Hannah the hiker

On day 20 we left Snoqualmie Pass. I tried to sleep in since I was sleeping in a bed for once but just couldn’t. The whole night I tossed and turned thinking about sending my snow gear home and whether or not it was the right decision. I must have fallen asleep at some point though, I woke up at 6. I had lots of coffee and read some more of Catcher in the Rye. There were lots of hikers getting their packs and food ready so I just hung around, trying to keep out of the way at the cabin. Autopilot and I decided to stay til 3 so we didn’t have to hike while it was super hot out. The high for the day was 97 degrees Fahrenheit and we didn’t want to torture ourselves. We got some news that there is a big SOBO hiker bubble behind us which I have mixed feelings about. I like meeting new hikers but I’m not a fan of being in a big group. I guess we will see how it pans out in the coming weeks. I’ve just gotta remember that this is my journey, it doesn’t much matter what everyone else is doing.

Autopilot and I said our goodbyes and see ya laters and headed for the trail. We decided to hike 8.6 miles to Mirror Lake and camp there. It was really hot for the first 3 miles but then it cooled down once we got in the shade. I had so much to eat before we left the cabin and was definitely regretting it going uphill. I had some chocolate chip pancakes, max and cheese, and trail mix throughout the day which didn’t make me feel like moving too quickly on the trail. Still we managed and got to camp a little after 7. I went for a quick swim and set up my tent. I brought some salt and vinegar chips with me for this section and had a handful of those for “dinner.” I obviously wasn’t hungry after eating all day at the cabin. It was an early night since we planned to wake up early before the heat strikes.

On day 21 we got up early and left camp by 6. We walked about 4 miles to the next water source and had a little water filtering break. It wasn’t too hot out yet and the trail to this point was just a little bit of up and down. We kept on going and met a bunch of hikers going north. I met a couple who had hiked the PCT about 5 years ago and they were very friendly. They told me that it’s quite an exciting adventure and congrats to me for taking it on. Autopilot and I decided to hike to the next reliable water source and then take a long lunch break. We had some steep switchbacks which were no fun under the hot sun. The last mile or so didn’t have much shade so I just tried to power through and take multiple water breaks. We got to the stream at noon and set up a mini camp. In 6 hours we walked 14 miles! We had lunch and each took cat naps in the shade. It was nice to take a break during the hottest part of the day. By doing this we aren’t making ourselves more tired by trying to power through the intense heat. I’m so slow when it gets hot out. Also, we have to keep an eye on our water sources from here on out. Now that the snow is pretty much gone the streams are not flowing as much. This stream was the last reliable source for 7 miles.

We left the stream around 3:30 and then walked 5 miles to the next little campsite. This campsite surprisingly had a small flowing stream and we could replenish our supply here. The spot didn’t have many mosquitos and was nice and windy, perfect after such a hot day. We got to camp at 5:30 and I felt great. We had a three hour break during the day and still did 18.5 miles! Sometimes it’s easy to fall into thinking that you need to wake up and just hike all day and suffer in the heat. But it feels great to change that routine and make the most out of the day.

On day 22 we got up and left camp by 6. We had a somewhat long water carry because there weren’t many sources from camp to where we were having lunch, 14 miles away. So I carried 2 liters thinking that would be enough, it definitely wasn’t. We climbed up roughly 2,000 feet in 8 miles which wiped me out. I listened to some music to keep some pep in my step. I sang a little bit out loud too but when I took my earbuds out I realized I sounded like I was dying because I was hiking uphill and trying to sing. I decided to stop so I wouldn’t scare anybody.

We got to the top of the climb and had some great views of Rainer. I had a granola bar and Autopilot had some trail mix before we walked the last 6 miles to lunch. This was a little bit of up and down but generally easier grade. It was beautiful through here with views of Rainier and tall trees. There were some exposed sections which were brutal under the hot sun. I just kept thinking about the stream ahead and kept on walking. I was dripping in sweat by the time I got to the stream and had no water in my bottles left. I quickly filtered 3 liters and made some Gatorade which tasted amazing. I washed my face off too, which had been my favorite thing to do while hiking. I always try to splash my face with water if I see a stream. I had a nice lunch and chatted with some NOBO and SOBO hikers that stopped at the stream. We stayed here til 3:30 and I took a little nap in the shade. I kept waking up though because I could hear myself snoring! We decided to hike 4.7 miles to the Mike Urich Cabin. There’s a dirt road that passes closely by the cabin and it’s owned by a local snowmobile club. Thankfully they let the public use it so it’s a popular spot for hikers. Sometimes there’s even a little trail magic here, but there wasn’t anything when we passed through. The cabin itself has a woodstove and loft. I didn’t stay in there because it was pretty dirty and I didn’t want any mice to scurry across me while I was sleeping.

There were some outhouses here but you couldn’t pay me to use them. We set up our tents outside the cabin and had our dinner on the front porch. Funny enough, Autopilot and I both had Kraft mac and cheese for dinner! I also had some dark chocolate Reese’s and peanut butter. It was a really pretty spot that overlooked an open grassy meadow and we could hear the stream trickling nearby. We talked with lots of NOBO hikers and told them about some of our favorite spots on the trail so far. It was an early night though because we planned to get up early and get through a burned section of the trail before the sun hits us. I’ve been feeling very grateful to be out here and I am so excited to keep going and see what else the trail has in store. I could eat peanut butter in the woods for the rest of my life.

On day 22 we got up and left camp by 5:30. There was a 15 mile burn section ahead of us so we wanted to get through it before it got too hot out. The burn was from 2017, and while things are beginning to grow through there, there is absolutely no shade. We had a somewhat long water carry, about 8 miles. I had 3 liters of water this time and was glad to have extra. We got to this piped stream 13 miles in and it had the coldest water I’ve had on this trip. It was around 10:30 and there was a small tent side with trees so we set up for an early break. I pitched my tent to get a break from the bugs and took a nap. I washed up in the stream too which was relieving.

I had a big lunch and we left the site by 2:30. We walked about a mile before we ran into some llamas! There was a group called Pass to Pass hanging out and enjoying the view of Rainier. We chatted with them for a bit before heading on. It would be pretty sweet to have a llama carrying all my peanut butter for the rest of the trip! We walked about 8 miles to Sheep Lake where we decided to camp. There was some up and down but it wasn’t too bad since there was a breeze and it was cooling off for the day. Sheep Lake didn’t have many mosquitos and had some sweet camp spots. We both went for a quick dip in the water, it took me a while to go all the way in though because it was so cold. I felt pretty lucky to be able to wash up twice in one day. I had two instant rice packets for dinner and topped it off with a payday. We walked 21.4 miles so I felt like a little treat was in order.

On day 23 we got up and decided to walk 14.7 miles to a creek and tentsite. Sheep Lake was about a mile away from the Chinook Pass trailhead where we cross the road and continue onto the trail. There were bathrooms and garbage cans here which were a treat to us. We could get rid of some of our trash, making our packs just a tad lighter. We crossed into Mount Rainier National Park. It was a Saturday morning and there were lots of people out hiking. I forgot how frustrating it can be to be hiking with so many other people since some are faster and some are slower. We passed a couple people finally. I also ran into one of the most unpleasant hikers I have ever met. This woman would not move aside to let me pass since I was going a bit faster, I had to ask if it was okay for me to scooch past. She then yelled at a man who was walking with a dog and said that dogs were not allowed on the trail. She saw a couple behind me who had two dogs and told them the same thing. When someone moved off the trail to let another hiker pass by she yelled at them for ruining the trail. I should have asked her where her forest ranger uniform is if she’s such an advocate for the trail regulations. Moments like that are a good reminder to hike your own hike, as in don’t pay attention to what others are doing since it’s really not concerning you. The 14 miles to the creek were pretty gradual and very pretty. I loved smelling all the sweet pine trees along the way. We got to the creek around 12:30 and set up our tents since there were some mosquitos. I took a great nap and had a filling lunch.

Since we planned on getting to White Pass on Sunday I could eat some of the extra food I had, what a treat. I was pretty tired when we got up and ready to go at 3 but tried to just push on. We decided to go 8.9 miles to Pipe Lake so we would only have 7 miles to town on Sunday. We both felt good enough and the grade wasn’t too terrible, so we got there by 6:30. I’m glad we did the extra miles but golly I have never seen more mosquitos in my life. I tried to quickly pitch my tent and filter water before I was eaten alive. It felt like my whole body was covered in them. I had to kill about 20 of them that sneaked into my tent while I was getting in so now there are a bunch of dead mosquitos and dried blood on the inside, very gory. Autopilot and another hiker and I just yelled to eachother from our tents since none of us dare go outside. I thought I was good with bugs but this is another level.

On day 24 we packed up camp as quickly as possible and made a dash to town. It was 7 miles and I covered it in 2.5 hours. I was basically running to avoid the mosquitos. I had to use the bathroom and probably lost a pint of blood in the process. I wore my bug net all the way to the Kracker Barrel store in White Pass. When I got there I picked up my resupply box and got a $5 refillable mug of coffee! The hiker box had some goodies and I scored some peanut butter and oatmeal. I took a hot shower and washed my clothes and am now packing up all my food for the next stretch. We have about 150 miles left of Washington which is quite exciting. The next stretch of trail is about 3 days to Trout Lake I’m hoping the mosquitos aren’t too bad.