Start: 303.9
Stop: 323.6
Today’s miles: 19.7
Total PCT miles: 511.4
I tossed and turned, a lot, but overall I think I slept well. I got up around 6:45 and felt guilty as hell as I started to pack and could hear Stache waking up because of me. Sorry, buddy!
Marquis and Margot left out around 7 and I was out at 7:15. My campsite had a gorgeous view of Mount Rainier, at that moment it wasn’t covered in clouds. I ended up brushing my teeth on trail, to leave Stache alone, but had to wait awhile before I could eat my breakfast.. I’m glad I switched from oatmeal to something quick, like poptarts or breakfast bars-I don’t like them all that much but they can be eaten while I walk.
The first 6 miles flew by. It was wooded and mossy and had simple climbs and soft descents. Around 9:45 I caught up to Margot in a burn zone. We sat and rested our feet a bit. Burn zones are sad and usually hot with no reprieve from the blaring sun. We ended up walking through several burn zones today, but that first one was the only tough one for me, with a bit more of a steady slow climb than before.
The water is also not as frequent, so trying to remember when and where the last water will be was irritating.. but not terrible. I didn’t need a whole lot today anyway. Marquis told us of a plane crash site and Margot and I decided to get there to eat lunch, too. When I made it, I laid my tent out to dry the condensation and then headed down to the site. It was anticlimactic. There was just the motor and very little scrap metal left, no body or wings.
We had lunch together, laying in the sun and resting our feet. Marquis had carried on before I even left to see the plane crash, he had already eaten, too. He’s fast.. eating and walking lol. When I got going again, it was back through a burn zone and then into a gorgeous meadow with the last water running through it. I filled up my 2 liters there and sat and talked to Annie and Riley (who had caught up to us at the crash site, saw the plane and carried on) until Margot came walking up minutes later.
I was mostly joking, but I wanted to camp right there. The sites were beautiful, the trees were lush and the meadow had so many wildflowers.. not to mention the water was there. Even still, after sitting a bit, I continued on. The trail climbed up to a ridge line and then followed the ridge around several mountains. It was the most beautiful part of the day, watching moody clouds roll in and over me, until I was actually inside the cloud itself.
I also had great cell service during all of this ridge line walking, so I called Mom and Aunt Kathy and Uncle Keith! I spent the last hour or so of my hike catching up with my three favorite people. It really perked me up, not that I wasn’t already happy.. I guess I was just that much happier now. When I finally got to where Marquis was, just past a junction, I was worried.
He said the comments on our app said there were good campsites down this side trail a little bit. The side trail looks like an animal trail, but ok. He waited before going down so that we wouldn’t miss him.. since I had finally made it to him (5:45pm), he went down to scope out the sites while I waited on the trail at the top to make sure Margot didn’t pass. When she got to me, we went down the steep mountainside, too. Both slipping a little but not completely falling.
The sites.. well.. they suck. We’re all 3 shoved in and around some trees and rocks. All of our sights are slanted and lopsided. It’s on par with the day of the thunderstorms and hail when we had to backtrack and bushwhack only to find slanted spots. There weren’t many options around this area though. We considered pushing 3.3 miles to a lake, but many people would already be there, and Margot has some serious blisters coming up on her feet, since her shoes are falling apart on her. She gets new ones on Saturday morning. I know she can’t wait.
I’m pretty excited for Saturday, too. I’m ready for my good meals Mom sent me (the last ones I had at home), a shower, and some real laundry-because that hand washing in the sink business is not enough for my socks. We still have tomorrow and Friday to get through, and then we’ll have all day Saturday to do our chores. Marquis may head into town on Friday instead, but I think we’re planning on being more cautious with the whole norovirus business going. Who knows, though? We’ll see what happens. Goodnight!