Skykomish to Stehekin

I left the Cascadia In after breakfast. I spent some time outside trying to change my flights but I was not able because of the different local times with the London offices of Opodo. Great, the next possibility  would be maybe Stehekin if is real that exist a satellite phone or it would be already in Canada, no cellular services for the next 200 miles....

I went to the main road where the bakery borrow me his huge hitch hike sign, it helped me to get an easy ready to the trial with a nice all hiker couple. The start was an easy climb, it is funny just 24 hours out of the trail and you start missing it. I sat for a few minutes to rest in a ridges when I heard the distinctive sound of fighter SSSSSSSSSSSSSS BOOOM wow it was a F15 , so close , flying over the ridge, right time in the righ place. American wilderness: Bear, lakes and F15s

That night I slept in the top of a mountain called grizzly peak, on my way up I just saw another sunset over the mountains. I found a nice spot in the top where cowboy camping. I started to see mice. It is really a problem in Washington. I set the mouse trap, they eat the food my the trap did not activate it. Learning.

Next day was the first time that I saw blow up a fallen tree with explosives. It was a huge tree cutting twice the trail over switch backs. A few rangers with horses working on it and about an hour after I listen the explosion followed by the smoke. I imagine it is not a mechanical method it is more chemical.....

Getting into camp I saw a hunter with riffle, first one with riffle. They hunt Elk, deer and bear. The bear's meat is eaten over here. I slept in another ridge , the feeling is of solitude , I see one person a day. I know that I am not alone, maybe 20 people walk this trail a day but I don't see them. The day hikers, summer hikers ....all that .. not here and I love it . You feel the remoteness of this places. it is really raw.

Next morning i finish to climb this ridge and get into the glacier peak surroundings, it seems to me like the high sierras, very ruged, those valleys are full of waterfalls , vegetation and glacier rivers. The trails are very pour maintain . There is a fallen tree every 100 metres, or just the trail vanish because of a earth slice.

I was crossing a bridge when I saw a weird animal walking the trail. At the beginning I thought it was a baby bear, carefull !! or not is a marmot?  Not it was pork-spin.  I shout at him, he stop , it raise and put all his spines out , so cool . He was getting piss off . He left the trail very slowly. I never thought I would see this animal over here.

I climb the pass , and it is funny. When you think , maybe I reach the pass and after get flatter. You just can smile and laugh. You just can see another mountain range bigger and more scary , the Northem Cascades!! what is this place? I just have time to descent a little bit and get some protection in the Valley. I was quite lucky to find a little spot by the trail. Today I stick a super nut into the mice trap with KT tape. Before sleep I got 3, plus another annoying did not want to dye. Next day when I woke up the 3 body have disappear, creepy.

This day was marked. It was the craziest day of my PCT,the one that would push my limits  I would have to put everything. From early in the morning it was a drizzle, I was lucky enough to break camp just before it started so I had everything dry. I got into a dense wet fog during the morning until I got enough elevation going throw many switchbacks. It was the switchbacks day also. In the top of the passes the trees disappear and there are only small bushes in the side of the trail. Those plants keep all the water so when you pass you get all that cold water in you foot. In the top I started to panic , I barely could feel them , I could be in trouble. Too much cold water. I need it to loose altitude and get cover under tree line. I needed more speed , more heat. I put headphones , time for Guns and Roses, running down the mountain I warm up . Stop today for hot lunch I really need it. Quick to don't get cold . Stop and go.

I reached the old PCT trail. This is 5 - 7 miles shorter trail. It was a bridges that it was wash out so a reoute was need it. Still  today hiker choose the old trail , more for the extra adventure that for the short cut. You will have to cross the first river plus a classic old pct log crossing.  first you have to cross the first river, I checked around to find a good log but nothing safe and less with the raining day, I was ready to turn back when I thought about just crossing straight, just less check the deep and the strength of the river. It was ok I was in the other side. this trail is not maintain , sometimes you can lost the trail but is quite easy just to follow the tracks of fellow hikers and some signs that people leave around. 

You can start to hear the noise of that big river , wow that is not going to be easy, you reach the botton of the valley, follow some tracks and you see that wet log and that angry river. that is it, that is the cross, ufff  it is possible it is wide enough I can do it. Fuck I am alone, If i fell , nobody will find me.Should I leave a note? Should I turn back and walk 10 miles , 10 miles for 10 metres of log crossing no way, I do it now, I do it, I do it. Ok Warm up, some push up , jumps, ready ready. water prove electronics, unzip backpack in case of fall. I have the theory......should I crawl or straight over, that is it. Straight over no poles no nothing. Focus focus, not slippery, not stop.The noise was the worst. In a micro second when I was in the middle I thought about stop( I am afraid to highs ) I just keep going. Done hahahahahahah  what is next? what ? But not trail in the other side . Tracks goes to many different directions. I just took GPS directions and climb the mountain straight up until I got back into PCT. I was more relaxed.

During the afternoon I did the second climb o f the day. I pass the old miners camp site and I reach the top in dark, still raining. I should get a camp site just after but I miss it. I had just a few metres visibility with the dark and the rain. So next possibility is about 1.5 miles ahead, let's go. I found the area where it suppose to find that campsite, it was full of rocks, I left the trail I check GPS phones was not working. I realise has water all over, shit. I cross some snow fields close to a river. What the fuck I am doing , snowfields at night, what about if I loss the trail . I shout , I shout " any F hikers there" I am destroy. Only the noise of the rain. O man , just chill out and keep walking . The trail was a river all over and I start to worry again about the foot. I had a very funny deer encounter. It scare me as I saw first two big eyes in the dark. It was there, in the middle of the trail, seated in the dark, It did not want to move, it was dry under a big tree. I got very close, 1 meter. It stand up , it was shaken , poor. Yes mate , we are both fuck without a place where to sleep mate but I need to continue, I just pass around. I could touch it. Respect my friend. 

It could be 11 and no idea where I was . This is over. I set the tent in the middle of the trail. I sleep before on the trail but never set the tent. 14 hours hike , maybe 26 miles hike with a gain elevation of 2 Km. I roll inside the tent and got a couple of shots of Bourbon to collapse. I an using it as base layer.......What a crazy day and I did not see a single person. I just pass away.

The morning ufffff. I knew this situation would arrive , shoes wet, socks wet , I mean everything is wet. Push ups and suck it out ....Go Go Go . It was not so bad. I  was thinking to get a hotel bed in Stehiken, I am doing 40 days without a bed, from Ashland.  It is part of my challenge. In the first 1500 miles I stop quite a lot in hotels doing a slow advance. Now, I got use to , more in shape , more fit, I just stop few hours in town, get shower, washing....

When I started to go down the Valley the sun started to bright . Thanks god, big moral burst. I was thinking to reach town at 18.00 but apparently I did a bunch of miles at night and I was closer than I thought. I was there by three. On the way I saw one of those huge tree fell down, It happen just in front of me being lucky enough that the gigant fall in other direction. 

I was in Norther Cascades National Park. I crossed the Glacier Peak Wilderness. I come to the PCT and I really found it . The Glacier Peak with his beauty and brutality, what an experience. Really it helped me a lot all what I learned during the last 2500 miles to keep still in the difficult moments. Stehekin is a small location  that can be reached by boat or walking the mountain . There I met many many hikers, I finally camp so still no hotel room. We have steak and beers....was time to celebrate it. It is the last stop before Canada!!!! 

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!!!!!