White pass to Snoqualmi

I left White pass in the afternoon. During the morning I was charging electronics and just talking with people.Adam and Ali show up around. There was around 20 hikers. Easy day without much elevation. In the camp-site  invite  me to my first s'more , holly molly !! this is the evolution of a  marshmallows. God save America. It's the marshmallow with a piece of chocolate and biscuit in the sides doing a sandwich. A caloric bomb....perfect.

Next day we approach to Mt Raynier, I think is the higher point in Washington. We just pass by the side. It is the type of are that I like it. Very vertical, exposed and walking through a ridge. One guy show me a picture of a mountain lion that he just show....so lucky, they are around.

In Chinook Pass we got some trail magic from Animal's friend. The had a weight machine. I jump in , something like 58 Kg, I was shock , people like to me like you are in trouble. I though can not be possible I did again , around 68 ok ok ok I lost a lot of weight but but not 15 Kg, anyway I have 2 more weeks left and after I will gain all the weight I am just getting ultralight........

That night I bunch of people camp around a lake just after the pass. I see lumbert eating cold noodles, what happen?? I lost my stove......ohhpss. I offered mine....We set to cow - boy camping I started to see mouses. shit, typical place. One guy show me his mouse trap, don't worry, I clean the area......I think it is a good peace of gear. Mice like to jump over you during the night just to piss you off, specially walk and jump over your hat, just to wake you up. I keep my food in zip lock backs , for different days, this bags goes into the main cuben fibre food bag, this bag into a trash liner bag , and this bag into the main backpack. If a mouse want to go into the food it would take him all the night.

Already in bed we show 2 eyes walking around.....oh man it is going to be the mountain lion, what is what is.....a deer ...ohh dear.....I just going to sleep...I will just do some noise if someone try to eat me. 

eyes in the dark.

The next morning was foggy, by the afternoon started a little thin rain. It is already hunter season with riffle so carefully  when you got to the toilet.....I check the possibility to reach a big hut for tonight as probably rain tonight. Normally I avoid this places as there are full of mice and full of snore people. Yes you have cover but I prefer sleep with the starts roof. When I reach the valley I saw all the humidity , fog and rain , straight to the Hut. Many people was there : GT, auris, neon, zinamon et c . They quickly set up a tomahawk throwing competition. The Hut had a good pile of wood so we were able to sit down outside around a big fire and also set the wood stove inside.

2 shadows show up between the mist , hunters , they stop for a few minutes , they have his bass close by. It was full moon , I have the joke with neon that tonight we go hunt Elk, just sneaking in the Valley with the light of the moon. Thankfully 3 more hikers arrived. They were coming from the dirt road, they will stay in the hut for a week, and.....they brought some alcohol. When I saw they have the classic jars with a liquid inside I though , yes Welcome to America! I tasted wow this is super good , what is this? Moonshine my friends. I saw this in so many films, it has a nice honey - cinamon - lemon taste. We stay until late around the fire. 

terror movie hut

I stay very warm during the night , when I opened the door the mist still was there, the Hut was really convenient   tonight. I crossed some burned areas and a nice lake just before heading to Snoqualime pass.

I reached the 2400 miles mark. I can not believe it, the miles start to fly by, 100 after 100. The first 1000 miles of the trail I average 13 miles a day., in Yosemite I thought seriously in quit, it was impossible. I will have to put over 20 miles average , without 0 days .......the last 1000 I am averaging over 20 miles a day. I don't have the need to recover , no much 0 days, my body just get use to it, I hike more hours, no much breaks......getting there. It is crazy what your body can do. My last bed was in Ashland, 700 miles ago.......and I don't fell tired.

My plan was to stop a few miles before Snoqualmi pass to avoid the noise  as it is a big inter-estate but the idea of hot food was too hard. I spot close to town a good place to pass the night between tree with little noise, perfect. Quite a lot of ethylic hikers around ..  Snoqualmi pas is basically a service area for the interstate with a small sky lift , few hotels , not much.....

Cascade Locks to White pass

People always say: in Washington rains. It was like that. I did not got soak in the trail yet. It would be the first day in Washington when I will finish soak soak. I crossed the Bridge of Gods in rain, leaving in the afternoon. I thought in stay another day in Cascade locks to see if the Weather improve. You think : be realistic, it could rain for weeks , this is Washington , just suck it out !

You cross the Bridge and everything change. All is green , full of bushes trees..etc all over , wet. ok this is that Wet forest that everybody talk about. Heat for me is ok but rain..... one day ok , 2 days ok but more, everything will get wet, what about a down sleeping bag.......better be really carefully with that.Even if it is not raining you get wet with this fog always around or with the touch of any wet leafs.

I am learning, PCT is all about adaptability, the learning curve still is there, new experiences. From Dessert to High Sierras to Wet Forest. It scare me the possibility of get wet and after hypothermia. I may order some extra clothes.

That day Hot Legs overtake me, he was delayed as he tear his sleeping bag in the washing machine, the same bag than me, so I was thinking to wash but no, I don't take the risk, this bag need to go to Canada. I checked the maps , ok only 1 big tent site it would be more people. Please , please, the first one should do a fire to dry out.  I did the last mile in dark and yes I saw a fire in the distance , thanks good, thanks!!!! It was a group of weekend hikers. I did not full dry but it is very mental to have a fire in a wet day. Harder was next morning....ufff wet cold socks.....

Next days were not very spectaculars , up and downs leaving the civilization. I had hikers around in this area. I met Lambert, a real character. One night i reach a campsite in dark and I cow - boy camp, next day, still in bed , I saw a familiar tent and a familiar shape, It could be Ali and Alam, I look for a few minutes but I realize there were not their backpacks. My surprise was went they show up, wowowowowowo what a surprise! what happens with your bags, new ones they change them for us in REI. cool.....

Another good surprise was to met again with string cheese, I hiked with her in northern California,  In Castella she continue north into the fires and I did the walk road. She was south bounding this part to go to the PCT days ( good idea ) I though about , get a ride from Hard pass , but finally I arrived late there so I skip it.

Trout lake suppose to be a difficult hitch  and it was starting to rain. I would get very piss off if I got soak getting a ride by the road. Determination, look to the driver , put the finger, stop stop. The first car , I wait like 3 seconds, it was a local hunter. Pit stop in trout lake, 2 hours, resuply and bye bye.

I am getting trouble to find places to camp in this area , all is full of bushes no free spaces I am relaying more in maps and app for campsites. 

Walking around Mt Adams a found the gipsy town group. I know most of them from the dessert and they have a good mood.I hiked the last miles of the trail with Whiskey,always if fun with him and we have some discussions.  I camped the first night with some of them by a nice little creek, fire and some games around.

Next morning was very early when I leave camp, between the early morning fog and the bushes show up a figure. WTF !! a bow arrow hunter ! in full camouflage gear......he took his net from the head to talk....my goodness, the fucking Rambo ( a fat guy).... Did you see any elk? I though you have 4 in puffy jackets 1 mile back.....lol

 I was getting into the Goat Rocks Wilderness , the knife edge...I did the first pass in the dust  the area is really nice, ok this is real Washington.  I love to hike at this time of the day, the light is perfect, is quite and there are animals around , I  camped in dark, it was a fire , it is part of the procedure to find some logs if you join a fire...

People ask many times why you do all this , why the PCT , What give you back? When you do parts like the Knife edge on the Goat Rocks you get all the answers........blow your mind . why I do the PCT ? there are not words , come here , hike 20 miles , wake up early and see the sun rise between the snowy peaks, cross snow fields, look around, the wild, the beauty, Rainier in the distance.  Fuck Yosemite in August with all the roads around. This is Washington.!! Sometimes the wilderness are a little bit in a second level in relation  with the National Parks but sometimes those areas are much better than some of those National Parks, and the best, there is no one. September : PCTers and goats 

On the way down to White pass I tried to cut through the sky lifts, it was quicker but a bad decision as I destroy the legs going down the steep slopes. White pass has a small store and I think two small motels. The lady in the shop was super friendly, she gave us the food that she did not sell at the end of the day, they had my resupply box and she said we could camp at the back of the shop.

google pic......

That night was very noise, there were elks making that noise all around us, there were very close. There were one moment that I panic as I hear noise of something approaching fast to us. I check under the tent and I saw 4 long legs in the darks running to us. O Shit , this could be a problem elk is a big animal, it could get aggressive, I shout   EH They are here!!! i opened quickly the door and they were hunters hahahaha walking in couples....2 and 2 so 4 legs . I relaxed.........The noise continue , I fell the so close that I was thinking to go down the lake and throw them a rock in the face, go and sign in another place!!! you know what time is it!!!!!

Oregon part 2

I left the young camping place in the afternoon. I did the typical hike out day a few miles to avoid the vortex. Hike in the sunset in this burned area create some crazy image.

I camped with a few more hikers and whisky show up later. I tried to find a protected place for the wind and I finished sleeping uneven surface, with the feet much below my head, really bad night, wrong sleeping spot........

The morning bring us up to 3 finger jack with his peculiar shape and colours and after in Mt Jefferson wilderness I met one of the most helpful Rangers, also pct thru hiker, he explain us the situation in the area. It is weekend and the area is full of people, so gave us some advised where to camp tonight. He also explained us a little bit what it is the job of a ranger....pretty cool job.

Mt Jefferson

Mt Jefferson is really beautiful; it is like an island in Oregon, really green with some snow in the passes, in general quite crowded because of the weekend.   

I walked next day with whisky, he is a warrior hiker. It is a organization that sponsorship Army people that have been deploy for long periods, a little bit to distress them. I think very good idea and program.

One night we reach the little Crater Lake. The clearest lake ever. We met a family that invite us to their RV for dinner. We accepted. It was a restored streamline RV, beautiful, we did a fire had some beer and burger. We passed really good time. Again America and his hospitality is unbelievable.

Mt Hood

The climb to Mt Hood was quite hard, specially in the last part when there is sand all over and you can see the resort so close. Timber lodge is where the sunshine was filmed. It is a type of Swiss sky resort with the terrace facing the mountain. Many hikers there, I resupply, had pizza, a beer, recharge electronics and I kept going.  The night got me without a place to camp, finally some spaces available  in a ridge with some more people.

Hood had some difficult river crossing but nothing crazy. You leave the Mt Hood area to move into different ridges with not much water. I dry camped in the ridge alone well protected of the wind by a big fallen log, no mice, good night. The good news of the day is that I met magic stick and sister after 2000 miles. Wow.

only with a Magic stick 

The last day of Oregon is really spectacular, walking the eagle creek gorge and passing by the tunnels falls.  I was fancying have a swim in the river but seems like temperature are going down.

Eagle creek Gorge

I did it!! After 18 days I crossed Oregon. I saw the bridge of gods! I knew it I was in Cascade Locks, mile 2155, 2155 this is crazy. I remember now thinking that I will never survive the first week. I thought after about quit in cascade locks but as soon I so the bridges, sorry but I go up to Canada! Hopefully before snow arrives, I am now in a good position to finish.

In Cascade locks I sent all my food for Washington, all the morning packing food, from the market to the post office. I got my external battery, bye bye solar panel ( I hate you )and also I  swapped the sawyer filter for aquamira. I think I squeezed enough this summer.

I have been chasing an envelope with the Washington maps for the last 200 miles. I sent by normal post 4 months ago from San Diego but I forgot where I send it, so  I have been asking in all the possible places, finally I found it in the Cascade Locks port office !!! I have maps.

Washington I am ready ! 

Oregon part 1

What can I say.........Oregon has been 18 days of rollercoaster. I went back to the trail after the tidius road walk and I fell the trail different, different plants, different feeling. It was nice to come back into a soft path and see the deers just walking around. The first day rained, walking in the wood with some showers, from ridge to ridge.

There were some small fires around because of the storms, one just by the trail, after started to rain and after to hail. I was in the 12^th of August training to get cover under a tree because is hailing? how is going to  be at the end of September, Winter is coming....definitely

Reaching the first resupply , Mazama campground, I meet many hikers and I had a kind of nero, it is nice to chill out after a few days in the woods, we got some beers and we sat by the fire. In the morning with the hung-over I did the climb up to the Crater Lake. This is a National Park, it is a Volcano inside another Volcano. I always thought that it was a meteoritic who form the lake but not, it is a Volcano. A volcano collapsed and another volcano raised inside......The place is really worthy.

the watchman

I did the beautiful   trail around the lake and went up to the watchman with the full resupply and 5 litres of water. Oregon is volcanic and quite dry in some areas , this is a 26 miles stretch without water. From the top the view is unbelievable; you can see your next picks, especially Mt Thielsen, that looks like the sierras.

mt thielsen

I am doing 25 miles days and I have been attack by a dog not lease it. I took a shortcut by the sky lakes I think is call, I reached Shelter cover resort doing a few hours miles at night. I am doing some night hiking just for fun; to break the routine also back into cowboy camping as there is not mosquitos.

Shelter cover is a a little bit more posh that other camping. It is for fishermen, so probably more money. After resupply the PCT goes throw woods and pretty lakes, after we got into the 3 sister wilderness, one of my favourite areas. Three very distinctive volcanos in line. One night I sleep between some trees, I dense fog came down from the mountain. I think the tree branches protected me from this humidity. Cold nights over here.

3 sisters

To exit the 3 sister you have to cross some lava fields that are quite hard for legs, many sharp rocks in the trail. I approached to the Youth Campground during sunset, crossing some lava fields, some burned areas and I continue in the dark. I realise that head light not working properly, not batteries so I had to camp before the youth camping.

3 finger,  jefferson

Next morning was just going down and cross the mile 2000!!! 2000! That is 3200 km. To celebrate it have some breakfast in the youth Hostel. There I never had such a horrible breakfast. Now I understand the problem of America and the food and the fat people. How can they give that shit to the kids......? Lunch was the same shit. No alcohol in this place. They have an area just for PCT hikers, like chill out room. Everything from free: Laundry, food, shower, resupply box....... Here I met Big daddy, Hot legs and family, whisky and a few more..........