Footloose on the trail

One of my "resolutions" in 2024 was to read. I typically don't like to carry around a book, and I usually don't find time during the day to read. However, I finally discovered Audio Books. Just before bed, I take from twenty to forty minutes to listen.

Here are the books I finished this year.

1) Educated - Tara Westover. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educated_(memoir)

2) Becoming - Michelle Obama. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becoming_(book)

3) A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Court_of_Thorns_and_Roses

4) Outlive, The Science and Art of Longivity - Peter Attia

https://peterattiamd.com/outlive/ 

5) Young Forever - Mark Hyman

https://drhyman.com/products/young-forever

6) Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remarkably_Bright_Creatures 

7) Start with Why - Simon Sinek

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start_with_Why 

8) The Women - Kristin Hannah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Women_(Hannah_novel) 

9) The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightingale_(Hannah_novel) 

10) The God of the Woods - Liz Moore

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199698485-the-god-of-the-woods 

All of these are excellent. I thought Educated was brilliant and wonderful, and my best read for 2024. 

Our work crew put in rock steps on the trail to Colchuck Lake

My fifth Volunteer Vacation with the Washington Trail Association involved working on the trail to Colchuck Lake. The Colchuck Lake trail is accessed via Forest Service road 7601, about nine miles west of the town of Leavenworth, Washington.

It involved a three-hour drive from my house near Black Diamond, Washington. I used Google Maps on my iPhone to insure that I didn't make any wrong turns. It worked well. The last four miles to the trail head were over a bumpy and washboard-filled dirt road.

I couldn't believe how many cars were parked at the trail head and all along the road. I parked a good third of a mile away! Fortunately I was early, so I grabbed my pack and waited at the trail for everyone else to arrive. While waiting, I ate my hamburger for lunch.
Cars lined the road at the Colchuck Lake trail head. I had to walk the road 1/3 of a mile! It is a popular trail.
One of the team members, Gary, had arrived the night before, so he had saved a couple of parking spots. One for Claire, our team leader, and one for another person who arrived shortly after. I could have gotten the other one, but didn't want to hike all the way back to my car. As I was eating lunch and waiting for everyone else to arrive, the team of horses and mules came down the trail having left our food, supplies and tools for the week.

Horses and mules return from carrying our food, supplies and tools to the camp site.

We have a team of eight, the maximum allowed on this trip. Claire explained that we would be camped about a mile away from Colchuck Lake, and we would be working on the trail between our camp and the lake.

It was a very warm afternoon, and the hike up to the campsite was fairly strenuous. I tried to keep a good pace, but the constant uphill finally got the better of me. I stopped several times to rest, and drank almost two liters of water.

All of our food, tools and equipment were carried in on horseback. I managed to arrive first, and found a nice tent site right along the stream.


I camped right next to Mountaineer Creek. We all worked together to set up camp, and to fix dinner. Claire explained that we would be working to build rock steps on the trail, so very little brushing will be done on this trip. Yippee!


Sunday, August 14

Although it was warm when I went to bed, it cooled down significantly overnight. I slept reasonably well since the noise of Mountaineer Creek was soothing.

I awoke before five, but didn't get up until later because it was too dark to see. I made coffee and put on the hot water for tea and cocoa. I helped fix egg McMuffins for breakfast.

After Clair and Richard gave us our safety talk regarding tools and working on the trail, we headed up the trail a little after 8. The trail climbed steadily and we reached our work site within a half hour.

We spent the morning setting stones to make steps in several steep sections of the trail. It is tedious work. At first I was not very enthusiastic because I don't like all of the fitting and refitting of the rocks. I like to stay busy and I did not have the technical understanding to feel I could contribute to the decision-making. But as the day progressed, it was pleasing to see steps that were well designed and effective.

All day long there was a parade of hikers headed up to and down from the lake. Every time they passed we had to pause our work. But, it was very satisfying to hear most of them thank us for our work!

We hauled several heavy rocks requiring four to six people using a rock net.


We used large stones for the steps that required four to six people to move.
After lunch I helped remove rocks and roots further up the trail. We quit at 2:30 and were back to camp by 3:30.

Since I am camped near the creek, I washed up in the cool water, which was refreshing.

I helped cook pulled pork sandwiches and asparagus for dinner. It was difficult to pan fry the asparagus, but I think it turned out OK.

Tom, one of our team members, hiked to his car to get some reading materials, and noticed some bear scat on the trail. Claire took some extra precautions by hanging our trash bags.





It is definitely cooler this evening, so it should be easier to fall asleep.


Monday, August 15
My morning followed yesterday agenda, except we had blueberry pancakes for breakfast. We were on the trail just after eight.

I helped carry two rocks using a rock net before heading up the trail to set some rocks around a small creek. Next we built a small trail reroute were people were going up the hill on two different paths.
We built a re-route of the trail where people were using two paths.

Up the trail we removed more rocks and roots before hitting the 5,000 foot sign, warning hikers that no campfires were allowed above that point.

After lunch we worked on putting in stone steps in an area were there currently was a three-foot high step. We moved two massive stones down the trail and fit them in place. By the end of the day we had just one more step to find and fit.

At camp, I fixed salmon with basil pasta and pan roasted broccoli. I got a lot of good comments that the salmon was very tasty!
I cooked salmon on the grill. It was tasty! There still have been a lot of hikers using the trail today. I'm still curious why this trail is so popular.
We had to stop working everytime hikers came up the trail. There were a lot of hikers!

Tuesday, August 16

We left for the trail after a breakfast burrito. We hauled a large stone down the hillside. It took six of us to move it into place using a rock net and pry bars. Much of the morning was spent standing around while those with the experience discussed how to set the stone step. I mentioned to Claire that I was frustrated, feeling that I was not really contributing to the day's work. She set me working to put in a stone step, removed roots and rocks, and finished the day getting a stone in place for another step. I felt better about my contribution to the team's efforts.

A group of us walked up to a pretty waterfall. It was nice and cool as the water cascaded down the cliff.




We got back to camp at four. I took a half hour to wash up before fixing chicken Marsala with couscous. It was delicious.




Wednesday, August 17
Midweek is the Volunteer Vacation day off. Everyone is free to take a hike, lay around camp or do whatever they want.

I chose to hike up to Colchuck Lake and possibly beyond. I left camp shortly after six and made it to the lake before seven. The lake is a beautiful turquoise color and is nestled between jagged peaks. It is spectacular!
Colchuck Lake as the morning sun hits Colchuck Peak.
I made my way around to the far end of the lake where I had to rock hop huge boulders. As I took a few pictures I noticed that dropping my iPhone would mean losing it forever. There were many deep, dark holes between the rocks. From here the trail climbed steeply towards Aasgard pass, leading to the Enchantment Lakes. In the video below, you can see the large boulders and I pan up showing the steep slope up to Aasgard Pass.



I pressed on. The climb up the rocky slope was hard. The trail was marked periodically with rock cairns. On the way, I saw a herd of mountain goats. They were not afraid at all!



Mountain goats on the way up to Aasgard Pass. Photo by Richard Mellon.

My goal heading up was to walk from one cairn to the next before stopping to catch my breath!

I made it to the top around 10:30, and then continued on until I reached Tranquility Lake. I had lunch while I admired the fantastic views. It was a perfect day to be here!



Colchuck Lake from the top of Aasgard Pass.

Mountains near Tranquility Lake in the Enchantments

I headed down, realizing that it would be slow going with lots of potential to slide on the loose rocks. Fortunately I managed to keep my footing, although I did foot surf a few times. I met Claire and Richard as they were headed up.

I made it back to camp by 1:30, and immediately washed off in the creek and washed out my shirt and pants. It also felt wonderful to lay in my tent and let my legs and feet recover!

We had flatiron steak and mashed potatoes for dinner, along with a chopped cabbage salad.
Gordon enjoys steak and potatoes.

Tom also enjoys the meal. He made cabbage salad several times which was fantastic!

Thursday, August 18
French toast and bacon fueled us on the trail this morning.
Pat and I prepare french toast for breakfast.
After complaining about not having enough to do yesterday, Claire assigned Tom and I to work with Richard putting in three rock steps. Richard had us find the rocks, move them and fit them into place. We managed to complete the steps by the end of the day. It felt good to be engaged all day. I just wish this had been the case on Tuesday, and oddly it felt like we were being thrown into the thick of things to show us how difficult it is to make all of the decisions.




Each rock requires fitting and adjustment to make it solid. Picture by Richard Mellon
I worked with Tom to fit large stones in a steep section of the trail. Photo by Richard Mellon.
It was hot again today. Steven, who I met on the Pete Lake volunteer vacation, was walking the trail to Colchuck Lake. He brought us two six packs of beer! What an amazing thing to do!

Spent an hour washing up and washing my clothes.

Helped fix burritos for dinner. I somehow got into a foul mood which soured my evening. Went to bed early, hoping to awake in a better mood tomorrow.

Friday, August 19
I slept well last night. The almost full moon lit up the forest in a magical way.

Claire helped me make egg McMuffins for breakfast before we headed back to the work site. I was still in a bad mood as I charged up the trail to our tool cache. I'm not sure what or why I am feeling the way I am. Perhaps I felt that others didn't appreciate how much work goes into prepping for meals? Or maybe I am feeling anxiety that I am not able to do my fair share of the work in setting stone steps? I think it's a combination of things. This likely is my last seven day outing of the year. I love it so much and regret that I don't have more to look forward to.

Claire noticed my displeasure and asked what she could do to help. I felt so embarrassed to have acted like that. But she did the right thing. She gave me a project of chipping away some granite to make a small step in an otherwise smooth rock face. The stone broke away easily as there was an existing fracture in the rock. I noticed that all of the hikers now use my new step!

I then helped Tom and Richard set two more steps in a steep and confined section of the trail. We stopped for lunch at noon and enjoyed the views of the mountains.



Lunchtime and enjoying the view.
This work is tedious, but the steps were solid and should last for years. We quit around two. Several of our group headed up the trail to see Colchuck Lake. Richard, Claire and I headed back to camp. Richard decided to hike up to Lake Stewart. I sat by myself in the shade and enjoyed the moments of solitude.

Everyone was back at camp by 5:30 and Claire fixed chili with cheese Quesadillas. I cut some cherry tomatoes for the chili and spiced it up with some salsa. Tom did his magic in preparing a vegetable salad. For dessert we had the treats that Steven brought up - Oreos, Milano cookies and gummy bears!

I was Patrick's birthday, so Claire gave him one of the beers that Steven brought up yesterday.

In all, it was a good ending to a wonderful trip. Claire is an exceptional leader and I am lucky to have been able to learn from her and everyone else in the group.




L to R: Gary, Pat, Elaine, Gordon, Bob, Tom and Claire. Photo by Richard Mellon. If you are interested in volunteering for a day, a weekend, or a week, check out the Washington Trail Association web site (http://www.wta.org/).

Ranger points to the location of our camp at Coldwater Lake near Mt. St. Helens
In September of 1968, my brother and I camped at Spirit Lake and then scrambled-climbed to the top of Mt Saint Helens. This was before the eruption in 1980.

Mt. St. Helens from Spirit Lake in 1968 Today I headed out to the mountain again, but this time it was to improve the trails near Coldwater Lake. I volunteered for a week with the Washington Trail Association. 

Saturday, July 16
It was a three hour drive from home, and I arrived 45 minutes early. However, as luck would have it, I couldn't find the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center! I drove up and down the highway, but the one likely road was gated. So I did the next best thing and waited at the boat launch, knowing that at some point the group would show up there to have our gear and food loaded on a boat to be ferried up the lake. Another lady also showed up and we both waited. Finally the Forest Service arrived and said there was a person at the gated road letting WTA folks in!  So we drove back up the road and, sure enough, Claire, our group leader, was at the gate. I was quite relieved!  We carpooled to the boat launch, ate lunch, and headed up the Lakeside Trail. 


The group loads the boat at Coldwater Lake. The boat ferried our packs, tools and food to our camp at the far end of the lake.

It was an easy four mile walk, especially since I didn't have to carry my pack. The wildflowers were incredible! There were fields of flowers everywhere. It took me just over an hour to get to our campsite. 


Wild flowers abound as I walked up the trail along Coldwater Lake

I helped Owen set up the cook tent. And then Claire arrived and said, "Um, we can't set our tent up on the beach." Oops...


We started to set up the cook tent on the beach. WRONG. We had to move it into the woods.
So, down came the cook tent, and we moved it to a spot nestled in the brush near a crystal clear stream. Everyone pitched in and helped set up. I cleared some brush around the tent and helped organize the kitchen. 

Toni fixes spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. She did a great job! The great treat on this trip is that we have a dedicated cook! Toni will cook most of our meals. She even brought some of her own goodies!

We got our sump and latrine dug. These groups always dig a latrine when there are no outhouses or restrooms available. Here is what the latrine looks like. The logs are used as a seat. It actually works quite well.

  Our latrine with logs as a toilet seat!

We had a wonderful dinner with an appetizer, green salad with oranges, spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, and strawberries with whipped cream and chocolate bites! Wow!

After dinner, everyone pitched in to wash dishes. When done, the water is taken to the sump where the plastic tubs are rinsed. Here is a video where Owen explains the process.




I headed to bed just before nine. I think this will be a really fun group to work with this week!

Sunday, July 17
I didn't sleep well. It took forever to fall asleep, possibly because I was listening to the coyotes in the distance.

We had breakfast burritos. Toni is a good cook!

After doing dishes, Claire and Owen talked about tool safety as well as safety on the trail. 


Claire goes over tool safety. She is holding a McLeod which is used to scrape and rake the trail.
Owen talks about tool safety when carrying and using loppers.
We hiked to the connector trail to the South Coldwater trail. 


We worked on the Coldwater trail #230.
We spent the day removing brush and repairing the trail tread. We ate lunch while sitting on the bridge over Coldwater Creek. 


Lunch time on the bridge over Coldwater Creek.
While there, an enormous Blue Heron flew up the creek and buzzed the bridge. We saw several hikers, and it's always a pleasure to hear their "thank you's" for doing trail work. It makes it all worth while!

I took a "before" and "after" photo of part of the trail. It was really, really overgrown with brush.


What the trail looked like before our work. What the trail looked like after clearing the brush and repairing the tread.
We stopped at 2:30 and were back to camp by 3. I took a bird bath and washed my shirt. It is so nice to have a second shirt to change into.

I decided to rest in my tent to get away from the flies, ants and mosquitos. 


My tent was nestled under the trees in a meadow of wildflowers.
I probably would have taken a dip in the lake, except I forgot my towel. Darn!

Toni fixed salmon, asparagus, and Mediterranean couscous. For dessert she surprised us with a raspberry cheesecake!

I helped wash dishes and I gave everyone a couple of new riddles to think about.

Monday, July 18
I expected thunder showers last night, but we had none. Instead, there was a light drizzle, enough to wet down the bushes and make everything drippy.

We had oatmeal for breakfast and headed out to continue removing brush from the trail. I cut in a water diversion channel and graded the tread. 


Water had run down the trail and washed out a hole. We dug a channel for the water and re-graded the trail tread. I didn't get an "after" shot - darn! As we moved up the trail, we came to some really brushy areas. It is amazing how much better the trail looks after we are done. By midday, the clouds collected and we got rain. My pants, shoes and shirt are wet, but I was warm as long as I kept working. 

We quit by 2:30 and were back to camp by 3. It had stopped raining, but no sun breaks yet. 

  Chris and Rich hung wet clothes on their clothes line.


My WTA hard hat is covered in dirt and mud from digging along the trail in wet weather!
I changed into my dry shirt and wore my down jacket. I finally decided to lay down for a bit, and managed to poke a hole in my air mattress!  I used my repair kit, but didn't have the clear tape. So far it seems to be holding. 

I helped cook pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. Toni also cooked peppers, onions, fried potatoes and carrots. For dessert we had chocolate ice cream bars.

  Pulled pork sandwiches with baked beans, along with fried onions, peppers, potatoes and carrots. Yummy!
By bedtime the sky appears to be clearing.

Tuesday, July 19
I slept well last night. Plus, my air mattress leak apparently is fixed!

We had scrambled eggs with sun dried tomatoes, sausage, and toast.

We headed to the trail shortly after 8. I did some tread work and others pruned and cleared brush. We got to a nice viewpoint and took our break and lunch there. 

  Lunch break - left to right - Chris, Toni, Owen (near), Claire (away), Trista (hidden by bush)

I finished lunch early and took twenty minutes to hike up the trail. It's brush all the way to the top!

We quit at 2:30. We all are excited to have a day off tomorrow. I haven't decided where I am going to hike. I'd like to get a glimpse of Mt Saint Helens, but I don't know if that would be possible.

We had Pad Thai for dinner with a fresh green salad. Dessert was cheesecake and chocolate tapioca pudding.

We talked for an hour after dinner, telling stories. 

Rich talked about how the body changes as you get older. The nose and ears all get bigger, which led us to compare him to Mr Potato Head!

We talked about a beaver that Chris had seen in the lake. As it neared the shore it went under water and didn't come up. Someone suggested that it must have drowned. Claire said you'd have to punch the drowned beaver to rescue it. Just then, Owen lowered the back of his camp chair and, as luck would have it, dunked his head in the water carrying bucket that was behind him! We all erupted in a roar of laughter!

This certainly is my kind of group!

Wednesday, July 20
It was a mostly sunny day so I decided to head towards Harry's Ridge, a little over 8 miles away. 

  Map showing Coldwater Lake in relationship to Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake.
I was headed to Harry's Ridge just west of Spirit Lake

I left camp at 6. The trail climbed steadily. As I got above the tree line, it was fun to see all the wildflowers. The jagged rock peaks added to the wonder. 


Above the tree line near Mt. St. Helens
I saw a large herd of elk in the distance. I could hear their hooves clicking on the rocks as they disappeared over the ridge.

At one spot the trail passes through a rock arch!



The trail passes through a rock arch!
There were fantastic views of Mt Saint Helens. I could see St Helens Lake, as well as Spirit Lake. In the distance I could see Mt Rainier and Mt Adams.

  My first view of Mt. St. Helens

Another beautiful view of Mt. St. Helens
St. Helens Lake - lots of dead trees floating in the lake.
Spirit Lake. Mt. Rainier in the distance

I found a lovely spot for lunch and watched the clouds move around the mountain. 

On the way back to camp, I noticed a radio repeater tower on Coldwater mountain. The repeaters are used to relay radio messages from isolated areas. Claire had a radio that could call out for help if needed.
  Radio repeater tower on Coldwater mountain
There is beautiful ground cover along the way, as well as beautiful flowers.

  Lots of ground cover growing in the rocks

A chipmunk chided me for invading his territory.

A chipmunk checks me out from his log hideout. As I headed down the trail, a red hat was hanging on a log. Apparently someone had lost it during their 100 mile marathon run on the Cascade Crest Trail.

Cascade Crest Trail 100 mile Marathon Run - I can't imagine running 100 miles over these hills!
I returned to camp by 11:30. My shoes were damp from all the brush alongside the trail. 

I noticed the zipper on my mosquito netting is not working correctly. It would zip, but the zipper would not hold the net together. I used safety pins to hold the netting shut. I think it's time to look for a new tent.

Tonight was steak night, and Toni did a great job. Antipasto salad, pan fried broccoli with pasta and Meyer lemon cookies for dessert.

It is a calm evening. The lake and mountains are beautiful. 
  The mountains towered over our campsite.


Thursday, July 21
We had clear skies last night and it was almost a full moon! 
  We had almost a full moon last night. It was starting to set when I got up at 5AM.
You can see the blue tent tarp over our eating area


However, it was a bit cooler at night, and with little or no breeze, I had condensation on the inside of my tent.

We had French toast and bacon for breakfast, and then headed out to do more brushing on the trail. It is a longer hike now to get to the worksite, so we all get a workout before we even start working!

I used a McCloud and it really clears the brush quickly. We made a lot of progress, completing 3 long switchbacks. 

  Typical working scenario for clearing brush. Chris and Trista use loppers; Claire is using a grub hoe.

For some reason the horseflies were out in force, buzzing around but fortunately not biting. Towards the end of the day we found a perfectly built birds nest.

We got back to camp a little before 3, and everyone headed to the beach for a swim. The water was just the right temperature to be refreshing! I washed my shirt and pants, which I dried in the warm breeze.

  The water was warm and felt great after a long day of trail work.

A beautiful day for a swim in Coldwater Lake

We had pork tacos for dinner with real guacamole, sour cream, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, etc. They were delicious!

After dinner, Rich showed us how to tie a "munter" knot and a Prussic knot. 

  Munter knot




He teaches knot tying for the Mountaineers and has a fixed line in the stairwell of his house. He uses a lawn mower as a weight on a hillside to show the effectiveness of his knots.

Friday, July 22
Rain! The wind came up sometime after midnight and then I heard raindrops hitting the tent. By 5 there was still a drizzle.

After egg McMuffins for breakfast, we headed for the trail. My feet were wet immediately. I'm thinking that waterproof boots might be a good investment. 


Rain-soaked bushes ensure that you are going to get wet while working on the trail in the brush!
It rained-drizzled all morning. I couldn't wear my raincoat because I was too hot wearing it. We ended up finishing another long switchback and headed to camp around 1:30. I changed into a dry shirt and wore my flannel and raincoat. My pants got damp under my rain pants, so I crawled into my sleeping bag. It feels so good to be toasty warm!

The skies seem to be clearing, but I think the weather is just teasing us.

For dinner, Toni fixed chicken with pan roasted potatoes, carrots and mushrooms, topped with gravy. In addition, we had a garden salad. What a yummy meal !

Several times, we've been visited by a "jumping" buddy as we sat near our cook tent. The bunny will come out of the woods, sit for a moment, then realize that we're there, and jump in the air before running off!


A little bunny often visited our campsite.
We started doing the double wash of the Tupperware containers, in preparation for leaving tomorrow. I went through three pairs of sox this evening trying to dry out my shoes. Hopefully they will dry a little bit tonight so I won't have wet feet on my hike out tomorrow.

Saturday, July 23
It didn't rain last night, thank goodness! I got up just before 5 and packed up my tent.

I got out the Tupperware that was washed last night. Trista and I hand dried them with towels. Toni fixed a delightful breakfast of quesadillas with bacon, topped with fresh avocado, sour cream, salsa and fresh tomatoes. We also had sausage links.

I helped wash all of the dishes (twice) and then closed down the latrine and sump. Everyone worked together to breakdown camp and move everything to the beach where the Forest Service boat will pick it up at 10:30.

We all posed for a group picture before heading up the lake on our hike out. 


Left to right - Front - Chris, Toni, Claire
Left to right - Back - Rich, Trista, Owen, Bob
  Everyone is heading back up the lake, walking through fields of flowers!

I arrived at the boat launch in time to meet the boat arriving with our gear.


This has been a wonderful trip. 
We made a huge difference in the trail that we worked on. 
I am so thankful to have met everyone on this trip and hope to work with them sometime again. 

Pete Lake The Alpine Lakes Wilderness lies in the Central Cascades Region in Washington State. It has some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the state.

I recently was lucky enough to participate in a week-long "volunteer vacation" with the Washington Trails Association (WTA), working to improve the trails near Pete Lake.

Saturday, July 2
I am always worried about getting to a new trailhead on time. Google maps said it would take two hours to get to the Pete Lake trail head from my house. However, I knew that my truck wouldn't go the speed limit, so I gave myself three hours. Traffic was heavy on I-90, but moved steadily. I arrived forty minutes early, and found that the parking lot was packed! I finally found a spot to park alongside the road. As I drove in, I saw Jim, who I met on the Lake Chelan trip, and, as I was walking to the trail head, I saw Claire arriving with a WTA intern named Alex. Soon I saw Steven, who I met on the Ipsut Creek trip. So out of the seven people in our work party, there were only two that I haven't met before!

While waiting for everyone to gather, I watched the Forest Service take our tools and food via horseback up the trail.
  Pack horses heading up the trail with our tools, equipment and food Pete Lake, 4 miles away. The PCT is only 8 miles away!
We all signed in, and headed up the trail. The trail was easy to walk, although I was rather warm in the sunshine. The four miles to Pete Lake went quickly, and I arrived in an hour and forty minutes. I talked with the rangers for a bit before they headed back down the trail. 

Our camp area at Pete Lake. The horses were tied to trees as they were unloaded.


Since the rest of the group had not yet arrived, I set up my tent. There were people everywhere, but we had a reserved campsite which, amazingly, was still empty. 

I helped set up and organize the cook tent. Others dug a hole for our sump water, another dug a latrine that our group will use during the week. We hung up the water for the hand washing station as well as the water filtering station. Paul headed to the lake to fill our water buckets.

Our cook tent is set up Claire gave a summary of the activities for the week, and an outline of our daily schedule. I volunteered to cook spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. 


Our first dinner - Spaghetti, meatballs and warm garlic bread. Yum!

This will be an interesting week, since there is no picnic table. We ended up sitting on some of the coolers, which worked OK. After dinner, we did our normal dish washing which included washing, rinsing twice and then a bleach rinse.

After each cooked meal, we thoroughly wash all of the dishes. We only had a little table as our work surface. The mosquitos are a bit of a pest, so I headed to bed before eight. I can hear young children crying in the distance, but smile because I can hear the songs of the same birds that I came to love while hiking the PCT last year.

Last night, I heard coyotes howling nearby and several owls!

Sunday, July 3
I heard Stephen get up at 4:45. He gets up early to make coffee and hot water. I rolled out at 5:15 and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my lunch.

I started breakfast at 6 - French toast and bacon. Claire went over tool safety before we split into two work teams. 

  Claire reviews the tools we will be using and emphasizes safety Each tool is reviewed: how it is used, how to carry it, how to safely store it alongside the trail

One group improved the trail over a stream bed. I went with the group that hiked about a mile and a half down the trail to where a tree root ball had left a huge hole in the trail. 

  Claire surveys the work site. We needed to restore the trail.

Steve places rocks in the hole on a bench dug so that the rocks would not shift over time.

We had to dig out mineral soil from the root ball and then gather large rocks to build a rock retaining wall. Steve spent and hour placing the first row of stones. We then decided we had enough stones to fill the entire hole, so we filled it up and spread a good layer of soil on top. It looks really nice.


Steve and Alex adding rocks to the hole
Bob helps to fill the hole too
We added mineral soil on top. It looks really like a trail again!
Back at camp we had Gatorade and chips.

  Resting after a long day. Gatorade and chips hit the spot.
For dinner we had chicken tacos with all the fixings. A lot of people who were camped in the campground went home today, so it was much quieter. Everyone were in their tents by 8:30 after a satisfying day of working on the trail. 

Monday, July 4
It seems odd that I am out in the woods again on the Fourth of July. But really I enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of the forest. 
  We had two American flags flying for the Fourth of July!
I helped make sausage McMuffins and headed out to the trail at 7:30. I did not sleep well last night. There were some teenagers camped near the lake who partied until midnight. In addition, my right shoulder has been aching at night. I told Claire that I needed to watch what I did today. I ended up doing brushing all morning. It was hard work and my shoulder still ached. After lunch I helped with tread work and dug out roots. By two I was getting incredibly cold and headed back to camp a half hour early. I felt bad quitting early but I had no more energy.

I rested in my tent for two hours and then helped cook salmon, asparagus and basil pasta. It turned out great.
   The salmon has been seasoned and I cut lemon wedges. The salmon was roasted on the griddle with butter and garlic.
I headed to bed before 8 and took pain medication for my aching shoulder.


Tuesday, July 5
It was so nice to have a quiet camp last night. I slept well, especially since I took Aleve to keep the ache in my shoulder in check. I was up by 5:15. Stephen had the water and coffee going. I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my lunch.

I fixed blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs with onions and bacon for breakfast.

We did stretching exercises before heading up the trail. 

   Steven led the stretching exercises. 

Alex, Claire and Steve all getting limber.
Jim, Steve and Stephen cut a large log out of the trail. There was a large snow pile under the bark debris. 
  
The log has been cut. You can see the snow under the bark in the lower right of the picture.

Steven shoveled some into our water carrying bags to supplement our freezer ice. 

The rest of the group worked on creating a new switchback. We had to dig out rocks and roots. 

  Steve digs out rocks from the roots


Alex works on the upper part of the switchback, digging out roots and rocks
Jim works to place rocks alongside the trail to hold the dirt that will be added later.

Then we dug mineral soil to finish the tread. We had one huge rock that we moved into place along the trail to hold the soil in place. It took almost twenty minutes to move the rock into place. I created a speeded-up video showing how much effort it takes to move these giant rocks.




I helped fix pulled pork sandwiches for dinner with baked beans and a garden salad.

Wednesday, July 6
Today is our day off. We can stay around camp, go hiking or do whatever we want. The best part is that it was blue skies and sunshine!

I decided to walk up to Lemah meadows and walk up the PCT. I packed a PB&J sandwich and left camp at 6:30. It was an easy hike and I suspected that the trail was the same one that I camped beside last year on my PCT hike. Sure enough I spotted my old campsite. 

  Beautiful old tree on the way to Lemah meadows

This is my camp site where I camped a little over a year ago on my through hike of the PCT
Since it only took me 40 minutes to get to the PCT, I decided to head towards Spectacle Lake. The first river had a wooden bridge and the second had a log that was easy to cross.

  The first stream crossing on the PCT has a wooden bridge

The second stream crossing on the PCT has a foot bridge. At the narrow end there was a make-shift rail to hold onto.

The problem was that there we a jillion logs across the trail. Over, under and around was the order of the day. 

  On the way to Spectacle Lake, the PCT passes through a burnt forest. There were many logs fallen over the trail.
I passed a beautiful waterfall on a wooden bridge and then climbed 20 switchbacks to the Spectacle Lake trail. 




It was an easy half mile to the lake. Of course the lake was fantastic. I was the only one there!


  First view of Spectacle Lake with mountains all around

Spectacle Lake
At the shore of Spectacle Lake

On the way back I met Steven and Paul.

Paul and Steven headed up the PCT to Spectacle Lake

They were making good time, but had taken another trail where they had to wade across one of the rivers. I also met the church group girls who were also headed to the lake.

I made it back to camp by 12:10. The afternoon was warm, so I washed my dirty shirt and pants. I also took a sponge bath. I took a short nap and then helped cook steak, broccoli and mashed potatoes. Others made a veggie salad.

Paul found a small limb on a tree that he carved to look like a little creature. I think he did a great job!


Paul's carving looks like a little critter peaking over the log!
Tomorrow we hope to finish the tread work on the Waptus Pass trail and then log out some of the fallen trees on the trail from Pete Lake to the river ford.

Stephen counted 175 trees down across the trail on his way up to Spectacle Lake!

Thursday, July 7
I had weird dreams last night. I wonder if they are because I have been taking pain medication for my shoulder pain?

I helped fix eggs, sausage and English muffins for breakfast. After a few stretching exercises, we split into two teams. Jim, Steven and Steve hiked up the lake to start sawing out trees from across the trail. 
  Using a two-person cross-cut saw to remove a tree that was blocking the trail

Claire, Paul, Alex and I headed up the Waptus Pass trail to finish the trail switchback. We finished setting the rocks alongside the trail and then gathered stones to fill next to the larger rocks. We then filled bags with mineral soil to level and shape the grade. Paul spent several hours digging out a large tree root. We also widened the turn to accommodate horse traffic. We finally finished at noon. 

  Lower end of the new switch back. The huge rock was placed next to the tree on the right of the trail.

Looking down the trail. The trail was filled with mineral soil to smooth it out
The upper section of the switch back. We made the turn wider so that horses could navigate it more easily.
Alex packing down some of the dirt
After lunch we headed up the trail. Claire had another cross cut saw. Jim's team had already cleared 8 trees. I helped cut the ninth.


When a saw starts to bind, we used an axe to cut away the wood down to the bottom of the saw cut to relieve the stress.
For dinner we had Couscous with chicken, onions, peppers and Marsala sauce. We also had a garden salad. I fixed warm peaches topped with fresh blueberries.

Of course, we amuse ourselves by trying to flip whipped cream up in the air and catch it in our mouth. Alex did OK.




It started raining after dinner, but it was dry under our tarp. 
  The tarp kept us dry during the many rain showers

We took extra precautions with food storage since we heard that a bear had come into the Waptus Lake campground, which is just over the ridge from us.

Friday, July 8
The last day of the volunteer vacation is always bitter sweet. It's sad to realize that its almost over and I will be leaving good friends. It's sweet in that there is a real feeling of accomplishment and I will be able to return to family and friends tomorrow.

It lightly rained all night, but was clearing by morning. 

  There are breaks in the morning clouds over Pete Lake

The water in Pete Lake is crystal clear and cold
Checking out the lake in the early morning light
Pete Lake and clearing skies. One of the mountain peaks starts to come out of the fog
Sun filters through the trees. I just love being here.


I fixed a large pan of bacon and eggs for breakfast. We then headed up the trail to cut logs out of the trail. I worked with Jim, Steve, and Alex. Jim is a good teacher and explains why we are cutting in certain places, and what may happen as we saw the log. I really enjoyed today's work. We managed to clear the trail of logs all the way to the ford of Lemah creek. One tree across the trail had a yellow jacket nest in it. We flagged the trail and left the tree. I felt this was one of the most successful days ever on the outing. 

  This tree fell right into the trail tread. We made two cuts and rolled it to the side

Steve and Alex on the now cleared trail
Alex and Steven are half-way through. Jim is giving them instructions on how to procede.
The trail has been cleared and cleaned Claire made the last cut of the day to clear a log out of the way.




We had chili for dinner with quesadillas and salad.

A large group of Boy Scouts who are camped nearby. We gave them our extra chili, but they are rather noisy tonight.

Saturday, July 9
It rained fairly hard all night, so we all had wet tents to pack up this morning. After breakfast, we all pitched in to break down camp. One of the tasks was to wash all of the cooking equipment and plates, making sure everything was washed twice and dried. It took over an hour to finish.

We also had to pack the metal panniers, making sure that pairs of them were within one pound of each other. We used a portable scale to weigh each pannier and then had to adjust the weights as needed. They needed to be equal in weight so that the pack horses would have a balanced load on the way out. The horses arrived before everything was packed. We finally finished at 11:30 and headed back to the trailhead.

On the way out, we got a lot of "thank you's" from folks heading up the trail. It really made me feel proud to be making a difference with a WTA work crew!

  Packing up the panniers, making sure pairs of them were equal in weight

We had extra carrots, so the horses and mules got a special treat!
Loading up the horses with the panniers
During the course of our week in the woods, we shared riddles with each other. It was fun trying to solve them as we worked.


Riddles:
#1
Give me a common word that has the letters "UFA" together. This one drove me to distraction. It's harder than you think. With enough clues from Steve, I finally got it.

#2
There is a room with an incandescent light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There is one door into the room which is closed. There are no windows, and when the light is on in the room, no light can be seen under or around the door. Outside the room are three light switches, which are all in the "off" position. You can only open the door once to see if the light is on. How can you determine which switch controls the light?  I guess this was one of the interview questions at Microsoft. They want people who are problem solvers. I can't imagine being put on the spot during an interview to try to figure this one out. 

#3
There is a room with four walls, a ceiling and floor, but no windows. There is a chair and a mirror on the wall. How do you get out of the room? No one could possibly solve this one. You look in the mirror to see what you saw. You used the saw to cut the chair in half. Two halves make and hole, and you use the hole to crawl out. OMG!

#4
There is a blue magical mirror. A moose can pass through, but not an elk. Geese can fly through, but not ducks. You can put your feet through, but not your hand. Give examples of other things that can and cannot pass through. With enough examples, this one becomes easy to solve.
#5
A man lives in a fifty story building on the top floor. When it rains, he takes his umbrella and upon returning uses the elevator to return to his room. If he forgets his umbrella, he can only ride to the tenth floor and then has to take the stairs the rest of the way. When the man goes walking, he takes his trekking pole and rides the elevator to the fiftieth floor upon returning. The day he forgot his trekking pole, he could only ride to the tenth floor. Explain why sometimes he can ride the elevator all the way to the top, where other times he can only ride to the tenth floor. This one didn't seem to be logical, but after asking enough questions, someone finally got it. 

#6:
Two men go into a bar and order the same drink, whiskey on the rocks. The first man got a phone call and had to leave, so he gulps down his drink and leaves. The second man has time to kill, so he lingers over his drink and chitchats with the bartender. An hour later he keels over dead. An autopsy revealed that his drink was poisoned. Why didn't the first man die as well? I had heard this one before, but didn't remember the answer until someone else got it.

Mount Rainier from the lower crossing trail of the Carbon River Mount Rainier has some of the most beautiful scenery, and I found a great way to enjoy it.

On June 28, my hiking buddy, Deb, and I drove to the Carbon River entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. We stopped at the Ranger Station that is just two miles from the entrance and got a free wilderness camping permit, since we would be camping within the park boundary.

We walked the now closed road to Ipsut Creek campground. It is a lovely walk through old growth forest, complete with mammoth old-growth trees, hanging moss, creeks and chirping birds. 

Hiking the Carbon River road/trail to Ipsut Creek through old-growth florest Hanging moss in the Carbon River rainforest
It took us about an hour and a half to get to the campground, where we almost had the place to ourselves. We chose a site near the river and quickly had our tents up. It was perfect because each site had a picnic table.

Ipsut Creek campground
We packed a lunch and headed up the Wonderland Trail. We stopped to view Ipsut Falls, which is just 200 feet off the trail. It is beautiful as it cascades down the steep rocks. 

Ipsut Creek falls
We then continued up the trail. Within forty minutes we were to the lower crossing of the Carbon river. I was pleased to see that the Park Service ranger had installed new log bridges so that we could cross the river. 

Deb crosses the first of two new log bridges over the Carbon River at the lower crossing.
The second bridge at the lower crossing. The handrail was a welcome addition as the water was raging below.
As I crossed the log, I found it important to look ahead, not down at the rushing water below, since it would be easy to become dizzy. We did not want anything like that to happen!

The view of the mountain from the middle of the river crossing was amazing!

Mount Rainier seemed so close!
On the other side, we headed upriver and soon arrived at the suspension bridge over the river. What fun to walk on the bridge and view the mountain. 

Suspension bridge over the Carbon River. It was bouncy!
We met Jack, the one of the National Park Rangers, and he talked to us about the suspension bridge and how it was designed. Basically, there was NO design! Ha! The guy who built it was an engineer, and somehow knew how big of cables to use and how to rig them. The bridge components were brought in by helicopter and assembled on site.

From there, we continued up the trail to take in a view of the Carbon Glacier. We perched alongside the trail on large boulders and watched as rocks cascaded down the face of the ice.

The snout of the Carbon glacier. Rocks continually tumble down the face of the ice.
We returned to camp for dinner and watch the river as the sun set behind the mountain.

In the morning, we packed up camp and headed back down the road. On the way, we took a side trip to see Chenuis falls. On the way across the river, we could see Mount Rainier. The falls reminded me of the water-slide falls that I saw last year in the Sierras.

Mount Rainier peeks above the ridge from the crossing to Chenuis falls.
Chenuis falls. The water the crystal clear.
We continued on down the road/trail, and then hid our packs in the woods and hiked up the trail to Green lake. On the way up we stopped to view Ranger Falls.

Viewpoint for Ranger Falls
It was a steep climb up, and I could feel the burn in my leg muscles by the time I reached the lake. I think Deb had her fill of climbing. She said, "I'm not a hill person!"

Green Lake was beautiful in the morning light. There were fish jumping in the middle of the lake.

Log bridge over the outlet stream from Green Lake
Green Lake was peaceful in the morning light. Fish jumped in the middle of the lake.
We headed back down and stopped next at the Old Mine. It was just a quarter mile off the road. Unfortunately, there was another climb up to the mine, so Deb let me do the hiking. The mine is carved into the face of a cliff. There was a small stream running out of it and there were old railroad tracks leading into the blackness. The mine is cordoned off about ten feet in.

Old Mine, only a quarter mile off the road. A stream flowed out of the darkness
View from inside the old mine
Sign at the start of the trail to the old mine. I wonder what they were mining?

We made it back to the trailhead before noon. 

I highly recommend this overnight trip. But, be sure to do it when the weather is good. I can't imagine going and not being able to see Mount Rainier in all her glory.

Here is a map showing trails in the area.


I think this was one of the best overnight hikes I have ever taken. There is minimal elevation gain going into camp, and the trail up to the Carbon Glacier has a very moderate elevation gain, so it is easy to hike.

The Carbon River - on my way to Ipsut Creek campground The Washington Trail Association sponsors "volunteer vacations" on which people like me can volunteer time and effort to improve the hiking trails in Washington State. I decided to join a trail work crew that was going to improve the Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park. The volunteer vacation is a week-long adventure, camping in a wilderness location and making friends with people who are like-minded. 
Each day of this trip, I tried to document what it was like, what I saw, what we did as a team. Hopefully you can see fun it can be to be in some of the most beautiful places on earth, and how rewarding it is to improve the experience for others as well.
Overview map showing where we camped and the nearby trails
Sat June 4, 2016
Ipsut creek flows into the Carbon River, which is fed by the Carbon glacier on Mt. Rainier. I was lucky in that I live less than an hours drive from the meeting place at the Carbon River entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. There were a lot of people parked along the road when I arrived, but fortunately I saw a young lady standing by her car which had a Washington Trail Association (WTA) sticker on it. She said that we would be meeting at the Rainier National Park service utility building just up the road. So I returned to my truck, drove through the gate and parked at our meeting place. 
The Mt. Rainier National Park (RNP) ranger, Zack, had everyone fill out waiver forms, which I did while finishing my lunch. Our WTA leader, Austin, arrived and gave us permission to start hiking to the Ipsut Creek campground, which was five miles away. Everyone left their packs since the RNP ranger would shuttle them to the campsite for us! Sweet!   Old growth forest The hike was through old growth forest and it was amazing to look at those monster trees towering above me. The "trail" was actually a continuation of the Carbon River road, but was closed due to washouts. The afternoon was really warm, probably in the low eighties. I regretted not bring my water bottle, which was in my pack. Regardless, I arrived at camp no worse for wear, and began helping unloading gear and supplies from the shuttle. 
I got to help set up the cook tent and assembled the cook stove. I felt so much more confident having been on a prior work party a month ago.    Our cooking area and cooking tent. Kevin is sitting at the table. Jen is setting up inside the cook tent. I found a nearby camping spot and set up my tent.    My campsite nestled in the trees Everyone helped with fixing dinner, which was spaghetti and meatballs, fresh green salad and garlic bread. We all introduced ourselves. I think this is going to be a great group to work with. The sun hasn't set yet, but everyone is tired and we all headed to our tents to rest. 
Sun June 5
I was up by 5:30 and prepared my pack with the items I would be taking with me today. I carried two and a half liters of water since it is supposed to be in the eighties today. 
We had pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. Everyone also packed a lunch. We met Zack, the NPS ranger, at eight and had a good discussion on the safe use of tools. 
We hiked up the trail for only five minutes before starting our first task. A small stream had washed out the trail and old bridge. We improved the trail down to the stream and put in large boulders so hikers could rock-hop across.  We improved the trail down to the stream bed
We also improved the trail up the bank on the far side.

  Moving rocks to use as stepping stones across the stream. Also improving the trail up the other side.
By ten, we took a break. I walked up to Ipsut Creek Falls, which were awesome!
We joined the Wonderland Trail and my next job was to repair the trail tread in an area where a huge tree had fallen and a rock slide had destroyed the trail. I had to gather load after load of rocks and build up the trail where a small stream made the trail muddy. 
We stopped for lunch as the day grew hotter and hotter. As I was finishing, several groups of day hikers passed by and thanked us for our work. That made my day!   Taking our lunch break. By mid afternoon we cashed our tools and took a look at our project for tomorrow. There is an enormous washout caused by the Carbon River. 
Back at camp I took a sit bath and washed my work shirt. I put it back on while it was still damp, which felt great in the afternoon heat. 
Dinner was couscous with chicken and vegetables. We also had a slice of cantaloupe. It's only 7:30, but everyone is tired and headed for their tents to rest. 
Mon June 6
I was up by 5:30 and enjoyed hot chocolate and coffee before breakfast. As early as I get up, there is always hot water and coffee ready. I helped fix French toast and bacon. I cooked the leftover egg mixture, so technically we had eggs too. 
We did stretching exercises before heading up the trail. Our task today was to build a trail through a washed out area.  We had to build a trail down into the washed out area. This is what it looked like before our work. I took a "before" and "after" picture. We had to build a ramp from the existing trail down into the washed out area. That meant moving extremely large rocks down the unstable bank. One of the team members, Kevin, was using a peavey to leverage a large boulder. The hook slipped from the rock, and he was thrown off balance. He rock-hopped down the bank as best as he could, but fell down at the bottom, jamming his leg and skinning his knee. By noon he was in pain, and Austin had him and two others go back to camp. He may have to go home if he can't continue to work. What a bummer!
We spent the rest of the afternoon moving rocks to make a good trail through the washout. Jack and another fellow from the Rainier National Park service were also working to clear fallen trees from the trail.    What the trail looked like after we moved the boulders and graded the trail. It was another beautiful and warm day, but somewhat cooler than yesterday. Back at camp, I did my usual wash up and lazed around until it was time to make dinner. I helped prepare and cook salmon. It was delicious along with pan-fried broccoli with fresh garlic and basil pasta. 
Tomorrow we will likely clear more trail through the washout. It also might be the last sunny day of this trip. 
Tuesday June 7
I fell asleep quickly last night, but woke up just as it was getting dark. I thought it was already morning! I felt foolish when I finally looked at the time and then nestled back into my warm sleeping bag.
We had egg and sausage muffins for breakfast and did stretching exercises before heading up the trail. 
We repaired the approaches to several foot bridges. Our next task was to try to widen the trail along some protruding rocks. The problem was that the river had washed away next to the rocks and it was a thirty foot drop into the snarling water below! 
There's not much trail left below the rock outcropping. We widened the approach trail and started working on the rocks.
We used a pick and pry bar to break away the rock. Hoes and shovels were used to widen the trail. The trail here is not in perfect form, but it is much better and safer.    We picked away at the rocks and made a small ledge. It still needed more work. By mid-afternoon we moved up the trail to a point where a rock slide covered it. We had to move rocks and make a path through.   The rock slide across the trail. We needed to widen the tread and move lots of rocks. We finished half of the work before quitting for the day and heading back to camp.
Kevin felt better, but was heading home. He caught a ride with Jack, the NPS ranger. We all said our "goodbyes". Everyone was so sad to see him go and hoped that he would recover quickly.
Dinner tonight was steak, mashed potatoes and pan-roasted asparagus. I prepared and cooked the steak. The entire meal was wonderful!
The weather forecast is for a chance of rain for the next several days. We put up the rain fly on the cook tent and rigged a tarp over the eating area.    We rigged a rain tarp over the eating area and put the rain tarp over the cook tent. All in all it was a great day. 
Wednesday June 8
On a Volunteer Vacation, Wednesday is our day off from trail work. 
I decided to hike up to Mowich Lake, which is about five and a half miles away. The difficulty, however, was an elevation gain of 2700 feet in three and a half miles to reach Ipsut Pass. 
I left camp at six. The trail follows Ipsut Creek and is up, up and more up. It took me two hours to get to the top. It was so steep in places that I could only do one switchback before having to pause to catch my breath and rest my legs.    View to the north from Ipsut Pass From Ipsut Pass it was a gentle downhill to Mowich lake. There were still patches of snow around the lake, and only one tent in the campground since the road to the lake is still closed. 
Mowich Lake. It is ice-free, but there were still snow banks in shady areas around the lake.
I saw two deer as I ate my lunch at one of the picnic tables.    Deer crossing a small pool in the stream flowing from Mowich Lake I was fortunate in that the weather was mostly sunny. There were also pretty flowers growing along the trail.    Blooming flowers along the trail from Mowich Lake to Ipsut Pass I got back to camp at 11, and quickly washed up. The sky was filling with clouds and a cool wind was beginning to blow.  After doing a few camp chores, I snuggled in my sleeping bag for a short nap. 
One of our crew, Steve, had not returned by five, so Austin and Ed rode bikes down the road to find him. Fortunately he was already on his way back and everyone was accounted for from the days' activities. 
For dinner we had pulled pork sandwiches, fresh green salad, and pan fried broccoli. It was wonderful! 
Thursday June 9
I awoke to cloudy skies, but no rain! Yay!
We had breakfast burritos, a tortilla with eggs, sausage and cheese. We hit the trail just before 8, and had a two mile hike to our worksite. We had to finish clearing the rock slide from the trail and make the trail tread wider. 
We then headed another half mile up the trail where there had been an enormous rock slide caused by erosion from the Carbon River. The rocks looked like they could slide again, and appeared to be an accident waiting to happen. We carefully walked by them and headed into the river rock scree. We crossed a branch of the Carbon River on small logs. Jack, the RNP ranger, joined us and showed us where he planned to put in a more robust log bridge. Our task was to clear a trail through the jumble of boulders.    We moved boulders to create a trail across the rock scree in the flood plain of the Carbon River. As if on cue, it began to rain. I donned my rain gear as I began to move rocks. Some of the boulders were enormous, so we had to use a pry bar and muscle power to maneuver them out of the trail. Every so often we stacked a cairn to mark the way. It took all afternoon to clear a path to the next branch of the river. 
There was now steady rain as we headed back to camp. My shirt and pants were damp, even though I was wearing rain gear. I changed into a dry shirt and put on my down jacket under my raincoat. I really wished I had another polyester and nylon shirt to change into. 
We all gathered inside of the cook tent, which was warmer due to the cook stove. I was rather depressed about the rain, and still felt chilly due to my damp pants. However, after snacking on chips and salsa, my spirits lifted and eventually everyone worked together to make dinner. By bedtime the rain had let up somewhat, and I snuggled into my warm sleeping bag with a smile. 
Friday June 10
The last day of work. The week has gone so quickly!
It rained most of the night, but for some reason I had a restful sleep. Perhaps it was a combination of the river and the rain. 
For breakfast, we had scrambled eggs and English muffins with melted cheese. We did a few stretching exercises, led by Stephen. He does a great job explaining which muscles are being affected, and he is very enthusiastic. 
The group split into three teams. Jen, Stephen and Steve worked on cleaning the water bars on the Ipsut Pass trail. Austin and Hannah worked on the Wonderland Trail, trying to create a safer tread where the river had washed away the trail leaving a thirty foot drop into the roaring torrent. Ed and I hiked back up to the rock slide and improved the slope of the trail. 
It took Ed and I a couple of hours to drag more rock and gravel. It looks much better now. 
We then walked back down the trail, doing some brushing as we went. 
We helped Austin and Hannah break away rocks, making a pathway in the rock wall above the river. Although it is still dangerous, it is much safer than before.    Still widening the trail near the protruding rock. I put together a short video showing how we blasted away at the rocks trying to make a decent trail that was safer:



Back at camp, I was able to air out my sleeping bag in the sun for about 15 minutes before the clouds gathered again. 
It began raining an hour before dinner, and even hailed for a while! I'm so glad we have a covered eating area. 
For dinner, everyone helped to make chili with onions, olives, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and quesadillas with cheese. On the side we had a green salad with tomatoes, avocado, celery and carrots. 
We consolidated the food in the cook tent and did some pre-cleaning and packing for our trip back to our cars tomorrow. 
This has been an awesome experience! I just love working and camping in the forest, helping to make the trail experience better for everyone. 
I was right when I said several days ago that this was a great group of people to work with. 
I had a blast!
Epilogue:
Austin gave the group several riddles to solve. We spent a lot of time talking about them and finally solved them. 
Riddle #1: A man wanted to catch the bus, and to do so, had to leave in exactly 45 minutes. The man didn't  have a clock or watch. However, he did have two ropes of equal length. He knew that if he lit the end of either rope, it would burn to the other end in exactly one hour. The ropes, when burning, burned at varying rates. How did he manage to leave in exactly 45 minutes?
Riddle #2: There are four people who need to cross a dangerous bridge at night. They only have one flashlight which must be used to cross the bridge. One of the four is very experienced, and can cross the bridge in 1 minute. The second is less experienced, and can cross the bridge in 2 minutes. The third can cross the bridge in 5 minutes and the fourth takes 10 minutes. They can only cross the bridge two at a time, always carrying the flashlight. When the pair crosses, they move at the rate of the slowest person. When across, someone must come back across with the flashlight. Explain how the entire group can get across the bridge in 17 minutes. 

Moon over Lake Chelan from our campsite
I think about my hike on the Pacific Crest Trail every day. I often long to be back on the trail. 
I loved the bright stars in the night sky, and the sounds of birds singing at first-light in the morning.

A few months ago, I discovered the Washington Trails Association. They work to be a voice for hikers, a resource for those looking to get outside, and they provide volunteer opportunities to make a difference to the trail system in Washington State.

One of their volunteer opportunities is called a "volunteer vacation". They schedule week-long work parties to improve trails. This was exactly what I wanted to do, so I joined one! You have to pay to join the work party, because they provide all of the food and cooking equipment during the week on the trail. I think it is well worth the cost, especially since the food was amazing!

The location for my work party was along Lake Chelan. The goal was to work on improving the Lake Shore trail, and do other work on other trails in the area.

The following is my daily journal of what we did:\

Sat 4/22 - Day 1

Our group left Fields Point on Lake Chelan at 10:56, riding the ferry, the Lady of the Lake. Lady of the Lake picking us up at Fields Point The surprise was when the boat dropped us off at the Lucerne landing. The last time I was headed to Prince Creek, the boat dropped us off right at Prince Creek by using a portable landing ramp. This boat did not have one. 

Waiting for us at the Lucerne landing was a forest service boat that would shuttle us to Prince Creek.

A forest service boat picked us up at Lucerne and took us to Prince Creek

The forest service boat could only take half of the group, so it took two trips. I went on the first trip and helped carry the camp gear, food and tools from the dock to the campsite.

The dock at Prince Creek - we had to carry all of our supplies up to the campground

The more experienced members of the group set up a large tent where the cooking will be done. 

Setting up the camp kitchen tent at the group campground

We had to carry water from the lake to be filtered for drinking. I carried six of the metal boxes with the camp supplies up from the dock to the campsite. It was hot and heavy work.

When the boat arrived with the balance of the party, we all hunted for our own camping spots. I finally found one on a hill above the camp, but it was a long walk from my campsite to the group cook tent.  My campsite on a hill above the group campsite

At dinner time, everyone pitched in to make dinner. We also learned the correct way to wash dishes. The correct way involves four washing containers. The first is a wash tub with soap. The second is a first rinse tub. The third is a second rinse tub. The last is a bleach tub. By washing this way it insures that the dishes are really clean. Everything is put into a mesh bag that is hung to dry in the cook tent. That keeps the dishes away from any critters that might be exploring at night.

Jim shows us the correct way to wash dishes

I finally headed to bed at 8. We start bright and early tomorrow morning at 6!

Sun 4/23 - Day 2
The wind blew for half the night, so I didn't sleep well. A friendly deer munched grass just outside my tent until early morning. We had light rain which stopped just in time to get up and have breakfast. 

We had wonderful breakfast of French toast and bacon. Afterwards, Claire, our team leader, gave everyone a tool safety review, including how to carry the tools and how to hand them to someone else. 

I then got my own hard hat with the name "Bobaroo"! 

Everyone carried two tools. I choose "loppers" and a "McLeod". I used the loppers to trim brush away from the trail. Several of us had the same tool, so we would "leap frog" each other as we walked up the trail. Others repaired the trail tread and a couple others used a two-person cross-cut saw to remove trees that had fallen across the trail. 

We stopped for lunch at noon. Around 2 PM I came upon the others who were cutting through a 33-inch tree that was blocking the trail. I took several turns sawing, which is harder that it looks.  Clearing a large log from the Lake Chelan Lakeshore Trail


They "butt-pushed" the cut section off the trail by sitting on the ground and pushing with their feet. 

We headed back to camp, having cleared about two miles of the trail. 

Dinner was couscous with a chicken breast strips, garlic, onions and peppers. It was delicious! 

I helped wash dishes and everyone retired early. I can tell my arm muscles are going to be tired tomorrow!

Mon 4/24 - Day 3
The wind blew again all night. However, the sky was clear so no rain. 

It was cooler in the morning. We had breakfast sandwiches with sausage and then headed out early at 7:30. I did brushing all day, and I think I am getting better at it. The problem today was that we were working on the Lakeshore Trail again, so there was a two mile hike before we could start work. We managed to clear the trail for another two miles, all the way to Rex creek. 

I got to help saw another log, which was a good change of pace. Removing a fallen log from the trail

 It took me 1 1/2 hours to walk back, a little over four miles. My shirt was really sweaty, so I washed it in a gallon zip lock. I also took a sponge bath. 

I helped our team leader, Clair, to clean up the site fire pit. There was lots of broken glass and aluminum. 

Dinner was yummy with baked beans, pulled pork and raw vegetables. I helped again with cleaning dishes. 

Everyone was tired tonight and I was in my tent by 8. 

I am really enjoying this group and it's so fun to be on the trail making a difference. 

Tue 4/25 - Day 4
I had weird dreams last night and woke several times in a panic. Perhaps it was the beans we had for dinner?  

It was clear and beautiful this morning. We had breakfast burritos before heading out on a new project. 

We headed up Prince creek. The trail switchbacks up the mountain. The creek is far below roaring down the canyon. We got instructions from Jim about all of the considerations for safely cutting a tree that has fallen over the trail. I got to saw one end. The rest of the day was consumed by removing brush that had overgrown the trail.  Taking a lunch break by a waterfall on the Prince Creek trail

As we got higher and higher, the views of the lake and mountains got better and better.  Clearing brush from the Prince Creek trail high above Lake Chelan

We headed back to camp around 1:30, having done several miles of trail. I rewashed my shirt and cleaned up a bit. 

For dinner we had salmon, broccoli and pasta with basil sauce. After dinner I helped with dishes and sat around a campfire enjoying the amazing views.

Wed 4/26 - Day 5
Today was our day off. I decided to hike back up the Prince creek trail. 

I ate granola, hot chocolate and coffee for breakfast and packed a sandwich, chips and a candy bar for lunch. I was told that a little over four miles up the trail was a washed out bridge over Prince creek. That was my goal. I left at 7. It was overcast all morning and the hike was pleasant. I had to scramble over a small rock slide and half a dozen fallen trees and arrived at the washed out bridge at 9. There was a log downstream over the creek, but it was too dangerous to cross. The washed-out bridge over Prince Creek about 4 miles from Lake Chelan  

I ate my lunch and had a great walk back. 

I decided to wash my shirt again and then rest in my tent. An hour nap did wonders!  

I spent the afternoon walking along the lake shore. For a while, I used a stick like a bat and hit small rocks out into the lake. I used to do that when I was a kid living in Bellevue. 

For dinner we had steaks, mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. It was delicious. Afterwards, I helped clean dishes. The deer roam about freely each evening. I think we are the guests in their space!

Thursday 4/27 - Day 6
I had a good nights sleep. 

Don had a fire going this morning, which was welcome in the morning air. We had egg sandwiches with salmon. 

The Forest Service picked us up at the dock and took us to Refrigerator Harbor on the other side of Lake Chelan. We worked on the trail to Domke Lake. The area is closed to the public since it was burned by the fire last year.  Taking a break on the trail to Domke Lake

Our group is the first one to work on the trail. We had to clear the trail of fallen branches, fix the tread of the trail, and build up parts of the trail that were washed out or destroyed by fire. We built several retaining walls using rocks and then back filled them with dirt. We also had to be cautious due to the possibility of burnt trees falling without warning. 

We got within a half mile of the lake before quitting. On the way down the trail we found several dozen morel mushrooms. 

It was a beautiful ride back in the boat with rainbows in the spray from the boat.  View up Lake Chelan from the forest service boat

I took another sit bath and washed my shirt again. 

For dinner we had chicken burritos with all the fixings. I helped wash dishes and we then listened as Bob played the guitar and sang. This is a really great group of people!

Fri 4/28 - Day 7
I was awake at 5:15. The sky was clear as the moon was setting. 

We had blueberry pancakes and sausage links for breakfast. The Forest Service boat picked us up at 8 and dropped us off at Cascade creek, which was up the lake from Prince creek. 

The group split into three teams. One group brushed and cleared the trail going north. Another group headed south. I was with the group that stayed at Cascade creek and put in a new pit toilet. It is a wooden toilet with a lid that sits over a pit. We built a trail up to the site and then hauled the toilet and frame. 

The hardest part was digging a five foot deep pit. We were fortunate to have selected a site without huge buried rocks. It took about five hours to dig. It felt great to finish a job like this that will make life easier for those camping here. We finished installing the pit toilet at Cascade creek

The Forest Service boat picked everyone up and returned us to camp. 

I took another sit bath and washed my shirt. I also took a short nap before dinner. 

We had quesadillas for dinner with a yummy soup with broccoli. The wind has picked up again, so it is likely to be a noisy night.

Sat 4/29 - Day 8
Today was a day to pack up and go home. I was awake at 5 and started packing by 5:15. It is sad to leave, but I feel good about what we accomplished this week. 

I realized I had brought too many extra clothes, most of which I never even taken out of my clothes bag. My pack was stuffed as if I was headed out on a 7-day trek on the PCT. Then I remembered that I still needed to pack my extra food which I had stored in the bear box near the cook tent. Yikes, my pack was really full now!

I helped wash the dishes after breakfast, which involved washing everything twice. We even dried everything off before they were packed into their carrying containers.

Everyone was done packing by 9. We had to wait another two hours until the forest service boat arrived around 11.  The forest service boat which took us back to Lucerne

We all were dropped off at the Lucerne landing and had an early lunch. 

Someone suggested that we buy a ticket and visit Stehekin, which sounded good when they mentioned that we would have enough time there for a burger and a beer. The ticket cost $12.75.

We arrived in Stehekin just after noon, and all bought food at the restaurant.  Arriving at Stehekin and heading to the restaurant for burgers and a beer

The weather was pleasant as we sat outside and enjoyed the scenery. 

The boat left shortly after one, and we enjoyed our trip up the lake. Everyone helped unload the camp equipment, supplies and tools.

It was a wonderful experience and a great way to give back to the hiking community.

An amazing day at our Lake Chelan campsite

Thursday, November 26

I went for a walk in the woods this morning. The sun was bright. The air was crisp.I wore my layers of hiking clothes - flannel, wool and nylon.

As I approached Lake Sawyer, I noticed a rock that had been written on. It said, "Sex Rock". It brought a smile to my face. I imagine there is a good story behind that one!
There must be a good story here Soon, I wandered the trails following Ravensdale Creek and I began to think about how blessed I am. My hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) really gives me a new perspective.

I am thankful for healing. After finishing the hike in late August, I found that my feet ached all the time. It took three months for the pain to subside. At night, I would have to take pain killers to be able to fall asleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night with painful throbbing feet. That is gone now. My toenails are still healing. The nails on my big toes will probably take another two months to fully recover. But they are healing.

I am so thankful for clean and abundant water. On the PCT, water was often a major concern. Where was the next reliable source of water? Sometimes, the reliable source of water would be gone. And, if there WAS water, would it be clean enough to drink? Now, I am so thankful for clean and abundant water. I have a new perspective.

I am thankful for an abundance of food. On the PCT, I often thought about food. I dreamed about going to my favorite pizza restaurant and eating a slice of pizza and downing a cool mug of beer. When I got home, I went back to that restaurant and ordered pizza and beer. Tears flowed down my face as I ate that food, remembering how often I had dreamed about it while on the trail. The taste was amazing!

Tonight, I think my family will be thankful that my hiker hunger is gone. Otherwise, there might not have been enough to go around! But seriously, we are so lucky to be able to obtain and consume delicious food. It is everywhere. I now have a new perspective.

Finally, I am thankful for family and friends. Alone and without phone service on the trail, I walked for days in the middle of the wilderness. And yet, to my delight, when I finally got phone service again, I found messages left for me on my phone! I especially enjoyed the messages left by my "hiking buddies" back home. They left me funny stories that made me laugh, and let me know that they cared. In addition, I got wonderful comments on my blog posts. I often go back and re-read them. I will treasure them forever.

As I headed home on my walk this morning, I saw a beautiful "frost flower".
Frost Flower Although I have heard that it is rare to see one, I have seen many of them recently. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful place to walk and enjoy the world.

As I neared my home, I walked with a lighter step and a smile on my face. I have so much to be thankful for. And I have a new perspective on life.

For me, choosing the right clothing was difficult. There are so many options. What works for one person might not satisfy another. Here is the clothing I took and what I thought about it.

Beanie
I took a SmartWool beanie. It is fairly light weight, and is wonderful to wear while sleeping when it is cold. It can also be worn during the day when there is a cold wind and you need some extra warmth.

I would definitely take this again.



Sun Hat
I wore a sun hat every day on my hike. At my age and with my bald head, I needed the protection. But in addition, the hat keeps the sun off the face. My hat was an Outdoor Research Helios hat that I bought at REI.

I found it important to have a hat that wicked away excess moisture and had a draw cord to keep the hat from blowing off. There certainly were a number of windy days and places where a hat without a draw cord would blow off.

I would definitely take this hat again, but might find another hat with a bit more character!


Buff
I wore this every day on the trail. It is very light weight, and the material wicks away moisture from the skin.

More importantly, it provides UV protection. Much of the desert has very little shade, and I saw some hikers with very bad sun burns. My buff protected by neck.

In the high Sierras, the buff kept me warmer and provided protection from the sun and the reflected sun from the snow.

In northern California, I hiked during some very hot weather. I found that I could dip my buff into a stream. The cool water would slowly evaporate, keeping me cooler.

I would definitely take this again.


Shirt
I wore a shirt from RailRiders called the "Madison River" shirt. The shirt is made with nylon/polyester fabric that's lightweight, wrinkle-resistant, odor-resistant, sun-blocking (UPF 30+), and quick-drying. There are side and back vents that provide upper-torso ventilation and air flow.

It was perfect for hiking in the hot desert, and the ventilation helped keep me cool as I made those long climbs.

The fabric was treated with Insect Shield® repellent technology which is invisible, odorless, built right into the fabric, and lasts through 70 washings. When the mosquitoes got really bad, I noticed that they did not like to land on my shirt, and I never did get any bites while wearing it.

There were two shirt pockets and one zippered pocket. I kept my Leatherman, whistle and clippers in one pocket and my sunglasses in the other. I used the zippered pocket for a black sharpie marker, ball point pen and eyeglasses.

RailRiders claims to have the "toughest clothes on the planet". I would agree. The shirt lasted me the entire trip. I only had one small tear in the sleeve.

Although this shirt has been discontinued, RailRiders has other shirts that I would highly recommend.

I would definitely take this again.


Flannel shirt
I decided that I would use "layering" approach to warmth, instead of just taking one jacket. My logic was that I could add or remove layers to better suit the hiking environment.

The flannel jacket is 100% polyester. I felt warm even when it was wet with perspiration. On a cold morning, I would often wear it over my shirt for extra warmth. In the Sierras, there were nights that were really cold. Without the flannel, I would have really been cold.

My only complaint was that the flannel shirt was heavy in comparison to the other shirts and jackets that I carried. It weighted 12.7 ounces.

In retrospect, I would consider getting a warm, light-weight raincoat on my next trip.

Down jacket
 I took a Ghost Whisperer down jacket. It is very light-weight at only 7 ounces. The jacket has a nylon shell and is filled with 800-fill down. It has two zippered pockets and a waist drawstring.

I wore it over my flannel shirt and under my rain jacket when the weather was really cold and windy. On cold nights, I wore the jacket while sleeping. It was also a great item to put on when arriving at my campsite at night. It provided just the right amount of warmth.

I tried wearing the jacket over my shirt while hiking, but the jacket soon became wet with perspiration. The problem was especially bad on my back and arms.

I liked the fact that the jacket is easy to store and packs down into a very small bundle. However, the jacket needs to be protected from the weather. Once I had the jacket stuffed into my pack during a rain storm. The rain soaked into my down jacket. From then on, I always carried it in stuffed in a plastic bag for protection.

I would definitely take this again.

Rain jacket
ZPacks makes great gear for the outdoors, so I got their Challenger rain jacket. It is made from waterproof but breathable material. It has one zippered pocket, a hood, a full-length front zipper, and arm-pit zippers for additional ventilation. The jacket with optional arm-pit zippers weighs only 5.9 ounces.

I wore the jacket mostly for wind protection, but it did well in rain and snow. As advertised, the jacket is waterproof. The breathable material works okay when the temperature outside is cold. It does not work very well when it is warm.

The jacket functioned well over both my flannel and down jackets. The hood came in handy during rainy days to keep water from dripping down my back.

My major complaint about the jacket was the front zipper. I had a very difficult time getting the zipper to engage. It got so bad that I decided to keep it partially zipped, meaning that I had to step into and out of the jacket. For a garment as expensive as this one, I would expect the zipper to work better.

In retrospect, I would NOT take this jacket. I would consider getting a light-weight insulated rain jacket for my next trip. An insulated rain jacket would take the place of this jacket and my fleece.

Sun gloves
These were great. I noticed that a lot of hikers who did not wear sun gloves ended up with a bad sun burn on their hands. I wore these almost every day. They kept my hands protected. As a bonus, they also protected my hands from stickers and bugs.

There were only two drawbacks to using them. First, they tended to get really dirty, which makes sense since they are touching my trekking poles all day long. Second, since they are 3/4-finger length, my hands ended up getting tanned on the fingers. It made for some funny-looking tan marks!

I would definitely take these again.

Gloves
I carried a pair of light-weight Marmot softshell gloves. I used them when it was really cold, or when I was hiking over snow.

The gloves are not waterproof, so I also brought along a pair of light-weight rubber gloves that would fit over them. In retrospect, I never used the rubber gloves, and would not bring them again.

I used the gloves all along the trail. In the desert, the high mountains can have snow or ice. I encountered snow and ice in the San Jacinto mountains and in the high Sierras. The gloves are great on cold mornings or evenings.

I would definitely take these again.


Pants
I wore RailRiders Eco-mesh pants with insect shield. The pants are made from nylon and include leg venting that can be opened for maximum ventilation. There are two zippered pockets and two regular pockets. I carried my iPhone in my left pocket, my ID in my back pocket, and used my right pocket to collect candy wrappers and trash.

The material was treated with Insect Shield® technology for protection against mosquitoes, biting flies, and ticks. Mosquitoes would land, but didn't bite through the fabric.

RailRiders make very durable products. I ended up replacing them in Mammoth Lakes because I had fallen on some sharp rocks and ripped them just below my knee. Had they not been ripped, I suspect they would have lasted the entire trip.

I would definitely take these again. 


Shorts
I normally don't wear shorts. It's probably because my legs never got exposed much to the sun and would burn easily. Also, I had lots of scars from falling on rocks in the Sierras!

However, I got tired of wearing my rain pants in town when I did laundry. With a pair of shorts, I could wear them while washing everything else.

I picked up a pair of shorts at Timberline Lodge in Oregon. I should have taken some with me in the first place.

The shorts I carried were adequate. I could wear them while swimming, and they were comfortable. I am sure I could have found something more light-weight that would have worked just as well.

I would definitely take a pair of shorts again, but find something more light-weight.


Underwear
Some hikers wore no underwear, but I chose to wear Under Armour boxer shorts. They are light-weight at just 4.7 ounces, and are made from polyester/elastane fabric.

I never experienced chaffing while wearing them, a problem some other hikers had while wearing other brands of underwear.

I also wore these while soaking in the hot tub, so they doubled as shorts in a more private environment.

I would definitely take these again.

Rain pants
I struggled with the decision regarding rain pants. I don't like the fact that rain pants keep the rain off, but often also keep the sweat in. The result being that I am wet at the end of the day.

I chose to take Frogg Toggs rain pants, basically because they were the lightest choice and least expensive. I also liked the fact that I could pull the rain pants on without taking off my shoes.

I did not like the durability of these pants. Sharp sticks, plants, stickers and even rough rocks would poke small holes in them. I even got holes in the back of the pants while resting on a rock along the trail! The pants also do not have any pockets, so I struggled with a place to carry my phone.

In retrospect, I would NOT bring these again. I would investigate other options, including a poncho or kilt!

Gaiters
I wore Dirty Girl Gaiters for my entire trip. The Dirty Girl gaiters were very popular on the trail, and are one of the easiest use. They also worked very well in keeping out all of the rocks and sticks which are so common on the trail. They will not keep out the dust, however, but neither did my lightweight shoes!

The only drawback was the requirement to install a tiny strip of Velcro to the heel of the shoe. I knew I was going to wear gaiters, so I attached the Velcro to all three pairs of shoes before I left on my hike. I also used Super Glue to ensure that the Velcro didn't come off the shoe. Attaching the Velcro while on the trail is much more difficult, since the Velcro can become detached if not attached properly.

I found that my pair of gaiters lasted well for half of my hike. I ended up having to sew the metal retainer back onto the gaiters just after I left the Sierras. I also had to sew on the Velcro that was attached to the gaiter.

In retrospect, I would take them again. I would also send a new pair midway through the hike as they tend to wear out along the way.

Socks
I wore Darn Tough socks the entire trip. They provided comfort and durability. Their seamless construction ensured that there would be no slipping or bunching.

I took three pairs, and rotated to a new pair each day. The pair from the previous day were washed out and hung from my pack to dry. I re-used the first pair on the fourth day and so on. When I was in the desert, I often rotated my socks every three hours. I found that putting on dry socks kept me from getting blisters, which are very common in the first month of hiking.

The socks have a lifetime unconditional guarantee. I managed to wear a hole in one pair, so I can exchange them for a new pair. What could be better than that?

I would highly recommend these socks and would take them again.


Sleeping socks
At the start of my hike, I took a regular pair of Darn Tough socks to use while sleeping. That was a mistake. My regular socks did not keep my feet warm. I ended up buying a pair of fuzzy wool socks midway through the Sierras.

The thick wool socks weighed more, but kept my feet warm and cozy all night.

I would take warm socks again, but investigate other options that might be more light-weight.


Pajama top and bottom
I chose Icebreaker merino wool tops and bottoms as my sleeping clothes. I only used these clothes for sleeping, and kept them in the stuff bag for my sleeping bag. The clothes were rated as 200-light-weight, best for moderate to cool conditions.

I liked the clothes as pajamas (they were very soft), but found I was still a bit chilly on the coldest of nights. I also liked the fact that the wool allowed me to wear them for multiple days in a row without worrying about odor.

I would bring them again.




Shoes 
Everyone has a different foot, so the choice in shoes depends on fit, feel and durability. I found that Vasque Pendulum shoes fit very well. I normally wear a size 10.5, but when hiking I found that I needed a size 12!

The Vasque Pendulum is a running shoe. I thought that I could get 700 miles for each pair of shoes. I started with a new pair, and planned to send new shoes to Kennedy Meadows (south), Dunsmuir, and Cascade Locks. As it turned out, my shoes sent to Kennedy Meadows wore out early, and I had to replace them at South Lake Tahoe. I then sent my third pair to Timberline Lodge instead of Dunsmuir.

The shoes I bought in South Lake Tahoe were Merrell Moab Ventilator shoes with a wide toe box. I wore these straight from the box with no problems. They were not as light as the Vasque shoes, but were tougher and had a great Vibram sole for better traction.

In retrospect, I would start out with Vasque Pendulum shoes for the desert, but would switch to Merrell Moab Ventilator shoes for the rest of the hike. The rough and sharp rocks of the Sierras and Washington Cascade mountains, and the rough lava rocks of Oregon ate up my Vasque shoes.


Shoe inserts
I always used Montrail enduro-sole heat-moldable foam inserts. These shoe inserts had thermo-moldable foam which conformed to the unique bone structure and shape of my foot, offering more surface area contact, and dispersing pressure points. It was as if I had a prescription insert!

I would definitely take these on every hike.




Looking back on this list of clothing, it is obvious that clothing choices can add a lot of weight. There always seems to be a balance between comfort, weight and peace of mind. I've heard it said that we carry our "fears" while hiking. I am sure there is a lot of truth in that.

Please feel free to comment on what worked for you, or if you have discovered that new piece of clothing that is a must-have for the through hiker!


More reviews to come.

Bobaroo, PCT class of 2015
Started April 16; Finished August 20

A phone could be considered a "luxury" item. It is not necessary for a successful through hike. However, almost everyone carries gear that adds to a more satisfying hiking experience. I am no exception. I carried a smartphone and a battery backup for the entire trip.

Apple iPhone 5c with charging cord and wall charger I used my iPhone every day to take pictures, keep track of the time, to write my blog, to navigate, and to communicate. I can't imagine being without it.

I had one of those thin plastic screen protectors on mine. The screen will definitely get scratched without one. The desert dust gets into everything.

I also used a LifeProof case and recharged my phone every night with a battery backup (see the reviews below). My phone had 32GB of memory, which was adequate for my pictures and my favorite music.

The iPhone 5c uses a unique charging cord. I ended up replacing my cord halfway through my hike. The wire connections were beginning to fail. I would definitely include a new charging cord in one of my resupply boxes about half-way through the hike.

The wall charger is used when plugging into an electrical outlet. I used it to charge both my iPhone and my battery backup. Since this too is an essential piece of equipment, I would include a new one in a resupply box. Make sure the charger will actually charge your phone. I bought a generic charger, but my phone would not charge up using it. I carried the wall charger, charging cord and battery backup in a separate Ziploc bag that I carried in my Sea-to-summit ultra-sil dry sack.

My service provider was Verizon. Cell service in southern and central California was not as good as people who had AT&T. Verizon service was better than AT&T in northern California, Oregon and Washington. I had no service in many remote areas, including the high Sierras and many other wilderness areas which were long distances from cities or major roads. Apps that require cell service will not function at many locations on the trial. There is a summary of cell service entitled Cell Phone Reports, provided by Halfmile Maps.

I carried ear phones for most of my hike, but ended up sending them home because I found I was not listening to my music, podcasts or audio books. Although many listened to music all the time. I preferred to listen to the sounds of the wild instead. The few times that I did listen to music, I placed my phone in my shirt pocket and listened through the iPhone speakers. That way I could hear the music and sounds around me at the same time. I was careful not to annoy others with my music and always turned it off when others were nearby.

I kept my iPhone on "airplane" mode to reserve power. If the phone is left searching for service, it will run down the battery very quickly.

I used my iPhone contacts app to enter phone numbers for trail angels and close friends. Several times there would be signs at trail heads with the name and number for people who will give rides. I entered them in my contacts list, even if I didn't need their help. It was amazing how often the information came in handy when another hiker needed a ride and a phone number. For bigger lists of trail angels, I took a picture of it for easy reference later. For close friends, I learned the hard way that I needed to test the phone number I had been given. One time I tried to call a friend and discovered the number was wrong. From then on, I always sent a quick text message to ensure I had entered the information correctly. And, by sending a text message, it gives you friend your contact information!

My iPhone became my camera. Initially I also carried a Samsung WB350 camera with 21X optical zoom. The camera had built-in Wi-Fi which enabled me to transfer my pictures to my iPhone for upload to my blog. As I headed into the high Sierras, the zoom lens stuck in the open position. I ended up sending the camera home, along with a mini tripod and SticPic. In retrospect, I would not take a separate camera. The iPhone was always handy (since I kept it in my pocket) and the picture quality of the iPhone was adequate for what I needed. My only problem with the iPhone was to keep the lens clean and free from moisture. I used a Q-tip dipped in water to clean the lens, and kept the iPhone is a plastic Ziploc bag when it was raining.

My most used and useful Smartphone applications Guthook's PCT Guide
I used this every day. It shows water sources, campsites, points of interest, trail junctions, roads, parking areas, resupply locations, and elevation profiles for the trail. The visual interface shows your GPS location relative to the trail, a very helpful tool when trying to find a route that is covered in snow. A simple touch on an upcoming point of interest shows how far ahead or behind it is. This is very useful when deciding to fill up with water or head to the next reliable source. User comments are also available, which helped me determine if a "seasonal" water source was likely still available. The app also includes pictures of most points of interest. It's nice to know what the campsite or water source looks like in advance. The maps and pictures are resident on your phone, so no cell service is necessary while using it. The app costs $5.99 each for Southern California, Central California, Northern California, Oregon and Washington. I bought the entire set for a reduced price of $24.99.


Halfmiles PCT
This application was widely used by many hikers on the trail, and the new version includes information from the official 2015 Halfmile maps and GPS data. The application goes well with the free Halfmile map set. I carried the printed copies of the Halfmile maps, just in case something happened to my electronic guide. In a few instances, I found the information from the Halfmile guide to be more useful than the information from Guthook's guide. For example, when the trail started following a road, the Halfmile guide often stated that the trail joined the road and would follow it for 1.5 miles. The Guthook guide did not give this information. The Halfmile application also listed additional sources for water and campsites that were not included in the Guthook guide. The difference is probably because Halfmile rewalked the trail last year (2014) with new GPS equipment, and noted over 1,000 new waypoints. I used the Halfmile PCT application as a cross-reference to the Guthook application. To me, the visual presentation of locations and waypoints were better represented in the Guthook app. However, I would not go on the trail without this app. The best news? The app is a free download!


BlogTouch Pro
My blog is hosted on Blogger. I started out using the app, BlogPress, but found that it crashed too often, and almost lost five days worth of blogs when it refused to open the files. BlogTouch Pro is easy to use and has never crashed on me. I would write my blog in my Notes application, and then copy it to the BlogTouch Pro app where I would add my pictures. I saved the blog as a "local" file. The local file is resident on my phone. When I had adequate phone service, I would upload the blog. One lesson I learned is that when I create a new blog and have no phone service, I must select the "Offline" function, start the new blog, and then select "options" and check the post status of "Offline". If I left the option set as "Public", when I was finished writing the blog I would often lose my blog because the phone couldn't connect to service. Fortunately, because I always wrote my blog in my "Notes" app, I could just re-paste the information. Another lesson I learned was that I needed a fairly strong phone signal to successfully upload a blog with several pictures. On several occasions, the blog would fail to upload if I had a weak phone signal. Another nice feature is that the app let me read comments on older blogs, and easily let me update existing blogs when I had phone service. The download costs $4.99.


Camera+
I found that I needed a way to tweak some of my pictures. The problem with taking pictures on the iPhone is that the picture size on the screen is so small that it makes it difficult to evaluate the quality of the picture. I used the "lightbox" feature to import my picture and use the many tools to lighten, darken, sharpen, straighten or crop a picture. The picture can then be saved to the camera roll and I still have the original should I change my mind about the edited picture. The download costs $.99.


TitleFx
This was a cool app that allowed me to place an annotation or title on a picture. I kept a file of all of the important dates for birthdays of family and friends. I could annotate a photo with "Happy Birthday" and add it to my blog. The learning curve is easy too. Just type in a title, move it around on the picture, resize the text if necessary. The program allows multiple titles in different sizes, colors and transparencies. The download costs $1.99.



Web Albums by Pixite
This is a great little app for backing up my photos. You need to have a Google account because the program backs up your photos to your online album.  You can access all of your online photos, view them in a slide show, and manage the albums from your phone. When I got to town, I found a place that had Wi-Fi access. The program automatically uploads full-size copies of all of your photos on your Camera Roll. The only drawback is that it will only backup 1,000 photos to a single album on the web. If you have more photos than that, you need to upload them to a new album or move some of the existing photographs from the "auto upload" album to another album.  This app gave me peace of mind should anything happen to my iPhone while on the trail. It only costs $1.99 and is well worth it.


Adobe Acrobat Reader
I stored files on my iPhone as a resource while on the trail. These included photographs of instructional guides for using my battery backup and headlamp, lists of extra gear left at home, text files for Giardia symptoms, photo of my long distance hiking permit, my resupply plan, the PCT town guide, guide for using my digital camera and the Double Tap Hikes PCT section summaries. The Double Tap summaries had good information on "Permits & Timing, Special Gear & Clothing, Resupplying Strategies, Resupply Box Labels, Water Sources, Camping, Lodging, Meetup Spots, and Detours." I often would read them in the evening to refresh my memory regarding the upcoming sections of the trail. I found I was frequently referring to my resupply plan, to make sure I knew when my next resupply town was, and to be sure that I knew how to get there. It is amazing how easy it is to forget the details of the resupply plan! The download is free.


Google Drive
This app allowed me to save the latest water report from the Pacific Crest Trail Water Report web page. The file is saved to my iPhone, which could be accessed when I didn't have phone service. I would re-download the most current file every time I had phone service. The availability of water along the trail often determined how far I could hike each day, where I would cook my food or camp. It also meant the difference between carrying a heavy load of water or carrying less water with the knowledge that the next reliable source of water was close by. The water report is updated as hikers walk the trail and report on water sources. The app download is free.


eTrails 
I loved this guide! It covered the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to the Oregon-Washington border. It was organized by trail section. It has lots of information on botany, geology, history, wildfires, and mountaineering. I often read the summaries in the evening and then looked for the amazing sights as I passed along the trail. I wish it included a section for Washington, but perhaps that will come in a future release. The program also has a good map set, and shows many side trails and identifies lakes and mountains that many of the other electronic apps do not. The download is free!


Kindle
I like the Kindle app, even though I didn't read that much while on the trail. I had several books downloaded to my iPhone and even had an audio book. However, I often referred to the book, "The Pacific Crest Trail", by Brian Johnson. The author has hiked the trail three times and has compiled a wealth of information that is useful to the beginning hiker. Half of the book is devoted to an overview of the trail - the geology, weather, plants and wildlife, planning, preparation and equipment. The second half of the book goes into details, including maps of the trail, town information and much more. The Kindle edition of "The Pacific Crest Trail" is available on Amazon for $13.49. One more benefit of the Kindle application is that it can also be used to open the PCT water report, if you don't use the Adobe Reader. The app download is free.


Google Maps
Although this app only works if you have cell service, I found it helpful when in a new town to check out where I was in relation to the services I needed. Often I could see where stores were located on the map, and I could find out how to get there. It was also helpful when doing a road walk. When I left Big Lake Youth Camp, I walked down the road and needed to take another road to get to the trail. The roads where shown on Google Maps, so I could check my progress to make sure I didn't make any wrong turns. The application is a free download!


Notes
I used the iPhone built-in Notes application for all of my blogging. I opened a new note, put the title of my blog at the top, and entered the day and date on the line below. I was able to use the predictive word feature to more quickly type my blog. When done, I would copy the information into my BlogTouch Pro application. If something went wrong, I would always have the Notes file for reference. I also used Notes to keep track of my shopping list when I did my resupply, a list of my extra gear at home (so I would know what was available), and a list of family birthdays and events (so I wouldn't forget). It is a great little application for the forgetful hiker!


Weather Underground
I used the weather underground application to view the current forecast. Although you need a phone connection, the forecast was the most accurate. It uses a network of 100,000+ personal weather stations to provide an accurate view of upcoming weather, including temperatures, rainfall estimates, and an understandable summary. In addition, it provided a good look-ahead, with fairly accurate forecasts. I always checked the forecast when in town or when I could get cell service. The download is free.





LifeProof Case with headphone adapter cord
If you are going to take a phone on the trail, you MUST have a protective case. While hiking in the desert and on many of the trails through Oregon and southern Washington, the trail is dusty. I mean, really dusty. The dust gets into everything. In addition, there are lots of opportunities for dropping your phone into water, or simply dropping it on the rocks. It will happen and it does.

I bought the LifeProof case for my iPhone 5c. The case can be submerged in water and protects the phone from a drop of over six feet. They provide an instructional video which shows how the case is installed and removed. The case adds less than an ounce to the weight of the iPhone.

I had only two issues with mine.

First, to listen to music with head phones, I had to remove the tethered jack cover and screw in an adapter cord. The cord sticks out from the case, making it inconvenient to carry. It just didn't feel right in my pocket. I ended sending the adapter cord home when I realized that I wasn't listening to music.

Second, the dust will eventually get on the outside camera lens of the case. Occasionally I forgot to clean it, making for a blurry picture. It was easy to clean with a Q-tip and a bit of water. The same thing happened with the self-portrait lens cover. It was recessed into the case, and was much more difficult to clean. In addition, the dust and lint would collect in the microphone slot. Several times my caller could not hear what I was saying due to all the built-up dirt. I cleaned it out using a toothpick.

I also wrote my email address on the outside of the case with a black permanent marker. If I ever lost the phone, someone finding it would have a way to contact me. Fortunately, I never lost it, but I heard of several other hikers who lost theirs.

The case costs just under $80, but will save your phone. I would not carry a phone on the trail without one.

  Powerpack with charging cord
The New Trent Powerpack with charging cord weighs a whopping 11.4 ounces. Ouch! However, I was willing to carry it because it made blogging and communication in the wilderness possible.

I used the New Trent model NT350T which has a capacity of 13,500mAh. It will recharge an iPhone five times (from a completely discharged battery). I never fully discharged my phone battery, so I suspect it would keep mine charged for over ten days on the trail. It has two USB charging ports. One with 2.1-Amp (for charging a tablet) and one with 1-Amp (for charging a phone). There is a mini-USB port for recharging the power pack with the supplied charging cord. The unit does not come with an Apple cable, but I already had one of those with my iPhone wall charger.

When on the trail, I would charge my iPhone every night. I could work on my blog while the phone was recharging. One lesson learned the hard way was to keep the power pack in a Ziploc bag when not in use. One evening I was cowboy camping, and I fell asleep while the unit was charging my phone. When I awoke in the morning, there had been a heavy dew, and everything was damp, including my power pack. When I went to top off the charge on my phone, I found out that the power pack had discharged overnight due to the wet condition. Fortunately, I was headed into town the next day and was able to recharge it. I never left it plugged in overnight again.

The power pack takes about eleven hours to recharge from a fully discharged state. When in town, the first thing I did was to plug in the power pack. After three days on the trail, it would take several hours to fully charge. I also found that I needed to make sure the unit was charging when plugged in. One time I plugged it in, and the indicator light showed it was fully charged. Fortunately, I unplugged it and plugged it in again, and noticed it started charging. I don't know if this is a bug in the way it operates, but it would have been awful to think it was fully charged with it wasn't.

I saw several people on the trail who used solar chargers. Some were very happy with them. I didn't want to keep my phone or battery backup tethered to a solar charger. And, I heard that often the phone would not charge if the solar charger lost sunlight in a shady section of the trail. I was completely satisfied with recharging my battery pack in town. It worked well for me.

There are newer power packs on the market now. A hiker named "River" showed me a newer version of the New Trent power pack while we were in Etna. I would look for one with a large capacity. Less weight, however, would be a big plus!

I would definitely take this one again (or a newer version) since it was reliable and kept my iPhone charged.


More reviews are coming soon! 

It's amazing how long it takes to capture all my thoughts on gear.
Hopefully some of the links are helpful too.

Bobaroo!
2015 PCT Through Hiker
Started April 16, Finished August 20

Hi faithful readers, this is Valorie, Bob's wife and blog editor.

We're hosting a BBQ at our house Sunday, Aug. 30. Please come and help us celebrate Bob's accomplishment. Please email me if you need our home address or directions.

See you Sunday!

Valorie, valorie dot zimmerman at gmail dot com

PS: Let's send the predicted rain over the mountains, where they sorely need it. -v

Like many hikers, I chose my gear after doing considerable research and testing. I don't think there is the "perfect" gear choice. There are always trade offs. Do you go for less weight, but perhaps have less durability? Is the product backed by a company with great customer service?

The "big 3" are the three pieces of gear that are often the heaviest and often the most expensive pieces of gear taken on a hike. This is what I used on my 2015 through hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.

ULA Catalyst ULA Catalyst backpack
The ULA Catalyst is a work horse. It is certainly not the lightest pack on the market, weighing in at 48 ounces.  I chose it because it can hold a large bear canister horizontally, is relatively light weight, and has a track record of being a very durable product. And, if popularity has meaning, there were a lot of ULA packs worn by through hikers on the trail.

Pros:
The pack can handle loads up to 40 pounds. While hiking through the Sierras, this was important to me. The added weight of a bear canister coupled with carrying many days of food meant pack weights leaving town were heavy. This pack was able to handle the load and didn't make me feel like a pack horse! The pack has a wide waist belt to transfer the pack weight to the hips and the belt comes with two zippered pockets. I used the zippered pockets to carry snacks and my camera. There are side pockets are big enough to hold a 32-ounce Gatorade bottle. I carried one on each side filled with drinking water. There is also an inner pocket that can hold a large water bladder. I chose not to use this, but saw a lot of others who did. I removed the inner pocket and attached it to my shoulder strap and carried a water bottle.
Cons:
There is no way to access items in the bottom of the pack without opening the pack from the top. It would have been nice to have another access point. Also, I was not able to reach back and retrieve my water bottle while wearing the pack. Perhaps it was just me or the shape of the bottle? I did have a problem with the waist belt size. As I lost weight during my through-hike (30 lbs!), my waist belt could not longer be tightened enough to carry the weight of the pack on my hips. I had to contact ULA customer service several times to identify the problem. They sent me a smaller belt and it corrected the problem. It also took me a long time to understand all of the adjustments required to get a good fit. ULA has a video which explains how to adjust the pack each time it is worn. I finally got to understand that adjustments were needed, especially when I changed the pack loads. To me it seemed overly complicated, and I had a problem at first finding the correct straps to pull while wearing the pack.
In Retrospect:
If I had to choose again for a pack to use on a long through hike, I would consider getting the ULA Circuit. It is a bit smaller and lighter, and can handle loads around 30 pounds. Most of the time my pack weighed under 30 pounds. Also, many hiking the trail used a small bear canister (BV450) for their food, rather than the large canister that I chose (BV500). That would solve the issue with the fit of the bear canister in the pack.


ZPacks Hexamid Solo-Plus ZPacks Hexamid Solo-Plus Tent
The ZPacks tent is made from Cuben Fiber material. It is waterproof and does not stretch when wet, so readjustment of the tent guy lines is not necessary in rainy weather. It uses one trekking pole for support, so no extra support poles are required. The tent has a "beak" that can be deployed during driving rain to provide more protection. The tent is fully enclosed with a bug screen and has a removable bathtub floor. I also opted to get the V-shaped titanium tent stakes, rather than the round ones. The V-shaped stakes held much better in most types of soil. The tent with tent stakes weighs just 19.6 ounces!
Pros:
I loved that the tent weighed just 19.6 ounces, that includes the stuff sack and tent pegs. There was enough room inside for everything I carried, including my backpack. The material dried quickly in the sun and the bug netting was a life-saver on those buggy evenings when I was tired. It became my sanctuary. The removable bathtub could be removed and used separately. I never used it that way, but would save having to carry an extra ground cloth when cowboy camping. The front entry has a dual zipper on the bug netting. I could unzip just a portion of one side to enter the tent or add/remove items. The zipper was well made. I never had any problems with zippers, unlike others with different tents. The tent is provided with repair tape, should it be punctured during use. I carried the tape with me, but never had to use it. With practice, the tent can be put up or taken down quickly. Zpacks has an instructional video that should be studied and practiced before heading out for the first time.
Cons:
The tent requires more space to erect than other free-standing tents. A few times I found a perfect campsite, but was unable to set up my tent because there was not enough room for the guy lines. In regards to set up, it takes practice to get the right height for the tent pole and for setting the guy lines. The spacing between the two front guy lines is critical. I marked my second guy line with a black permanent marker so I could put in the second tent stake at the proper location each time.The tent is completely open in the front, allowing for lots of ventilation. The downside to this is that there is not a lot of privacy from the front. In addition, on windy nights, there can be too much ventilation. I had to use my Zlite sleeping pad propped up on the inside of the tent to block some of the breeze during cold breezy nights. On windy nights, I also noticed that the fabric wrinkles would vibrate, creating additional noise. I could find no way to reduce this and couldn't see any difference when readjusting the guy lines. Also, being a single-walled construction, I got freezing condensation on the inside of the tent and frost on the outside of the tent on several cold nights in the Sierras. I envied those who had rain flies who could just shake the frost off. When the frost melted on the inside, it got the bathtub floor wet. In regards to the entry-way zippers, I found that I could not zip them shut using just one hand. It takes two hands; one to hold the fabric below the zipper and one to pull the zipper. On rainy evenings, I also found that there was back-splash that splattered through the front screen and into the bathtub. This was especially true on hard ground. I came to look for campsites with soft ground or pine needles, especially if rain was in the forecast. Finally, at the end of my hike, I noticed wear on the tent fabric and around the doublers where the guy lines attached to the fabric. With additional use, I suspect resealing or patching would be required to keep the tent water tight. The Cuben Fiber stuff sack had the most wear by the end of my hike. It would need to be replaced before my next excursion.
In Retrospect:
ZPacks makes great products, and is updating them all the time. I would seriously consider one of their newer products or perhaps their Duplex Tent at just 20 ounces! At a little more weight, I know of many people who used Big Agnes or the TarpTents, and they were very happy with them.

ZPacks 10-degree Down Bag ZPacks 10-degree Down Sleeping Bag
This sleeping bag combines the best aspects of a down quilt and a down sleeping bag at an unbeatable weight. The bag opens up underneath like a blanket for easy temperature control when it is warm out, and a 3/4 length zipper and neck elastic allow for bundling up when the temperature turns cold. ZPacks uses premium 900 fill power goose down. I chose the 10-degree bag with water-resistant down, a draft tube over the zipper, wide width and extra long (6 foot 5 inches).
Pros:
This bag is light weight at 28.8 ounces, yet kept me warm on freezing nights. The wider width gave me more room to thrash about during the night.  I used it both as a quilt when evenings were warm, and enjoyed having the neck elastic so that I could bundle up and trap heat on the coldest nights. The black inner liner made it quick to heat up when I would lay it out to dry in the sun. The black color also hides the fact that I didn't always change into my sleeping clothes every night. I presume a light colored liner would show a lot more dirt! The bag comes with a Cuben Fiber stuff sack. I stored my sleeping clothes in the stuff sack with the sleeping bag, making it easier to find them on cold evenings. I am glad that I got the 10-degree bag; there were some nights that I was cold in the bag, even though I was also wearing a down jacket and a fleece jacket.
Cons:
I have very few negative comments. This is an exceptional bag. One problem I did notice was that the zipper, which is designed to be underneath you as you sleep, put pressure on my Thermo-rest NeoAir mattress. I ended up with three separate holes in my mattress, all aligning with the position of the zipper on my sleeping bag. My theory is that my feet put excessive pressure on the zipper, which, over time, pushed a small hole in my mattress. When I used the bag with the zipper on top, I never had any problems with holes in my mattress again.
In Retrospect:
I would get a 10-degree bag again. I would not get the water-resistant down. I understand that the treatment can make it harder to fluff up the down, and has minimal effect on keeping the down dry. I would not get the draft tube option. This is a piece of material that covers the zipper. I thought the zipper would feel cold without one. In reality, the draft tube became a nuisance because it kept getting caught in the zipper. I ended up having my wife double-back tape the draft tube to the bag to keep it out of the way.

Thermarest NeoAir Xlite Sleeping Pad
One of the main functions of a sleeping mattress is to provide insulation between the sleeper and the ground. The other is comfort. I got the regular size mattress, which is 20 inches wide, 6 feet long and 2.5 inches thick. I has an R-value of 3.2. It takes several minutes to inflate. For me, it was about forty lungs-full. I always tried to keep it clean and folded it up and kept it in its carrying bag while hiking. I also took the extra precaution by putting my Tyvek ground sheet under it, even when using it in my tent with a built-in bathtub ground cloth.

Pros:
This mattress was like heaven. I loved it. It made for restful sleep. Some have complained that there is a crackling noise whenever the sleeper moves on top of it. I heard it at first, but it seemed to diminish after several uses. I have used my Thermarest Z-lite pad on occasion while cowboy camping, and it is not nearly as comfortable. I also placed my shoes under the head of the mattress, to elevate it. Then, using my clothes bag as a pillow, I was able to do my blogging with great comfort every night. It was a perfect set up!
Cons:
Almost everyone who uses a mattress like this ends up with a puncture at one time or another. I thought I was really careful, but my zipper-pull on my sleeping bag managed to poke three holes in my mattress. Fortunately, I had brought along my field repair kit. I found the holes by submerging the mattress in a lake and looking for bubbles. The leaks are hard to find otherwise. The repair consisted of applying a special tape, which worked well and stopped the leaks. I wish the mattress was more robust and less likely to get punctured. There is nothing worse than to wake up in the middle of the night and realize the mattress has deflated.
In Retrospect:
I would get a shorter mattress. The regular-size six foot length is not needed, and adds weight. The smaller size (47 inches long) would have been adequate, and the weight would have been 8 ounces rather than 16. I regularly used sleeping socks, so I wouldn't need my feet elevated on a mattress. It would also have solved my issue with the sleeping bag zipper poking on the mattress.

I'll post more gear reviews in the coming days. Still trying to put some meat on my bones!

Friday August 21
As I lay in my tent last night at the campground just beyond the northern monument, I found it hard to sleep. Like the ending of a good book, I didn't want it to be over. And yet, this adventure has come to an end. 
I could have slept in, but it was getting light and I had eight miles to go to get to the lodge at Manning Park. The trail climbed 1,000 feet. Unfortunately, the trail was in poor condition with lots of trees across the trail and steep slippery slopes. It was unusually dark in the forest, so I decided to play music, both to pass the time and to alert other creatures of my presence. 
The weather is turning this morning. Several times there were rain showers; just enough to wet the bushes. As the rain showers fell, the sun peeked through for just a moment and created an amazing rainbow pointing to the northern terminus. What an appropriate ending message from Mother Nature!


For the first time on this hike, I used my umbrella. I was rather awkward trying to maneuver with both hands full. The umbrella is one item I probably would not carry again. 
I arrived at the lodge at 8:30. There were no rooms at the lodge, but I got one at the hostel. The room is tiny, and shares a bathroom with five other rooms. There is no phone service here and no way to contact my wife to let her know where I am.
I got a vegetarian omelette at the restaurant and then decided to wait for my wife in the lodge. 
"More Cowbell" stayed at the hostel last night, so I got to visit with him one last time. He left on the bus headed to Vancouver. 
I had a Wi-Fi connection at the lodge, so I posted my successful ending on Facebook. I immediately got many congratulatory messages. A few other hikers showed up throughout the day, but none I knew. 
My wife arrived in the early evening and I discovered that she had reserved a cabin! The manager at the lodge was gracious enough to refund my money on the room at the hostel. 
We had a wonderful dinner at the Pinewoods restaurant. Because I was a PCT hiker, we both got a free drink. For dessert we enjoyed chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream!
It was odd this evening as I took a shower and removed the protective tape from my toes. I won't be needing it anymore. The same was true for my toiletry supplies and my drinking water. 
I read on Facebook that a lot of hikers are quitting the trail at Stevens Pass. There are just too many wildfires and uncertainty. I feel lucky to have been able to hike the north cascades and to see the PCT northern terminus. 
Manning Park is beautiful, but I am ready to head home and begin a new adventure. I am interested in becoming a trail angel. I want to pay back a little kindness that was shown to me. 
But first I need rest and according to my wife, to put some meat back on my bones!

Thursday August 20
I am laying in my tent listening to the wind in the trees. Sometimes it sounds like a river; a soothing sound. Sometimes the gusts are stronger and a few trees creak and groan. 
There are birds living here too. I believe they are Camp Robbers. They make a funny chirping sound. One landed close by, as if to announce that it needed something to rob. 
A chipmunk lives here too. I heard it chiding me as I was setting up my tent. 
There are plenty of insects. As soon as I set down my pack, the black flies smelled the lingering perspiration. They were also interested in the smell of my dinner. One fly managed to get into the tent. With a little bit of encouragement, I got it to fly out as I zipped shut the mosquito netting. 
I am just a visitor in this place. As I have wandered from Mexico to Canada, I have always tried to remember that. I made it my goal to never knowingly harm any animal on the trail, whether it be an ant, butterfly, beetle, lizard, stink bug, baby skunk, dragonfly, spider, caterpillar, worm, moth, slug, bee, grasshopper, snake, fly, centipede, or frog. I want them to live at least for another day. 
I have witnessed that all life is connected. The forest that was burned by fire appears to be tragic. Indeed it was for the living forest that died. But new plants are given a chance to thrive. And new creatures find this their home. 
Most of all, however, I have a restored faith in people. Even though I was a complete stranger, they opened their homes to me. They gave me transportation and went out of their way to get me to my destination. They prepared fantastic dishes of food and tasty beverages and invited me to partake until I was full. 
I met extraordinary people who were also walking the trail. Most would share anything that they had if there was a need. We all had a common bond and the same goal. We all were trying to do something extraordinary. 
I feel sad that I'm heading back to the busy world again. I will miss my nightly cup of hot chocolate and laying here listening to the music of the wild. 
But I have reached my goal and come to an ending. I believe that as one door closes, another will open. 
I just need the courage to walk on through. 

I have been thinking about this for a long time, almost from the first day of my hiking adventure. I wanted to dedicate this hike to a very special person. A person who I loved. A person who died young.
I chose the trail name Bobaroo long before I took a step on the Pacific Crest Trail. The name Bobaroo was given to me by my niece, Angel Betts. I can still hear the ring in her voice when she would see me, "Hey, Bobaroo, how are you?"
Angel took her life many years ago. But her memory lives on.

When people on the trail asked me my trail name, I would tell them it was Bobaroo. I usually would have to repeat it, or say something like, "it's just like kangaroo except with the word Bob. You know, Bob-aroo". 
Some people asked me how I got my trail name, and I would tell them the story. They understood, and many had tears come to their eyes. 
I have proudly carried the name from border to border. I wish to dedicate this hike and all that has transpired to the special person who gave me my trail name. Angel, may you rest in peace.


To my readers, thank you for following along. Now you too know the rest of the story.

Thursday August 20

A flood of emotions overwhelmed me as I caught sight of the monument at the U.S. and Canadian border. I had walked from Mexico to Canada! Tears filled my eyes. 
It is hard to explain all of my emotions. Mostly I am thankful. 
I am so thankful for all of the people who made this possible. 
My wife was my resupply person and she never missed sending a box or giving me encouragement. She drove for hours to get me to trailheads and meet me as I would finish. 
My family gave me the courage to keep going when times were difficult. My son and his friend Nick surprised me with the ultimate trail angel gift by meeting me at Crater Lake, feeding me and treating me to an airplane ride over the trail. And thank you to my daughter Anne and my brother Ron for sending such wonderful treats to Crater Lake. To my son, Thomas, thank you for house sitting and a special thanks for the brownies. They were a special treat each morning as I got on my way. 
Also, thank you goes to our friends Cody and Jenessa, who dropped everything at a moments notice and hosted my wife and I for a wonderful evening. 
I owe a huge debt of thanks to the trail angel, "Legend", who showed up when I was ready to quit and helped me find the courage to go on. 
Others on the trail gave me advice and help. A special thank you to "No Trace" and "Unbreakable" for answering all my silly questions and helping me solve my problem with my backpack. 
A special thank you to "Willie", as we hiked many hundreds of miles together. He became a good friend and helped me become a better hiker. 
Another thank you goes to my hiking buddies, Deb and Patti. They gave me encouragement to believe in myself, and to make a dream become reality. And thank you Deb for having the courage to walk with me and enjoy the trail from Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks. 
There are so many other trail angels to thank. Bob Riess hosted me when I first arrived in San Diego. He gave me the confidence I needed at the start of this journey. 
Some trail angels left coolers of treats. Others gave me rides or shared their homes. It is incredible that they did this for a complete stranger. 
I would not be standing at the monument without everyones help. 
You all believed in me.  Thank you!
A special treat awaited me a the monument. It was "More Cowbell"!  He had arrived just twenty minutes before. We reminisced about times and people who we had met on the trail. It was so good to see him!


I am going to camp tonight at the campground just beyond the monument. I will hike out to Manning Park tomorrow morning and meet my wife there. 
Wow, this is an amazing adventure!

Wednesday August 19
As I crested the ridge, all I could see was a towering plume of smoke. Not just one, but three separate fires were burning somewhere to the north.


My mind wrestled with the thought of a trail closure. Not now; not on my hike! Not when I am this close to the end!
The morning began with birds chirping in the woods. I hadn't heard them for quite some time. It made me smile. 
I was packed and hiking by 6 and knew this would be a challenging day. After a short climb to Methow Pass, the trail descended to the valley and crossed the Methow River. It followed the river for several miles before climbing 2,700 feet back to the ridge again. I counted over 30 switchbacks!
When I got to the top is when I noticed the smoke plumes. I checked to see if I had phone service. I didn't. It is so frustrating not to be able to get information when on the trail. I was resigned to continue on to Harts Pass where there is a ranger station. I figured that if there was a new trail closure I would find out there. 
The views of the mountains continue to be exceptional.


When I was almost to Harts Pass, I met a couple of ladies who were section hiking, headed to Canada. They mentioned that they had met "More Cowbell"!  I had hiked with him for several days in Southern California. However, since he is ahead of me by several hours, it is unlikely I would see him on the trail. He has a very fast pace. 
The ladies had run out of water and were hoping to find some at Harts Pass. I told them that I didn't think there was water there, but I could share a liter with them. As I suspected, there was no water there. Fortunately, there was a little creek just a half mile up the trail. I filled up and carried an extra two liters for cooking tonight. 
As the afternoon wore on, the sky filled with smoke. I don't know if it was from the fires I spotted or from the Lake Chelan fires. In any case, the smoke was so thick I could barely see the ridges above me. The sun looked like a big red ball. There were even little flakes of soot falling like snow!
I started looking for a campsite at 3, but as fate would have it, the trail followed the hillsides for many miles. I passed a sign that said I was entering the Pasayten Wilderness. A short time later I finally found a good campsite near a small stream. 
I am camped tonight at PCT mile 2635.8. I hiked 26.9 miles today. The elevation here is 6,591 feet. The border is just 24.3 miles ahead!

Tuesday August 18
My day of rest is over. It's time to finish the final leg of this adventure. I am so fortunate to have a wife who is willing to drive me to the trail. It is almost a four-hour drive to Rainy Pass on the Cascade Loop highway. On the way, we had a great breakfast at the Pancake House. I loaded up with carbs having a full serving of French toast and hash browns. It seems that I have more energy when I start my day with carbohydrates. 
I am always nervous heading back out on the trail. Today was no exception. It felt like my stomach was in a knot. For some reason the North Cascades intimidate me. Perhaps it's because they appear so steep and massive. Also, I worry about the weather. There are supposed to be increasing clouds in the next few days. For today, however, the weather was perfect! Beautiful blue sky with temperatures in the 70s. We arrived just before 2 PM.


My goal today was to make it over the first ridge, a 2,000 foot climb. As I headed up the trail, I was amazed at how well maintained the trail was. It had a moderate slope and was well groomed. I was going to be able to walk quickly. 
When I got above the trees, the views were absolutely amazing. In the distance I could see Glacier Peak. The nearby mountains looked similar to the mountains in the high Sierras. As the trail went over the ridge, all I could say was "Wow! This is amazing!"



I hiked until 5:30. There was a great campsite very near a stream. The view from the campsite was also fantastic.


So far I am really impressed with the North Cascades. 
It is just over 50 miles to the Canadian border from my campsite. Assuming I can hike twenty miles each day, I should arrive on Friday, two and a half days from now. I can hardly believe it!
I am camped tonight at PCT mile 2608.9. The elevation here is 6,230 feet. I hiked 9.6 miles this afternoon. 

Monday August 17
After sleeping in a tent for over 120 days, it seems odd to sleep in a bed! I am taking a zero day today. No hiking; only rest! Of course I woke up at 5 even though I could have slept later. 
It is difficult to take a zero day at home. Everything is so familiar. I took a shower even though I wasn't dirty. How odd is that? I even took time to pay bills and fiddle around with my home PC. 
I took my sleeping bag outside and let it bake in the sun. It should be much warmer the next time I use it!
I figured that I needed 4 days of food to get from Rainy Pass to the Canadian border. The plan is to drop me off later tomorrow at the Rainy Pass trailhead. I hope to hike for several hours tomorrow. 
I spent a few hours this morning to organize my food and went to the store in Black Diamond to get a few extra snacks. It was the first time that I had driven a car in four months!
Of course, I had to enjoy a cold beer as I sat outside on the deck!



I am anxious about the final section to the border. Perhaps it is the same feeling I get every time I leave town to get back on the trail. The other concern is with the weather. It looks like more cloudy or rainy weather is in the forecast. I just have to deal with it!
My wife plans on taking a road trip while I hike the trail, and then meet me at Manning Park. 
It is hard for me to believe that I will be done with the trail in a few days. What an adventure this has been!

Sunday August 16
I thought I was done with the rain, but after I got into my tent last night at Mig Lake, it started drizzling and then raining. The clouds were thick and by morning the inside of my tent was damp. I bundled up my wet tent and damp sleeping bag with the intent of drying them later on. 
I was on the trail by 5:45 and had eight miles to hike to get to Stevens Pass. There were two 1,000+ foot climbs to do, but they seemed to go quickly. The bushes were loaded with rain from last night, but I had my rain gear on. Only my feet got soaked. 
The sun was burning off the clouds as I approached Stevens Pass. The trail passed under the ski lifts and I knew I was getting close to the pass.


I have never played music while I hiked, basically because I like to listen to the sounds of the forest. Today, however, I thought I would try it as I approached the pass. I played a few of my favorite songs through the iPhone speakers. That way I could hear the forest and the music at the same time. The first song was "All of Me" by John Legend. I broke into tears. As I have said before, I easily get emotional while hiking, and this song spoke to my heart. As I came in sight of the pass, the song "Hallelujah" by The Canadian Tenors was playing. I lifted my arms over my head and yelled "hallelujah" as I completed this difficult section!

I walked across the highway to look at the trailhead heading north. There were several signs warning hikers that the trail was closed ahead due to the Blankenship fire. 
I have been worrying for the last few days about what to do next. I could hike north from Stevens Pass, but would have to exit the trail midway. I could take the boat to Stehekin, and hike north from there, but that would mean a long drive and I am not sure the trail is open from that point on. Instead, I have decided to skip this section for now, and continue on from Rainy Pass. Perhaps I will come back sometime to finish this section, but for now my body and heart tell me to finish starting from Rainy Pass. 
At 10:30 my wife arrived to take me home for a zero day. On the way out of the ski lodge, "Dr. Beaker" saw me and asked if she could get a ride to Hiker Heaven in Baring. I met her several times on the trail, but most recently at the town of Etna. Of course we gave her a ride and got to see the Dinsmore's Hiker Heaven. 
My wife and I stopped in Seattle to celebrate my grandson's eighth birthday. I got to shower there, dried my tent and sleeping bag, and got my laundry done. We had a great time and had wonderful food. 
I plan to rest tomorrow and gather supplies for my final push to the Canadian border. I feel sad that wildfires have disrupted my "fairytale" adventure, but I feel that I have made the right decision for me. 
When I arrived at Stevens Pass, I had reached PCT mile 2476.5. 

Saturday August 15
The rain last night quit around midnight. Then the wind picked up and it was gusty for several hours. I could hear the gusts coming as the trees swished about. All I could think about were several of the nearby dead snags. Would this be the time they came down? Fortunately, nothing came down, and the wind dried most of the rain from my tent. 
I was back on the trail at 5:45. I had a long climb up to the ridge. I had one last look at Deep Lake before I crossed the ridge.

The clouds hung around the mountains all day. When the trail would come to an overlook, I often could see little but hills shrouded in clouds. Several times the trail even climbed up into the clouds! The blowing fog made everything damp. 
Of course the rain wet down the bushes alongside the trail. I put on my rain pants and raincoat to keep from getting soaked. The nice thing about walking a trail that is heavily used is that other people were walking ahead of me. That meant less water remained on the bushes when I went by! I soon noticed that my rain pants weren't needed, and they were starting to get me wet from my own perspiration. I took them off for the rest of the day. 
The trail today took me past many beautiful lakes, including Deception Lake. I liked the way the moss reflected in the water.


I did see several grouse. Their explosive takeoffs always startled me! I also saw a mother deer and her two fawns. They are so cute when they leap away through the forest!
By midday I reached Mig Lake. It had several good campsites, and I picked one that was more secluded and sheltered by trees from wind blowing off the lake.


My dinner tonight was Spaghetti with meat sauce, enhanced with Fritos, pepperoni, olive oil and a dash of "slap yo mama"!
Some people have asked me how I know when there is phone service. Most of the time I have no service at all, so I leave my phone in "airplane mode" to keep it from running down the battery. If I need to use the phone, either to send a message, make a call or upload my blog, I'll check to see if there is service when I reach the top of a mountain or if I can see a city or major highway. Often it makes a difference which side of a mountain you are on. Sometimes I'll just check for service when I am going to use the phone for something else. I often get frustrated when I really need to contact someone and the signal is so weak that it won't even send a text message. On the other hand, sometimes I can send a text message, even when a phone call won't go through.
I am camped at Mig Lake, PCT mile 2468.5. I hiked 22.8 miles today. The elevation here is 4,665 feet. 

Friday August 14
The rain and thunderstorms that I expected last night didn't happen. It was partly cloudy when I crawled out of the tent at 5:25. I was a happy camper!
I knew today was going to be physically challenging because the trail climbed back up to the top of the next ridge, slightly less than 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The good part about it was that the trail was in much better shape. I just need to concentrate on keeping up a good walking rhythm. 
As I got higher, I noticed thunder clouds starting to build over on the next ridge, and clouds beginning to enter the valley. More about that in a moment.


The mountains in this area are all really rugged. That's why there are so many steep climbs!  Once over the top of the ridge, I saw Waptus Lake.

Over forty years ago, my wife and I hiked into the lake and camped. We were trying to start our family and it is possible that our oldest son was conceived here!
As I dropped down to the Waptus River, I remember hiking up the Pacific Crest Trail to Deep Lake so long ago. I had woken up early, way before breakfast time, so I saw a trail sign, "Deep Lake, 5 miles". Being young and energetic, I figured I could quickly hike up to the lake, check it out, and return for breakfast. I didn't take any food or water. Even though I was a fast hiker, it took a long time to reach the lake. On the way back, I suffered from low blood sugar. I'll never forget how much I craved for something sugary. 
On the hike today, I saw the same trail signs. It seemed to take forever to get to the lake, and as I hiked I thought to myself, "What if you met that young man from long ago hurrying back down the trail? What would you say to him?" I puzzled with that question for some time. I finally decided that I would say, "Hey, next time you see your parents, tell them that you met an old guy who just wanted to send his love one last time!" Both of my parents passed away some time ago. What would you say if somehow you met your younger self?
When I am hiking for long periods of time, sometimes I get lost in thought. Perhaps that is part of the hiking adventure as well. 
The clouds grew thicker as the day wore on, so I decided to make camp early. I found a campsite just beyond Deep Lake. As I was cooking my chicken and rice, it began to sprinkle. I quickly ate dinner and retreated to my tent. The ground here has lots of pine needles, so if there are thunder showers, I'm hoping it will soak into the ground rather than puddle. It is also much cooler, so I am already wearing my down jacket and am bundled up in my sleeping bag. The rain is coming as showers, so I expect to hear the "potter-patter" of rain drops all night. Hopefully I won't hear any falling trees!
I am camped just beyond Deep Lake at PCT mile 2445.7.  I hiked 21.7 miles today. The elevation here is 4,308 feet. 

Thursday August 13
As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, I am jumping ahead to Snoqualmie Pass. I have done the section from White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass, and I need to take advantage of the days left in August to finish the sections of the trail that I haven't hiked. 
My wife drove me to the trailhead and I was hiking by 6:30. I knew the hiking would be difficult today because the trail climbs steadily, gaining 3,000 feet in six miles. 
What I didn't a anticipate was how difficult the trail was to walk on. In several places it looked like water had run down the trail, leaving rocks and roots to step on, over or around. For many miles the trail climbed through talus fields. I slipped many times when rocks would shift or roll under my feet. This is what the talus fields looked like.


And, it didn't help that my pack was heavy with four days of food. I compare today's effort to the days when I was crossing the passes in the high Sierras. I have seldom put so much effort into so few miles. 
To offset the difficulty, however, were the fantastic views of the rugged peaks. Mount Rainier could be seen in the distance, but the smoke from the Mount Adams fire made everything hazy.

Reliable water sources were few and far between since this summer has been the driest on record in Washington. There were several pretty deep blue lakes along the way, but the trail usually did not come close enough to use them as a water source. I carry 2.5 liters of water, and by midday I was down to one-half liter. That is very unusual for me and kept me worried for several hours. 
Around noon I noticed a mountain goat walking up the trail ahead of me. It didn't seem to be afraid of me. I yelled and waved my trekking pole and it finally climbed up a steep rock above me.

By early afternoon the trail descended almost 2,700 feet to Lemah creek. I hiked another half mile to a large creek that was supposed to have several campsites near the creek. I couldn't find them! I resigned myself to carrying water to dry camp. I was mentally and physically exhausted. As I headed uphill away from the creek, I noticed a side trail heading into the woods. I followed it and jumped for joy as I saw a wonderful campsite!
I am worried about the weather. Thunderstorms are forecast for tonight and tomorrow. I'll just hope for the best. 
I am camped at PCT mile 2424.1.    I hiked 22.1 miles today. The elevation here is 3,287 feet. 

Wednesday August 12
I slept really well at Hidden Springs, except I heard thunder towards Mount Rainier. As it turns out, there was rain, but none where I was camped. I arose shortly after 5 and was on the trail before 6. I had just under 8 miles to hike to the trail head. My wife planned to meet me at 9. 
I was hiking a trail that I had hiked last year. Halfway through my hike, I was looking to see if there were any deer or elk, because I had seen tracks on the trail. Suddenly, I heard the thunder of hooves on the hill above me. It was a herd of mountain goats!

I have always wanted to see them and now I have!
The sky is still filled with smoke from the Mount Adams fire. The sun shone red!


I arrived at the trail head at 8:40 and walked up to the Kracker Barrel store at White Pass. Valorie arrived within five minutes and we went for breakfast at the Kettle Restaurant in Enumclaw. I had an entire omelette! It was yummy!
At home, I had the normal town day activities. My wife did my laundry, I showered, and then organized my food. I am going to skip ahead to Snoqualmie Pass, since I have already hiked the section from White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass. 
My son took me to the store to get a few more snacks. I now have all my food for the next four days. 
For dinner, we went to the Black Diamond Pizza and Deli. My daughter met us there and we had a fantastic meal. At home, my daughter gave me a wonderful foot massage. My feet are in heaven! Thank you Anne and Thomas!

Tuesday August 11
After last nights thunderstorm, I expected the tent to be wet. It wasn't. I guess there was enough of a breeze to dry it out. 
I was on the trail at 5:50. Although my tent had dried during the night, the plants along the trail were ready and waiting with their load of water! For the first four miles I waded through bushes. I was soaked from my knees down. Even my shoes sloshed with all the water. This is what I was walking through.

Finally the trail entered the woods and a warm wind slowly dried my clothes. 
As I approached the Goat Rocks, there was a beautiful waterfall.

The trail then climbed 1,000 feet to Cispus Pass where I "officially" entered the Goat Rocks. Most of the area is above the tree line. 
When I neared the trail to Snowgrass Flats, I noticed a group of people gathered there. When I arrived, a lady asked, "Are you a through-hiker?"  I said I was, and then she asked, "Do you want a beer?"  I smiled and said, "Sure, but do you have one?" She reached into her pack and gave me one! I was amazed!

The group of people were members of the Mountaineers. They pointed out that there was a fire burning on the east flank of Mount Adams. You can see the smoke plume in the photo. 
I continued up to the "knife edge" and then continued down for several miles. I didn't take many pictures because the smoke cloud covered the sky. Also, I blogged about this last year when I hiked to the Goat Rocks. 
I decided to camp near water, so I stopped at Hidden Springs. My legs and feet are really tired. I put the beer in the ice cold spring water, and shared half of it with "No-Tent". It was the perfect ending to a very physicality challenging day!
I am camped at Hidden Springs, PCT mile 2295.1. I hiked 28.4 miles today. The elevation here is 5,640 feet.