Days 130 - 133: warm and sunny...Washington

Sept 12 - 15
Days 130 - 133
Mile 2274.3 - 2364.5
Goat rocks - Green gap

Day 130: Why the pacific crest trail is called the pacific CREST trail!

Today was awesome and we took so many pictures! It was another day like we had in three sisters wilderness. After 4 days of hiking in forests we emerged into one of the most awesome and beautiful places on the trail. Goat rocks wilderness kept us occupied all day and was filled with wildflower meadows, rock walls, far reaching views, and waterfalls.












We got views of mt. Adams behind us. Apparently there is a fire that might close the PCT that we just missed again. It made the day pretty hazy but we were so lucky have nice weather. Someone we know on the trail hiked goat rocks a few years past in a whiteout snowstorm .




In front of us we saw massive and majestic mt. rainier, the highest peak in the cascade range.




The trail climbed over a saddle and we began a section of trail called the knifes edge. To the left was Packwood glacier and to the right was McCall glacier. So the trail walked between them right along the crest of the ridge. If you look at these pics you can see the trail in the distance.












While goat rocks was amazing, it was really rocky so we didn't make very good time. After we came down from the knifes edge, we made much better time and were able to finish the last climb before white pass. While treating my water for the night I realized my aquamira bottle had a crack in it and the entire Part B solution leaked all over my backpack and hands. I washed my hands in the dirt and tried to get my pack as clean as possible. Then one of the zippers on my pack broke which was frustrating. We slept just below a saddle with a really cool sunset and views of mt. Rainier.




Day 131: where hikers go

It was a little warmer last night and we did an ok job of getting up today and were hiking by 8:00. It was a clear morning with beautiful views.












The trail was easy and fast and we got to the highway by 10:00. Surprise! There was more trail magic from Lost and Found. We have been so lucky in Washington so far.




We got chili, rice crispy treats, and fritos. We walked to the kracker barrel store and resupplied, ate, and charged batteries. We both heard from our parents who each sent the last box of the trip! There were about 20 hikers there throughout the day. A few hikers offered us a shower in their room they bought for the night. We took them up on their offer and talked with them for a while. We walked back out to the trail and hiked in a few miles. On the way we saw about 10 crows fly up from a spot in the woods. We checked it out and it turned out to be a dead deer/elk with no head whos intestines and other internal organs were all torn out. We have seen a lot of bow hunters lately and were thinking that maybe someone killed it and just took the head but we were confused. We picked a nice flat spot and watched a beautiful sunset. We are rejuvenated and excited for this section. We are still happy to be here and are loving this adventure and every day we are lucky enough to do it. We just heard today that a hiker broke his ankle 6 miles from the Canadian border. 6 miles!! Things can change so quickly and this was a quick reminder that even though Canada feels close, things can change in an instant.

Day 132: The sun really does shine at 7 am

It was a warm night and we both loved it. It felt so good to be warm and cozy in our sleeping bags. It made it easier to get up and we were hiking by 7:15 which is really good compared to our recent record. The morning was warmer too and we walked through meadows, wildflowers, and forests in William O. Douglas wilderness.




We stopped for a long lunch at a creek. Just as we were leaving we saw David and Brit and we leapfrogged with them the rest of the day. The afternoon was even prettier than the morning.












At one point we felt raindrops but there was no cloud in the sky. It was very weird. We entered mt. Rainier state park and saw the gigantic mountain up close. We glimpsed yet another fire.




We stopped early at sheep lake but we were still able to get in almost 29 spectacular miles today.




Day 133: The Lorax

The night was warm and we woke up on time again. The morning was spent weaving through hills and cliffs in the Norse peak wilderness. I loved it!












The leaves are starting to change color and it feels like fall. We ate lunch at a spot overlooking mt. Rainier and the temperature was perfect.




In the afternoon we left public land and entered private land that our guidebook describes as view less and heavily logged. Here we're some of the views we saw.












I'm going to have to agree with the guidebook. We finished 30 miles before dark and set up camp on an unremarkable spot , ready for bed.

-Jenna
-Be Free