually get. All it takes is a little rain when it's 35 degrees out and you have nowhere to go to seek shelter.

My low food situation was taken care of when arriving at the small store. I now have too much food for the 41 miles to Packwood pass. I would rather have too much food than count out my M&Ms.
I'm looking forward to Goat rocks. I'm not sure what it is but I have been told to look forward to it so I am doing just that. So far Washington has not impressed me. It's a hard act to follow Oregon but I guess I expected a little more from Washington. There's still almost 400 miles left of the state. Maybe it's too soon to place judgement. The only thing I have gotten out of Washington has been difficult climbs with no rewards. The fog can be pretty sometimes but not when there's a giant epic mountain I want to see just beyond it.

I'm camped with Baboon tonight on the side of the trail not far from water. The time has begun to set my tent up properly each night. I am often lazy but after the rain last night I want a bit more protection tonight.

Friday, September 21st.

Friday, September 21st: Todays miles = 24.7. Total PCT miles = 2,219.3. Miles remaining = 444.2.

It was COLD today. I actually had to bust out my gloves during the afternoon. The fear has been put back into me. I had lost the concern that the weather might not hold out but today I found it once more. Even though the day turned out to be ok in the end, for a few hours today I was scared that it was going to stay cold. Not to say that it got particually warm at all today but it was comfortable enough to hike.

Washington is maintaining it's reputation of being difficult. I was up and hiking by 6:11 this morning. I woke up a few minutes before my 5 o'clock alarm, made my oatmeal, and packed up in time to start hiking before the sun woke up. It was the first time on the PCT that I had to use my head lamp in the morning because it was still dark out. Even with my early start I still didn't get to my camp spot until after 7pm! Washington hiking is slow. All you do is go up one giant mountain (12-15 miles of uphill) then down, and up another.  It's going to be difficult to maintain a 25 mile a day average here, but I'm going to try nonetheless. One thing that I did not anticipate for Washington was how much food I would want to eat. When resupplying in Cascade Locks I bought enough food for 6 1/2 days of hiking. I've been eating around the same amount of food now for about 1,500 miles. I was very confident in how much food to pack out but I always take a little extra just in case. I have already eaten ALL my extra food and now am down to my bare minimum. I had to dump out my food bag and sort it all into separate zipelocks; one for each day. I have just been eating and eating non stop all day. I knew if I didn't ration myself all my food would be gone by the end of tomorrow. I've never had to do this before. I always just eat what I want, within reason (for hiking) and I usually roll into town with a little food to spare. I'm not overly confident at this point that the food I have is going to be enough for another 3 1/2 days, although, it has to be. I did come across a bucket of trail magic today by a road. It had Starbursts and M&Ms in it. That helped me out a lot today. I've gone as far as to ration out my bag of M&Ms as well.

Camped with Baboon by a lake slightly off trail. It's going to be another cold night.

Thursday, September 20th

Thursday, September 20th: Todays miles = 20.3. Total PCT miles = 2194.5. Miles remaining = 469.

Washington is a lot more difficult than Oregon!! I feel like all I have been doing since I got into this state is going uphill.

I woke up this morning before the sun. I was so proud of myself for getting up earlier than usual. I checked my clock and it was 6:40am! I would have sworn it was 5am by the lack of sunlight. The days have begun to get shorter and there will be no escaping hiking in the dark every day now. It's almost completely dark by 7:30 at night and if the sun isn't rising until almost 7am I'll need new head lamp batteries pretty soon. I really do not like night hiking. Everything about it makes me want to stop, set up my tent, and go to sleep. Every noise of the woods seems 10 times louder in the dark. The wind blows and it's no longer refreshing but eerie. The head lamp light distorts your perception of where the trail is and I often trip. The more I hike at night, though, the more comfortable is becomes.

Today I crossed the 2,181 mile mark! This number may not seem important to most people but for me it is rather significant. The Appalachian Trail is 2,181 miles long, therefore, as of today I have hiked the same distance this year as last. The PCT is 482.5 miles longer than the AT so everyday now on the PCT makes for the longest distance I've ever hiked. There are 469 miles remaining on this hike for me. I have 20 more days to enjoy being out here on the trail. When you leave for the trail you don't really allow yourself to think of the end. It seems so far away and impossible to reach. You wake up, hike, eat, and sleep....day after day. You never really feel like your getting anywhere but on days like today when you realize that all you have left is 20 days you ask yourself 'where have all the miles gone?'. The trail is winding down to an end. I still have 469 miles but compared to what I have already done it feels like the last leg of the trail. Soon I will be standing at that monument in Canada wishing I could start at the beginning again. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be wonderful taking that first shower after the trail knowing I don't have to walk out into the woods again right away. Putting on baggy, cotton clothing (pajama pants and a hoodie) instead of tight spandex-ey material is going to be a feeling I have long missed. All the little things in our lives that we take for granted are going to seem so much sweeter to me; water out of a faucet, toilets, electricity, fresh foods, etc. Although, if I remember correctly, after the AT I tried to wear other clothes and found myself still walking around town in my hiking getup. I couldn't adjust to jeans right away. I couldn't sleep in a bed, use a blanket other than my sleeping bag, even sleep inside. I slept with my head lamp in arms reach in case I needed to get up in the night, forgetting I could turn on the lights. There were so many little things that made readjusting to the world so difficult. The moment you get off the trail there is a sinking feeling that erupts in your stomach; a pain in your whole body. You push yourself so hard to finish the trail, to make it to the end, and once you get there it's so hard to understand why you feel so sad. Your whole life aches for the trail. You submerge yourself back into your old world. There is no easing into it. One moment you are a traveling hiker living in the middle of nowhere with a backpack and then your thrown back into this crazy fast pace world. Everyone is asking you how your 'vacation' was. You try to explain what you have just gone through. You tell them stories and explain with as much detail as you can but there is no way possible to make anyone truly understand what it means to thru-hike. A thru hike is not a vacation, its just life on the trail. The things you experience while on a hike change you forever. The people you meet, the challenges you endure, the physical and occasion emotional pain you suffer while out here, the spectacular moments in nature; I have never had anything in my life compare to the endurance and difficulty of a thru hike. It's an addiction. I have a feeling that I will always be seeking out for my next fix.

Wednesday, September 19th.

Wednesday, September 19th: Todays miles =19.2. Total PCT miles = 2,174.2

I finally left Cascade Locks today around 11am after coffee and breakfast at the only restaurant in town. The first part of the day was crossing 'The bridge of the Gods'. The PCT went over the bridge yet there was no walking lane on the bridge. I had to walk in the car lane (with construction being done on the bridge) while the cars and semi's were flying past. The bridge was a good 150 feet from the water and the road on the bridge was just a grate. I was hoping not to drop anything while taking the 5 minute walk across. You couldn't help looking down to the water directly below your feet. Just on the other side of the bridge was the sign welcoming me into Washington!! California = check! Oregon = check! Just 490 miles left of the PCT from where I am camped tonight. I have three weeks to hike these miles.

Cascade locks was just above sea level so I spent the entire days hike climbing back up in elevation. All but a few miles of todays 19.2 mile hike was uphill; some of the steeper uphill I've done in a bit. Despite the uphill today I felt pretty well all day. The surplus of food I consumed in town always helps the first few days out.

Camped by water with Baboon, Diesel, and Pitfall

Monday and Tuesday, September 17th and 18th.

Monday, September 17th: Todays miles = 16.2. Total PCT miles = 2,155. Cascade Locks.

Today was beautiful! I hiked the Eagle Creek trail around a few waterfalls including the water fall that you hike behind! This waterfall is pretty damn tall and the trail actually goes through a little cave like pathway behind the waterfall. It was worth seeing. I would actually love to come back out at some point and hike the Eagle Creek trail again. It was one of the most enjoyable sections of trail I have hiked out here. After the Eagle Creek trail I moseyed my way into the town of Cascade Locks. I got a room for the night and ate food and watched shitty TV. It was awesome! I made it to the ice cream joint before they closed and got the biggest soft serve ice cream cone I have ever gotten in my life (I ordered a medium). After seeing the size of the medium I was way to intimidated to order the large the next day. The plan is to hike out in the morning after going to the general store one last time.

Tuesday, September 18th: Zero day.

Baboon and I had are things packed up and ready to leave town when we stopped at the ice cream place for one last cone. It was here where my day got interesting. A professional looking woman came up to us and started up a conversation. She had a man with an official video camera with her. She explained that she was from the Portland News station and was doing a story on the wildfire smoke in the valley. She asked us some questions on film and took a few shots of us hiking away. She then told us that our interview would be on the news tonight if we wanted to watch it. No real convincing necessary. Baboon and I walked straight back to the hotel and got another night. I spent the night watching 'How I met your mother', eating microwave pizza, and eventually catching Baboon and I on the local news!

Sunday, September 16th.

Sunday, September 16: Todays miles miles = 26.6 . Total PCT miles = 2238.8.

My knee was my biggest challenge today until the stress fracture started hurting again. Ibprophine was my friend for the last 10 miles today. I think I over extended my knee at some point and now every step is stiff and painful. I'm hoping it fixes itself with a little time. Walk it off.

Saturday, Septemeber 15th.

Saturday, September 15th: Todays miles = 18.5. Total PCT miles = 2,111.5.

I slept in. I guess I can't really call it sleeping in at this point because you have to normally wake up earlier to consider it sleeping in. After my late wake up I got distracted in talking to a man named 'Twice' who was out for a section. He got his named because he cycled across the country...twice! He was headed Sobo (Southbound) on the trail and had information about water sources and such. I wasn't hiking until almost 10am. I got to Timberline Lodge at the base of Mt. Hood in time to catch the lunch buffet. It was a horrible idea. It was rather pricy and I felt compelled to get my moneys worth. I ate myself sick...very sick. I'm still recovering 7 hours later. I went into a food coma and didn't leave the lodge until after 5pm, hence the low mileage day.

The hike out of the lodge was beautiful, though. I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have to stop every few minutes because of stomach pain. The trail went right next to Mt. Hood with a view of the peak almost the entire time. I am camped on the side of a cliff tonight...literally. I keep hearing a rock slide. Its either the bear I saw a mile ago trying to climb up the mountain or some other animal. By the sounds of it, its not doing a very good job.

Friday, September 14th

Friday, September 14th: Todays miles = 26. Total PCT miles = 2,093.

My feet were extreamly sore today. Every step hurt. I popped a few of the blisters and tried to wrap them up the best I could with the supplies I had; a pocket knife, toilet paper, and duck tape. My bandage held up for the most part until the toilet paper I was using as a protective gauze got wet. By the end of the day it turned into a disintegrated mess held tightly to my skin with duck tape over open, pussing blisters. It wasn't pleasant to unwrap at the end of the day.

The hiking today was nicer than I could ask for. The trail was graded and mild. I threw myself into a pretty intense daydream and hit the trail! I love daydreaming while hiking; it makes the day go by so quickly, AND you get to be a bad ass super hero fraternizing with Batman! Hiking couldn't get any better!

I arrived at my camp spot for tonight in the dark and accidentally woke a man sleeping in his tent just 5 yards from me (I couldn't see his tent in the dark and I screamed in excitement when I saw a fire pit). I also got excited when I realized my water source for the night was a beautiful spring. I got water, set up my tent, and went to bed. I didn't bother to cook dinner tonight. I was too lazy and the mosquitoes were out. I just curled up in my sleeping bag for the night. I would eat in the morning.

Thursday, September 13th

Thursday, September 13th: Todays miles = 23.4. Total PCT miles = 2,067.

My alarm didn't go off this morning but despite that I got started an hour earlier today than yesterday. It wasn't cold this morning so getting out of my sleeping bag didn't take much effort. The day warmed up quickly and before I knew it I was hiking in just my skirt and long sleeve shirt! It has not been warm enough for me to be able to do this in a while now.

The mornings hike was beautiful. The trail curved through the different glacial mountains, across snow packs, and down jagged loose rock faces. It was a rather tactical hike until lunch. I ate lunch at a picnic table at a lake side campground. Picnic tables are highly underrated.

My new shoes are making my feet look like I have infected poison oak all over again. I have 6 blisters on my feet, one the size of a half dollar! Never before have I had blisters due to shoes. NEVER! I don't know what to do for blisters. It's not an issue I ever had to consider. So, My plan was to do nothing and continue to hike. My plan went well, minus the pain, until I reached camp. The largest of the blisters has puffed up larger than I ever though possible. I'm not sure how I'm going to hike tomorrow with it but I guess thats a tomorrow problem.

Wednesday, September 12th.

Wednesday, September 12th: Todays miles = 21.5. Total PCT miles = 2,043.6.

I could not get up this morning. Maybe it was because I hiked in the dark last night or because I took 5 days off in Bend (to visit my brother) but whatever it was kicked my ass. I didn't get moving until after 9am. Yesterday was this first time hiking in my new shoes. I bought a pair of Keen shoe-boot things in Bend hoping they will make it through the rest of the trail. I have been hiking in Solomons for over 4,000 miles and I was slightly nervous about changing my brand of footwear. I was right! If I thought yesterday sucked... Today was a horrible foot day! I have been lucky all this time because Solomons treat my feet amazingly (except for the fact that the shoes die after 300 miles). I never have blisters or hot spots. My feet never hurt. Two days in these Keens and I don't want to take another step. I'm telling myself that they just have to be worn in a bit but thats a new concept for me. I've never had to wear in my other shoes, they just always fit my feet perfectly. One good thing that these shoes offer is support for my legs. Usually I have sore legs by the end of the day but the Keens seem to support them much better than I'm used to. Hopefully in a few days and another 75 miles or so the shoes will be more comfortable.

The scenery today was amazing! I hiked through a few different glaciers and even above glacial ice patches (with rivers flowing underneath!). It was one of the most beautiful days in Oregon so far, although the ground was frozen this morning when I woke up. Last night got cold enough to freeze the ground and even to create tiny ice crystals on my tent. The afternoon warmed up for about an hour then the cold winds came back and cooled it right back down. Its almost constantly cold now. I left Bend with a fleece that Sarah, my brothers girlfriend, lent me. My fleece is being sent to Timberline lodge (3 days from now). I have worn the fleece almost the entire time since I left Bend. It would have been a miserable stretch without it. I know I'll need both fleeces soon, plus my jacket. I wear my thermals all the time now, along with my fleece hat. I don't want to imagine how cold its going to be in another few weeks.

Wednesday, September 5th - Tuesday, September 11th.

Wednesday, September 5th: Todays miles = 24. Total PCT miles = 1,974.

Thursday, September 6th: Todays miles = 15. Total PCT miles = 1,989. I hiked to the road into Bend OR today. It took a while to get a hitch but I finally did. I got dropped off at pizza hut and immediately ordered a pizza. My brother met me at pizza hut shortly after and drove me to his new house. I did a whole lot of nothing besides relax. We also picked up Natty and Navi and brought them to the house for the night.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday = Zero days in Bend!

Tuesday, September 11th: PCT mile = 2,022.1. I made it back to the trail by 2pm. It was pathetically hard to leave Bend.

Tuesday, September 4th.

Tuesday, September 4th: Todays miles = 25.6. Total PCT miles = 1,949.9.

I made it through the night last night despite the animal stalking my tent all night. It took me a while to let my mind shut off and fall asleep but once I did I actually got one of the better nights of sleep I've gotten in a while.

I got up around 6:30, packed my things, and started a morning fire to make my tea and oatmeal (I'm out of coffee and really didn't feel like a Poptart this morning). It was close to 8 by the time I started hiking. All day today I passed by beautiful lakes, some more beautiful than others. I stopped at a lake 15 miles in for lunch and got to dip my feet and legs in the water to clean them off. It was a wonderful lunch spot. I watched the ducks with their ducklings swim by while the sun shined just right on the big beautiful lake. I didn't want to get up and start hiking again but I knew I had at least 10 more miles in me for the day. Those ten miles went by more quickly than I could have asked for and before I knew it I was again at another lake but this time at my home for the evening. I set up my tent, started a fire, and began cooking my dinner. Dinner tonight started as a cheddar and broccoli rice side but quickly became a cheesy, broccoli, rice mixture with chili lentils, fresh green beans, fresh hot green pepper, black pepper, red pepper, parmesan cheese, crumbs from various snack bags, and tortilla pieces. It was kind of like a 'whatevers in your fridge soup' the day before grocery shopping but substitute fridge for food bag. I enjoyed my dinner slop and curled in my sleeping bag for what I hope is a large-animal free night!

Monday, September 3rd.

Monday,  September 3rd: PCT mile 1,924.3.

I woke up to Baboon saying my name. I don't know how he felt well enough to get up and start packing by 6:45am but I knew I sure as hell wasn't going to get up. I responded with a simple "I'm not getting up". He let it alone and finished packing up his things and headed to the cafe for breakfast. I took some pain killers and fell back asleep until I heard Navi rustling her gear around; no doubtfully uncovering herself of her tarp. I was packing up by 8am just as Baboon made his way back to the camp spot behind the bar with a belly full of breakfast and coffee. I then headed to the cafe as well. Two breakfast sandwiches later I finally started feeling a tad better. Next was a trip across the street to the little store. We bummed outside there for quite a while before gaining the energy to hitch back to the trail. It took a while to get a ride but once we did we were gifted fresh veggies to take on the trail with us.

I'm camped with Baboon tonight by a pond. It was the first night in a long time that we have made a camp fire. I had forgotten just how wonderful they are out here. I was all ready to go to sleep when I heard Baboon scream at something in the forest around where we are camped. I inquired as to what he was screaming at. He replied 'A coyote ...or a mountain lion...ughhh....I'm not really sure but its pretty big." Thats when I heard a loud crash behind my tent. Whatever it was it didn't seem to be too scared of us, which is unnerving. It ended up circling our camp for a while just letting its beady little eyes reflect from Baboons headlamp lights. We concluded that it was just interested in getting a drink from the pond. These are the things I tell myself so that I can have a chance at getting some sleep. We armed ourselves with our canister stoves in case the animal became aggressive. The idea being that we could light the stoves and turn them up all the way. This would create a small blow torch-like weapon if we held it outward.

I'm laying in my tent at the moment desperately having to pee but not wanting to get out of my tent to do so. For some reason your tent always feels safer than being outside of it in such a situation.

Sunday, September 2nd.

Sunday, September 2nd: PCT mile 1,914.

This morning I woke up to decent weather. The night didn't get as cold as the past few nights have gotten and the morning was almost bearable. I ate the gifted granola and blueberries that the two men gave me the night before and began hiking around 7:45. First I hiked 6.5 miles to a forest service road for a snack break. A small section of those miles were part of a burn site just a week ago! They had closed this section of trail because parts of it were being directly affected by the wild fire. Many hikers who passed through this area within the past few weeks were forced to skip by this section of trail because of this. I was lucky in that the trail was reopened just days before I got to it. Although, there were parts of the forest that were still smouldering.

Once I got to the forest service road I walked down the road 6/10ths of a mile to meet up with an alternate trail. This trail is an official alternate to the PCT. The reason I opted to take this trail for 20 miles was because the PCT in this section has almost no water sources whereas the alternate passed by many lakes. The alternate trail lead to a road which would take you into Crescent City. Navi got a hitch first followed by Baboon and I in the back of a Jeep. It was my first ever hitch in a Jeep. Jeep drivers almost never pick up hitchhikers it seems...and their suppose to be the outdoors type. It was a two part hitch to the bar. Our second ride was from the bartender at the exact bar we were aiming to go to (the only bar). She took us right to the parking lot as her shift was just about to start.

Baboon, Navi, and I took a seat at one of the tables, plugged in our electronics and promptly ordered a pitcher followed by a slew of fried food and a whole chicken (for Navi and Baboon). We sat at that table from 5pm to 11:30pm drinking and eating. I stopped after two or three decent glasses of beer because I know what alcohol can do to me while thru hiking. Even the smallest amount can send me into a horrible state. My body becomes so sensitive to it when maintaining such activity. So, I ordered myself a pitcher of water instead and sipped on it all night while I watched Navi and Baboon kill their 5th and 6th pitchers of beer. Even despite my attempt to take the responsible action I still woke up the next morning with the worst hangover of the three of us! Neither Baboon or Navi drank any water. Navi, in the morning stated that she was too drunk to set up her tarp after leaving the bar so she simply wrapped herself in it and fell asleep. I guess drinking and thru hiking are just two things that don't go together well for me.

We ended up setting up camp 75 yards from the back of the bar tucked away in some trees....not really hidden but at that particular point none of us cared so much. The weather had dropped drastically while we were at the bar and once we stepped outside we were greeted with and unpleasant situation. We spent a horrible 15-20 minutes fumbling with our gear trying to set it up with frozen fingers. Navi eventually gave up her attempt and as I stated before just wrapped herself in her tarp for added warmth. Baboon and I managed to get our tents up. It wasn't until the morning, though, that we realized we had set up on shards of broken glass.

Saturday, September 1st.

Saturday, September 1st: Todays miles = 23.6. Total PCT miles = 1,877.6.

It was SO cold this morning. A weekend hiker said it was 37 degrees at 7am. It stayed cold the rest of the day also. There was only one hour today that I didn't have to hike in either my pants or jacket. Other than it being cold, today was a wonderful day. The hiking felt easy and by the time I got to camp I felt like I hadn't hiked at all today. The water source for the camp spot was 4/10th a mile straight down a steep mountain, though. Going down wasn't so bad...

The trail today went by Mt. Thielsen just before we hit the PCT high point of Oregon and Washington. It was one of the coolest looking mountains I've seen in a while, probably because it was covered with pumice rocks. Water remains extreamly scarce. You would almost think we were back in the desert.

I met two guys that are camped at the same spot tonight who are out for a three day trip. Baboon and I spent the evening talking with them and swapping stories and telling them about the trail. They ended up giving us a lot of food that they had over packed! Some if it included candy bars, mountain houses, and doughnuts! That food helps out more than they can know.