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From my 1977 hike I remember the Alpine Lakes Wilderness as one of the most beautiful parts of the PCT. As is often the case, accessing such remote beauty often comes with a cost. Equipped with the knowledge that the … Continue reading
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This journey has been all about nostalgia: nostalgia for my previous PCT hike, nostalgia for Cindy’s last long distance hike, nostalgia for our life’s journey together that is reaching its final chapter. As we tackled the Stevens to Snoqualmie stretch … Continue reading
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All along the Stevens to Rainy Pass stretch worried me the most. This was the longest stretch with the longest climbs on our journey. We started late on the first day, putting us behind from the start, but the first … Continue reading
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As we take a forced rest day I’m struck by the serendipitous events that led to this point. The trailhead bulletin board at Rainy Pass announced that three sections ahead were obstructed by blowdowns and washouts. There was a reroute … Continue reading
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I had a sense of foreboding as we drove up to Rainy Pass to begin the Washington portion of our journey. I knew where this came from. In 1977 I experienced the worst stretch of rain over my 20,000+ miles … Continue reading
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We spent a rest day at my sister-in-law Connie’s house, preparing for our hike of the Washington section of the PCT. This is the most remote, rugged section of trail. I figure if we complete this section we’re golden. One … Continue reading
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The Eagle Creek Trail stood out as the highlight of the 1977 PCT hike. With waterfalls and swimming holes every few hundred yards I thought of this stretch as a wilderness amusement park. The trail is not the official PCT … Continue reading
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At first I thought the day might be a tough one, with 10,000+ feet of elevation change over 22.6 miles. I foresaw lots of ibuprofen in my future. Yet the pathway proved ideal, dirt in the lower forests, volcanic sand … Continue reading
This was the first stretch for Mike to full pack with Cindy and me. Two full days greeted us, featuring spectacular scenery, tough trail conditions and capped by a good bit of trio magic. We were up in high country, … Continue reading
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South of Crater Lake we encountered the bubble of northbound thru-hikers. We saw a few familiar faces again, such as Special Sauce, Smitty, Robin, Whistle, Swig, Pedi, Ms. Frizzle, Signal, Amtrak and Ladypantz. We chatted awhile with a few new … Continue reading
