Start: Grizzly Peak
Finish: Mackinaw Camp
Daily Mileage: 29.1
PCT Mile: off trail 2505.2
Honeybun and I awoke in the clouds. There was no sign of them when we went to bed, but they were swirling around our tents when we got up.
Climbing away from camp, we were in and out of the clouds, being near the top of the cloud bank such that we were going above and below it as we went up and down slightly. The mountains in the distance were peaking above the clouds like islands in a sea of white. It’s a view that I love that doesn’t happen much in the summer here.
The clouds also made all the vegetation wet, so it was a good wakeup to get wet pants and shoes. However, this minor inconvenience has rarely happened on this trail due to the climate. It is much more common on other trails, so we are lucky we don’t have to deal with it more.
We quickly reached the summit of Grizzly Peak where we intended to camp last night. Our camp was probably better so it was no big loss. As always, the trail almost reached the summit but veered off, vying to never summit a mountain from Mexico to Canada. We took the few steps to the actual summit for the third time this trip.
The trail bobbled along a ridge for a while with small ups an downs. The trail was rocky, and I just couldn’t get my stride for the entire morning. It felt like it was so much effort to make little progress. Perhaps it is the weight of our packs loaded with food, low energy, or just wear and tear on my body taking its toll. I do have a couple toes that have been bothering me for a while, and I just haven’t given them enough of a break to do whatever healing they need. Perhaps it is the same with the rest of my body.
Though my perception of progress was slow, the mountains we were rolling through were fantastic, especially in the clouds. A few times cloud banks were pouring over mountain gaps like streams and it was just amazing.
At one point Honeybun spotted a new wildfire. We got the coordinates and sent a satellite message back home to Kate who checked and saw the fire was already identified. A little later on a spotter plane was circling it. We saw the fire for a few hours, and even in that short time it visibly grew from some small puffs of smoke to billowing smoke. The fire will probably be left to burn for the time being since it is in a wilderness area and firefighters are busy all over the state with this bad fire season which is a shame, but it is better than people’s houses.
The later part of the day was on ridge mostly above treeline affording inifinite views of the mountains, glaciers, forests, and meadows around us. Spectacular views that I love Washington for. The marmot were also out in force with one every 100 yards or so, bravely foraging until they lost their nerve at the last minute as we passed. I was really picked up at the end of the day with the great hiking.
However, all good things must come to an end, and we bade farewell to the PCT at the North Fork Sauk River Trail. There are 3 wildfires ahead, and their combined effect is to completely block our route with no alternatives as I mentioned yesterday. We turned off the PCT for I don’t know how many miles, hopeful that we can get back to it before yet another fire gets too big and cuts off our new path.
The trail went down steeply to the Sauk River where we camped in thick old growth forest. Just a little more trail tomorrow before we’re road walking for a while. It’s all part of the adventure though.
