One Way Ticket to Somewhere

  After topping off my food bag for the last time I left Mazama and started the 33.5 miles of hiking along dirt roads to get to the far eastern part of Pasayten Wilderness that wasn't impacted by active wildfires. Walking The Long Road The scenery wasn't too spectacular and I focused on hiking these miles quickly. I was able to get almost all of the road walk done within a day. Semi-Wild Life The next morning I finally reached the Billy Goat Trailhead and entered the Pasayten Wilderness for the last 20 miles to the border. The first part of the trail was badly burned in 2017, but was beginning to recover. Larch Creek Trail After Larch Pass the burn zone ended and the landscape changed to beautiful open rolling meadows and ridges above timberline with wide open views. Pasayten Wilderness I found a nice campsite in the late afternoon and set up my tent. I wanted to cover the last four miles to the border in the morning, but was too excited to wait another day. After a small break...

  I reached Stehekin just as my food ran out. I had planned to supplement my resupply box with snacks from the lodge at Stevens Pass, but that was closed. The famous Stehekin Bakery couldn’t come soon enough! After an amazing breakfast I picked up my next supply box at the local post office. Many hikers were giving away part of their food as they planned to take the ferry to Chelan or just hike to Hwy 20 and hitch a ride to Seattle or Mazama and I was able to get the additional meals I needed for my planned alternative route to the border. As if I needed more signs that winter was coming… There was no cell service in Stehekin and I anxiously waited for the National Parks office to open, so I could get updates on the fires. When they finally opened at noon, the news wasn’t good. Fires in the North Cascades National Park and the Pasayten Wilderness had grown and the alternative trails I wanted to take were all closed now. I would have to venture much further east to be able to safely...

  I had almost forgotten how beautiful the section from Snoqualmie Pass was. I had hiked from here to Stevens Pass with my friend Chris two years earlier. As I made my way up the long climb to the Kendall Katwalk, I thought about our leisurely pace back then. We had no reason to worry about upcoming winter, only our own personal deadlines - work, social obligations. On The Way To Kendall Katwalk Kendall Katwalk Once up on the ridge, the views just kept on getting better. It was a clear day, although later in the afternoon clouds started to roll in and I decided to camp at a lower elevation site to avoid having my tent dripping with condensation in the morning. The following day was clear again. As I stood on the ridge to take a picture, a mountain goat came out from the trees, moved to an outcropping and appeared to be staring at Mount Rainier. This could not get any better. I was deep in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and there was a pretty lake almost after every bend of the t...

  I was getting a bit emotional when I finally crossed the Bridge Of The Gods across the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington. I had dreamed of this moment for a long time and was very happy I had made it. My home state welcomed me with blackberries and lush green forest with solid tree cover that lasted for a couple of days and almost made me run out of battery for my phone as my solar panel could not generate enough energy. Welcome to the jungle  Remember when we all had BlackBerrys? There were still enough views of Mt. Adams and St. Helens to keep things interesting. Mount Adams I entered Indian Heaven Wilderness with its gorgeous lakes and spent some time swimming in deep and clear Blue Lake.  Blue Lake - Gorgeous Swimming  I had hiked around 2200 miles and some more pieces of my equipment started to give up. My favorite hiking shirt was beyond repair and the over molded tips of my trekking poles started to come loose. Directionally Challenged  My...