Month: June 2023

We caught an early shuttle and passed the mountain goats.

11,490 feet of vertical ascent over three days and 30 miles each way.

Day two we got up early and were on the trail at 4:30 am.

Some snow but none that needed ice axes or spikes.

We finally made it to the border with Canada.

Then we started back. We almost stopped at the lake but the mosquitoes were terrible.

So we started pushing on.

It started raining. With no place to camp.

On the good side we got to where we needed to be. On the bad side it was in pouring rain.

Pictures don’t capture the stunning view we had in the morning.

Then we started back towards Hart’s Pass with a stop to dry our gear.

At the pass there were a lot of us who needed a shuttle and a camp host who had the driver’s number which we used to text him via Garmin.

He took us back to Lion’s Den which has twice as many people now.

Now we are out to dinner with people we met and then we will have a recovery day. Then we head out to Stehekin when tomorrow’s rain is over.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1513414386064313?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0NULKw—video

https://www.facebook.com/reel/833428761452080?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0NULKw—second video.

Beautiful campsite, clear spring fed water. We are tucked in early to wait out the rain and get a great start to the border tomorrow.

Two days ago we left Lone Pine at 5:30 am for the bus station in Bend. Then it was busses and trains all the way up to a trail angel’s house.

We slept on inflatable beds in a tent in his backyard. Then in the morning we headed to Mazama.

Yesterday we got to Lion’s Den, a hostel in Mazama. We bicycled into town, set up our tent under a cabana style awning and planned for this morning.

Last thing that happened was that the forest rangers called back to let us know the road to Harts Pass was going to be open the next morning.

That meant no ten mile road walk with 3,000 feet of elevation to start our day.

We had a long distance runner who just graduated, two German medical doctors, an economist working for the treasury and a kid from Salt Lake City.

Our shuttle driver was Raven who is helping run the hostel and doing shuttles.

They have bicycles at the hostel and we rode them into town several times. They also had scales and I am at 175 which is down from the 184 or so I was at before we started in April.

I gained weight in our time off but not as much as I feared.

I was glad for the tarp like structure we camped under because of the heavy rain in the middle of the night. While I woke up early, I went back to sleep and had eggs and toast instead of pancakes for breakfast. That left the syrup we bought for others to use.

It was about twenty miles up mostly one lane dirt roads. Mountain goat families shared the area with us and we got to the trail head right at 8:05. Put our micro spikes, ice axes and food for Hart’s Pass to Stehekin in the bear boxes and started hiking.

It is beautiful with some snow for decoration and plentiful water. Warm enough to hike but cold enough to inhibit mosquitoes.

Lots of mountains and clouds. Lots of hikers. Lots of what our shuttle driver calls Snowbos—people who did Southern California and have flipped to go SOBO because of the snow.

Win was able to update people that Hart’s Pass is open. That saves a ten mile roadwalk each way for those who want a break before they go on.

We are out of cell service for a couple days. Lots of world news including the Russian civil war. Should be interesting to see if anything really happens while we are cut off.

After about sixteen miles it was later and the weather wasn’t good for my siesta. I have allergies but mild enough I need to cut the medication in half or something but strong enough to give me sinus headaches.

We set up early, waited out some rain, had dinner early, slept about two hours (1:45 or so) and made sure our water for tomorrow was ready. I also prepped tomorrow’s food for breakfast, snack and lunch.

The rain is past, it is 7:39 and I’m getting ready to go to sleep again.

Great views and great walk with family.

Video of the park.

Been a great family gathering. Anniversaries, birthdays and one more birthday to come (we picked up three cakes to celebrate that one).

Suddenly the weather is great and it is just beautiful.

We have shuttles, a hostel, bus and train travel lined up for the northern terminus. One day delay scheduled for bad weather then thirty miles up, thirty back and down to Stehekin where our bear canisters are waiting at the post office along with resupply.

Then south. We will be carrying bear canisters, ice axes and micro spikes just to be cautious but they should see us through Washington until we flip down to Timberline and hike through to Elk Lake.

Then it will be south to the gateway to the Sierra.

Not sure if we will do that NOBO or SOBO but we will figure it out.

It is good to be with family.

Happy Six had to glue her Altras together twice to make it to 300 miles.

I’m also replacing my shoes, the trail just ground the soles off. I’m looking at Hoka ATRs 8D size 41 or Moab 3 size 41 (more toe room, but wide enough when I’ve sized up from 40.5).

I’m thinking the Hokas. Realizing I’ll probably need to replace them in 300 miles.

Day one we left Lion’s Den at 7:00 in Raven’s truck with Raven and nine hikers. Lion took three more.

Garmin weather gave us 0% chance of rain every hour.

Luckily Happy & I had new rain jackets and fairly new hats as the old hats got mislaid somehow at the family matter and our rain jackets were showing their age.

I say luckily because it rained hard for 2-3 hours. It broke right before we set up our tent but the condensation was ferocious.

But we had 21.15 miles in and water for the morning. Blaze shared the campsite with us.

The next day we had some sketchy snow and used our ice axes and our micro spikes for a forty foot stretch.

We crossed a lot of bridges. Camped 4.9 miles from the blue blaze (and shuttle) to Stehekin.

At Bridge Camp we had no condensation in spite of the stream and three days of rain. Blaze was there and we met Andrew.

Weather is suddenly dry and hot. Since it is really sketchy south of Stejekin we are headed to the next stretch we missed. After we hike that we will do Timberline to Elk Lake. Then to Sierra to finish.

Broke the camera lens cover on my phone. Made me glad I have got the protective cover—it is the first time I ever paid for one.

Final morning we got up early, hiked to the ranger station at the bridge and then caught the bus. Bakery for sticky buns, stuffed croissants and a Danish.

One of the kids we met on the Oregon coast was there (I say “kid” but she has two children who have both finished high school in Denmark).

She may skip the sketchy section too (ok, she is taking the ferry out before us). We may end up hiking together.

We got to town on the shuttle with an agenda. First thing we checked the hiker box. All it had was empty fuel canisters and some sacks of mystery beans.

Then we checked the bus and ferry schedules, picked up change and had a post office visit. Once again we sent our seven day resupply back, but got our bear canisters with four days of food.

Then it was time for laundry and showers. Washing machine did not work right on the spin cycle so we wrung the clothes out more by hand and started the dryer.

The canisters were scheduled originally for the Sierra section. New smelly proof bags, a new set of bag liners and I was supposed to have new pants. They weren’t there.

Ah well. My current pants have lots “character “ but I’m hoping they will last a while longer.

We have one section in Washington, one in Oregon and then Sierra if it melts soon enough.

The Zpacks pack liner I have been using has started wicking water from the bottom of my pack into the liner with my sleeping bag. I’m switching to a Nylofume bag. Win has a fifty gallon trash bag she prefers.

We will double check when we get to the town after the ferry ride and may send the ice axes and micro spikes home. That would balance out the canister weight.

Fourth of July is coming up. Wondering how the snow melt in Sierra is coming.

My Hokas seem to be tearing up. Will see what is available in town and to ship. Also need to fix my right hiking pole tip.

My new rain jacket was what was available at the outfitter. In this case a bright blue Outdoor Research Apollo. Same rain pants. I’m hoping they will last until the end of this hike.

The hat is neat because the underside of the visor/brim is black. That color just works so much better. Win’s hat is a beautiful blue color with a duck.

Update. We got the bus schedule at the Ferry registration and two tickets for Lady of the Lake. It stopped at the boat station for Holden village and then continued on. the dock rolled and the wind blew the engine fumes in the cabin which was rough.

Eventually we got underway again and my stomach settled down.

The lake and mountains are beautiful. I’d never have seen this but for last year’s fires.

But since we have done the next section and the trail is pretty snow & ice filled with a lot of blowdowns, we continued our plan to bypass to Stevens Pass at mile 188.3 and hike to 259.4 and Snoqualmie Pass or about 72 miles. We have four days of food which puts us at about 18 miles a day.

Mile 206 has some great camping and a pit toilet?!

207.8 also looks good for day one back on trail. Fewer mosquitoes perhaps? Will have to see.

224 looks good for day two. Camp and water. 244 has great tenting and water. Resupply at the pass.

Then head to Trout Lake. Mile 423.6. bridge of the gods is mile 505. Four-five days of food. Beautiful part of Washington and a downhill stretch.

Win took some great pictures recently. I look forward to an Internet connection to be able to share them and update things.

Shopping list for town.

• New shoes (my Hokas are torn up. I’m harder on shoes than Win is).
• Pants (The pants I thought I put in the resupply we’re not there. The gaiters, no smelly bags, bag liners, etc. all were).
• Fix phone (replace the lens protector since it is shattered).
• Fix hiking pole (one of my pole tips is warped altogether too much and is about to fail).
• One more package of candy.

Information needed:

• Can we send ice axes and spikes home? Or will we need them? It is looking good right now.
• Trail conditions near Town Lake to Bridge of the Gods. That would be great to hike again.
• Trail conditions for Timberline to Elk’s Lake. That is the next area we need to hike.
• Sierra melt rate & bridge repair. That will determine when/if/where we head to the Sierra section. I would like to get that done so we can finish the trail this year. Will see.
• Lassen conditions to consider.

The ferry has stopped for a great waterfall and a mountain goat with a baby. Sometimes people step right in front of me when I’m taking a picture and other times they ask.

So much we missed when the way was covered with smoke. beautiful now—and the transition from rain forest to rain shadow desert is fun to see. The lake trip is about fifty miles.

It is beautiful. I could see returning just for vacation.

A year or so (June 13, 2022) ago we started on the PCT.

I still have the same hat ?.

But, moving on to a current update.

The Oregon Coast Trail had closures, road walks and a bus trip. Worse, Joe & Katie had some family business. That meant hiking it alone in the wind and fog on narrow roads instead of trails and beaches with friends.

We got to Pacific City and rethought things in light of the closures and our near miss experiences on the latest roadwalk. You can read more by reading Happy on the Trail’s post about close encounters on 101.

We all said goodbye at the bus stop.

Oregon Coast Trail Photo Album.

Looking forward to scores of miles roadwalking US 101 with lumber trucks did not appeal to any of us so Win & I headed off to see Win’s mom.

We wanted to see her anyways—and see the rest of the family there too.

After that visit we drove down to Oregon to my brother’s house. That meant we headed to my family reunion a couple days early.

Once the family reunion is over we head to Washington and the PCT’s northern terminus. We pick up our resupply then head for the border, then back to Stehekin and our bear canisters.

That way we get to the terminus before fire season but after the snow. https://www.postholer.com/snow/Pacific-Crest-Trail/1

The general rule is you can hike Washington two weeks after Hart’s pass melts. Reports are that it melted out on June 1. We will start around June 22 which should have it melting in time with an extra week’s buffer on the state.

The blue colors are .5 cm or less of snow to two inches of snow. We will leave after it has had one more week of melting past the suggested two weeks.

We hope we are prepared.

I have a new sun hoody (Win pointed out that my old one has a lot of holes in it). New pants waiting in Stehekin (current ones are pretty worn and have rips and tears).

I replaced the mosquito repellent the TSA confiscated. I now have new sun gloves that have fewer holes.

Win has a new pack (Hyperlite replaced it under warranty) and we have our ice axes and micro spikes which we had mailed to my brother’s house.

We applied more Permethrin to our gear. My socks and the new gloves and hoody. Lots of Win’s gear was refreshed. My sleeping base layer top got a refresher too.

And. With luck. Maybe. If they can fix the bridges and the snow melts. We can do the Sierra section August 1.

That snow is still awesomely high.

The metric is that two weeks after Hart’s Pass melts out one can then hike Washington. Hart’s pass is days away from melting out. Looks like 2-3 more days.

Which means maybe June 14 or 15. Which leaves us with a gap. Or why we went Palm Springs to Las Vegas and 15 dollar hotel rooms. We had pre-Convention time to kill, with no place left that was safe to hike.

The trail being so snowed over has really been a mess, especially for the international hikers. Everyone has been trying to find places to hike.

So many want to flip up to Chester or Ashland — those places are still under wet, melting snow. Others want to do the Sierra section with the avalanche issue and three bridges out and no resupply.

Our plan is to flip up and hike the Oregon Coast Trail. It is supposed to be pretty and should be fun, while we continue to hike. Then the family reunion. Then up to the Northern Terminus and head south, catching all we missed in Washington from last year.

We will also get there before more fires.

Then Timberline (Lionshead) to Elk Lake.

Then Lassen (hopefully) and the Sierra section to finish. I’m thinking we start at Walker Pass and head north, finishing at Mammoth where we got off last time.

Of course the Sierra depends on whether it melts and how bridge repair goes.

Right now I’m flying on Frontier with Win/Happy Six. The flight was only $65 but they charge an extra $65 for a checked bag or a carry-on. All luggage gets measured at the gate.

No peanuts and no water on the flight (though you can purchase them at $3.50 each).

Still cheaper and I’m willing to just not drink or eat.

When we land we can take the rail to our permanent address and get our mail. Then back to the airport and the hotel shuttle. That will consume some time for checking in.

It will be interesting to be back.

Looking forward to being back on trail.

Frontier really is no frills. No in flight entertainment. They charge extra for reclining seats. They charge you extra to use your pre-check with the TSA. Or to talk to a gate agent.

Luckily no charge for the restrooms or we would have had passengers saving money.

Emesis bags appear to be extra (none with the seats). The seats have de minimus padding. Makes me glad I’m short.

But. We saved about $300 or more dollars each on this flight. So yes, I would do it again.

So far she has been brilliant in her suggestions and thoughts on how we should flip or travel or spend time. I could not ask for a better partner.

I’m glad Win found the tickets and that I agreed to this.

Other.

Gear adjustments. Washington now requires bear canisters (they’ll accept a good bear bag hang too —if there were trees that were good for that). Chris K advised us to keep the ice axes so we will carry them and crampons.

Will get new water bottles (our old ones were hammered and I’m basically talking buying some smart water at Walmart). Looks like no more 3-5 liter carries. So we will only need two.

My dry sacks are doing ok.

With my bear canister I’ll get my other pants. That will be nice as these are a little torn up. Also my lighter gaiters.

With the change in shoes I expect to need the gaiters.

That pretty much sums it up.

Early today the road was quiet. We did the road walk instead of swimming the estuary. Joe and Katie did the river crossing. I have to admire their dedication.

But about two miles from town the traffic became non-stop and an RV driver basically left the road trying to run Happy over.

That was enough road walking. We caught the free bus (runs only Friday to Sunday) to the campground. Apple puts us at 14-15 miles for the day.

We celebrated Happy’s birthday and then went to dinner. Her birthday is tomorrow but today we were with friends.

When we got to town the first thing we did was check in at the campground and pay for a spot.

The wind is blowing and I used the stability lines on the tent.

We then walked over to a bakery where I got a large cocoa. We also got Wi-Fi. Eventually Joe and Katie made it to town and they presented Happy with a cupcake for her birthday.

We had set up the campground to share it with them.

We bought groceries, got in line for the only restaurant in town and then put our food up and Happy used the showers.

Reel—includes a view of the sand dune “lake” area.

My toes are doing better.

Just a note. Grocery stores are really expensive in this part of the world. Restaurant food isn’t that much more. All the prices make your eyes water.

Went to the beach after dinner.

Planning for tomorrow now. Which includes not road walking highway US 101.

Happy on the Trail’s post.

Guide to our section.

Looks like it was about sixteen miles today, about ten of it the expedition of going out to the Cape Lookout Point.

We took the WAVE bus at 6:51 for a dollar to bypass the US 101 and the lumber trucks part of the road walk we would have had to do if we could not get the ferry service to take us (they sure did not seem interested).

We had a layover where none of the breakfast places were open but we saw the mascot for Lucky Bear.

We then hiked the safer part of the road walk which was about six miles to the state park where we signed in for the “hike & bike” and set up our tent. The rest of the park was completely full.

Then we started hiking the “closed for blowdowns” trail to the parking lot and trail head for the point. Then we headed out to the point which Joe (we’ve been hiking with Joe & Katy) really wanted to see.

It was neat. total for today was about sixteen miles, which included a live snake on the trail. I’m glad Joe got us moving.

In addition to the snake we saw some plants that were around in the Jurassic era.

It was a good day.

Reel of today, down to the beach after dinner.

Happy on the Trail’s comments.

At the end of the day we camped just out of town at the RV Park’s “hike & bike” area.

We got up and started hiking out of the “hike & bike” by following the park roads out of the camping area through the horse camp.

Kept to the roads instead of the beach until we got to the jetty right before the ferry.

The jetty was so slippery with algae. It was rough getting down to the sand. I had to more use my arms and upper body for the last half.

Then we got to the seals on the beach.

Then we caught the ferry and I had a hot apple cider.

Then we started on the other side of the inlet.

Pictures and videos

We had second breakfast and then when the drizzle got heavier we caught the train.

Non profit, but fun and historic.

Now we are in Garibaldi. Turns out it was a ten mile day. Our first Nero and a good rest —especially with the spitting rain and cold and foggy day.

We are here with Joe & Tracy. They are great.

To quote Happy on the Trail:

Friday, June 9, 2023

Yesterday, as we arrived in Manzanita, we stopped at a little cafe for a chance to warm up. As we were leaving, we got talking to two local ladies. I asked them about a laundromat. Another local was walking by and mentioned that the local laundromat closed and there was no longer one in town. One of the ladies did a quick search and found one in the next town — 8 miles away. We all laughed when she mentioned that the laundromat was located in Joe’s Snacks & Beer. One of the ladies added that she had spent the last 3 months in town while her brother was ill. He had just passed and she had time to fill. She offered to take us to the laundromat. We exchanged phone information.

We hiked down to the state park, checked in to the Hike & Bike area, took showers and then texted her. She picked us up, dropped us off at the laundromat and then picked us up later. She was a retired first grade teacher and truly a delight.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around town and then visiting with other hikers at the campground.

In the Hike & Bike area, there was a picnic table with a big cooler on it, Beside the cooler was a blowup queen sized mattress and a couple of tarps. That pile sat all day long. Around 6 pm, a woman pedaled into the camp and started pulling that pile apart. By the time she was done, that corner of the campground looked like a full homeless encampment. A little while later, a guy showed up to join her.

At 3 am, those two started fighting. They spent almost an hour screaming and shouting. The woman then spent another hour monologuing profanity in a really loud voice. About 45 minutes into this situation, I tried to call the ranger. When that did not work, I called 911 and reported it. It took 15 minutes and 3 phone transfers, but they took the report. No one ever showed up but there is now a record. This couple do not meet criteria for a Hiker/Biker camping area. They need to be gone. Hopefully the report will help that happen.

This morning it was so hard to get up and get moving. We eventually packed up and wandered on down the trail. After a few miles, we hit the end of the narrow sand spit that the state park is on. We climbed down the side of a jetty of slick rocks and onto the beach of a river. The river meets the ocean at that point. We were hoping to not need to hike around the bay. We could see The Jetty Fishery & Marina on the other side of the river. I called them and asked if they could ferry us across the river. Yup. $10 each. They asked us to walk upstream a little further. Their directions included the phrase “walk past the harbor seals”. Suddenly, I was excited. I had been looking for seals for the last few days and this was going to be the first group.

Once we passed by the seals, we waited on the beach and the boat showed up within a few minutes. We got ferried across the river and then sat at the fishery for a few minutes to take a break and enjoy the views. It was still early and they had not started cooking crabs yet. They apologized for that.

After the Jetty, we strolled down old railroad tracks for a few miles while getting hit with a little bit of drizzly rain. We eventually got back onto the beach where we got to practice our balance skills on a wobbly log crossing to get across a stream. The drizzle got heavier. As we entered the little town of Rockaway, we saw a sign for Grumpy’s Café and Bakery. The word BAKERY combined with the rain helped us decide that it was time to stop for Second Breakfast.

As we finished up our meal, the rain had moved back to light drizzle. The weather report stated that heavier rain was expected within an hour. Ugh.

We knew that there is an old historic train that goes from Rockaway to the little fishing town of Garibaldi. The waitress told us that the depot was just a block away. We walked over, bought tickets and had about 20 minutes to wait before that train arrived. We took it into Garibaldi. Joe & Katie got hit with rain while they were at The Jetty. The crew there told them about a local bus that goes to Garibaldi. They waved the bus down, spent a dollar each and got to Garibaldi much faster and cheaper than we did.

We are all checked into the camping area at the local RV park. The clouds are getting thicker and lower. Our tent is up and our stuff is secure. We expect to hunker down today while it rains. Tomorrow, we will move on when the weather improves.

After a lousy night of sleep, I am looking forward to a nap today while it rains.

https://www.facebook.com/100063652746343/posts/pfbid0wJEr7TCqfDNx5t3wYsUKDiSd5WEkzAZmFWnNccJ8z47kKSEsnW43okkBb5eym7gTl/?mibextid=cr9u03

Our campsite area.