Day 125
Start: Eagle Creek
Finish: Three Corner
Daily Mileage: 24.2
PCT Mile: 2164.9
We got in around 9, and the only town chores we needed to take care of was buying food, eating, and charging. We got food at the store first and hung out at a coffee shop until 11 when a brewery opened for lunch and a beer.
Taking care of everything we needed, we headed back out of town to the mighty Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River. Native American legend has it that there was once a land bridge over the river here before it collapsed, to be replaced many years later with a steel bridge.
Hikers are allowed to walk across the bridge, though there is really no extra room or sidewalk. Just squeezing between the cars and guard rail. Thankfully it was stop and go traffic to party the toll.
The bridge deck was open mesh steel and you could even look straight down 100 feet below you to the Columbia. The wind was blowing good too, knocking us around a bit.
The crossing was uneventful though, apart from the smallest green sign welcome to Washington. At the end of the bridge was a bigger but well weathered sign, but the whole setup seemed a bit anticlimactic. It was wonderful to once again enter my home state and finally see what she has to offer compared to the rest of this long trail, with only 500 miles left to go.
Back into the woods in the civilized wilds of a power line cut replete with a mix of ripe berries and poison oak. Almost like a trap for hungry hikers.
The trail was nothing special for a while, winding around property lines at near sea level, the lowest point on the trail. It was also rocky which normally isn’t a big deal, but has been killing my feet lately since I’ve got a heel blister and still soreness in my little toes from the last pair of shoes. Maybe my current shoes are too small and my feet have grown over the course of the trip which happens to some hikers but not me.
The forest immediately seemed to change on this side of the Columbia River. It was extremely lush and green, and there was no spare space for any more vegetation. Everything was vying for the same space with varying degrees of success. Where there was not plants and bushes, the ground was carpeted in moss, leaving not a bare patch of dirt visible. This is the Washington I know and love. So green and alive, summer and winter.
The trail soon began to climb, to regain the elevation lost going to the trail’s lowest point. We started up Welcome to Washington Mountain, which had a steeper grade than normal on the PCT. It was a good haul up the mountain, and definitely not at full speed. We stopped a couple times for water since we didn’t want to get our full haul for the night too soon with the steep grade.
The mountain got rocky near the top due to its volcanic origins. The views of the surrounding mountains and the Columbia Valley were impressive though, which made it all worth it.
Considering that we did a resupply and spent a few hours in town charging and drinking beer, we ended up doing a fair number of miles today. Only 2 miles off from a marathon day. We wanted to do a fair number of miles into Washington to set us up for the next resupply. You are always playing the long game out here even if the next town is several days off.
We crested Welcome to Washington Mountain and came to a Washington special, the first clearcut that the trail actually passed through. I guess it had to happen eventually. We surfed the ridge passing many SOBOs which we seem to be in the heart of. Our intended campsite was full since the trail seems busier these days, so we had to push on to a spot that worked but was not great.
We celebrated out entry into Washington with some better than typical dinner food. I do like to carry fresh food out of town, but haven’t had many opportunities this trail due to heat and shopping the day before hitting the trail again. However, I brought out a tall boy, fresh ravioli, a turkey wrap, and fresh pesto for dinner. Much better than any Knorr Side which are becoming quite tiring at this point. I miss home cooked food.
It was a little more challenging to cook the ravioli in my tiny camp pot, but it worked and I had a fantastic dinner.
It is great to be back home in Washington, and it already looks so familiar to me the lush vegetation in the temperate rain forest here. I am interested to see what else my state has to offer!
