Day 128 to 147: Jet fighters, one last bear and the end.
Day 128
10 August 2019
Mi 2147.5 - 2151
I woke up quite early looking to resupply and leave town as fast as possible. Alas fresh food and hot coffee convinced me to stay a little more than planned. After getting food at the local supermarket and chatting with other thru hikers I crossed the bridge of gods which marks the border between Oregon and Washington. If you have watched Wild directed by Jean-Marc Vallée featuring Reese Witherspoon this is where she ends her hike.
The climb out of Cascade locks was full of ripe blackberries which happily slowed me down. I decided to call it a day a few miles in to enjoy a nearby lake and went to sleep looking forward to what Washington had to offer.
Day 129
11 August 2019
Mi 2151 - 2182.7
I got up a little late and was on trail at 8am. Washington lives up to its reputation so far. Relatively steep hills, overgrown trail and humidity were a constant throughout today.
I met quite a lot of southbounders, mostly section hikers probably as you have to start a bit earlier if you want to do the whole PCT southbound and avoid serious snow in the Sierras.
I camped near a river just before a big climb that I’ll hit early tomorrow morning.
Day 130
12 August 2019
Mi 2182.7 - 2219
As soon as I woke up I headed towards a nearby established campground which happened to have the cleanest pit toilets on the trail so far. I also got rid of my trash and started the climb at 8:30am.
Halfway through the climb I saw Sherpa and was glad to run into him again. Unfortunately he had just broken his water filter so he was essentially just playing Russian roulette with all sorts of disease like I was a few days ago.
The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful; I found a spot near a creek and stopped at around 8pm.
Day 131
13 August 2019
Mi 2219 - 2265.1
One of my biggest day on trail. I wanted to get some big miles in to reach White pass tomorrow reasonably early so I was on trail by 7am.
Halfway through the day I met a bunch of hikers with lamas hiking to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease. They were really excited about their project and shared stories about their work.
At 7pm I still wanted to do another 25km or so and I got just the right boost for that: trail magic! « Stark naked » whom I had met in late April and had gotten off trail due to an injury missed being out hiking so went up here to do some trail magic. A few stories and beers later I was back on my feet ready to tackle these last miles.
I set up camp near a pond at midnight after almost 18 hours, exhausted but happy to have done it.
Day 132
14 August 2019
Mi 2265 - 2295
A much harder day than I thought. It was "only" 30 miles to my next resupply spot, White pass, but a lot of up and downs on exposed ridges. Knife’s edge is only a few miles but with very steep drop offs on either side of the trail, absolutely stunning!
At about 3pm I dropped my iPhone, earbuds and sunglasses in a creek while collecting water. My phone was fine since they are now mostly waterproof but I was sure that the earbuds would be destroyed. I let them dry out on my pack for an hour and worked again! I use my earbuds quite a lot for music, podcasts or audiobooks so it was great to realize they survived a full dive in water.
I reached White pass at 6pm and hitched to Packwood, a small and remote town where I needed to fill some paperwork for my entry into Canada. While getting pizza I met a nice dude travelling around looking to establish partnerships with several micro breweries. It's pretty amazing to see people's face lit up when telling them about the PCT. A lot of them wished they could do it and I always say that it's much easier than we think you just have to take a leap of faith. He was really interested in the PCT and wished me luck for the last stretch.
Day 133
15 August 2019
Mi 2295 - 2307.5
After sorting out the paperwork needed for my entree into Canada I headed back to White pass at 1pm. I got a hitch by a section hiker who had just finished her last PCT section! She was super stocked to have completed it. She also told me about her other adventures including going from the East to the West coast of the US on horseback in the 90s.
I didn’t feel that motivated as it usually happens after being in town for a little bit so I didn’t hike much. I did get some crisps from day hikers before I set up camp.
Day 134
16 August 2019
Mi 2307.5 - 2337.5
Some stunning views today again. Washington is starting to become my favorite section of the trail so far. Not as hard as the Sierras but just as beautiful; not as easy as Oregon but doing big days is still possible. A nice balance. Being close to Seattle I saw a lot of day hikers including a teenager with a sniper rifle (probably air rifle / pellets) which surprised me but hey I'm in Murica' after all. I also saw a bunch of people with Canada tees or hats, I’m getting close!
20 miles in the day my right foot started hurting really bad so I stopped earlier than I wanted. I don't want it to get worse and hope a good night of sleep will fix it, there is not much else I can do.
While setting up camp I broke two stakes, my mattress and ripped apart my waterproof stuff bag for my sleeping back. What a delightful way to end the day!
Day 135
17 August 2019
Mi 2337.5 - 2373.4
I woke up with my left foot hurting but the right one was fine so I guess by some weird voodoo trick my body transfered the pain from one foot to the other but it was manageable so I got on trail. I tried to repair parts of my broken gear without much success, turns out trying to McGyver-fix a ripped stuff sack with old and wet tape doesn't work that well.
After four hours I walked into an huckleberry paradise. Fresh fruit is a luxury while hiking so it was great being able to grab some just a few feet away from the trail. Shortly after I got some trail magic in the form of hotdogs, apples and coke! Two parents were out here supporting their daughter who is section hiking and decided to provide trail magic to other hikers as well, awesome! I got to know more a group of four from Canada and the US I have been leap frogging around for a few days. They are really nice and we'll probably finish on the same day.
I stopped at 9pm close to Snoqualmie pass which I hope I'll be able to reach tomorrow.
Day 136
18 August 2019
Mi 2373.4 - 2400.4
I was running low on food so after 20 miles when I reached Snoqualmie pass, a ski resort just off an interstate, I was really happy. I grabbed a few (read 5) massive slices of pizza as well as some coffee, recharged my stuff and resupplied. This is probably the most expensive resupply I have done on trail so far. It literally consisted of only pop tarts to last me for the next two days and cost me about 40 bucks.
On my way out I got some tasty curry after the owner lured me in with a free beer, it was really good though so props to him. The climb after Snoqualmie was tough but with some nice views and lakes to end the day.
Day 137
19 August 2019
Mi 2400.4 -2430.6
Today was kinda hard, lots of up and downs through burned areas. I met up again with brian aka "Cowboy" whom I had seen two months earlier in Etna while waiting for my sister. He skipped a stretch in Oregon and almost quit but is determined to finish Washington. We shared our plans in terms of miles per day and approximate camp locations hoping to be able to do this last stretch together.
I did a little less than I hoped for but I was knackered by mile 30 so called it then.
Day 138
20 August 2019
Mi 2430.6 - 2462.6
I hiked in clouds for the first half of the day. It feels like hiking in the desert where the wind shapes the scenery except it changes much faster in clouds. I met "Muchka" and another dude whom I forgot his name, both are sort of hiking with "Cowboy".
On another note I am over pop tarts. The sugar overdose is too much. It's the only food I have at the moment so I'll just have to close my eyes and believe really strongly that I'm eating a delicious pastry when in fact I'm eating my 7th pop tart of the day.
I camped two miles before Stevens pass, near some ski lifts.
Day 139
21 August 2019
Mi 2462.6 - 2481.8
I woke up at 6am and got an easy hitch to Skykomish from a local on his way to cut wood for the winter. Skykomish consists of a gas station, a few houses and a deli so not much but enough to resupply for the next few days and recharge my batteries.
While drinking coffee and eating copious amounts of expensive pastries I met another local who used to live in Seattle and got rich through real estate. He now spends his time doing charity work and taking care of his property. He told me he founded the construction and maintenance of 6 schools in Asia and Africa and plans to at least double that. He had some really interesting thoughts on philanthropy and education in general.
I was back on trail at 1pm and it started raining a bit, not enough to justify putting on rain pants and jacket but just enough to soak my backpack.
Day 140
22 August 2019
Mi 2481.8 - 2516.2
30 minutes into the day I slipped and twisted my right knee. I could not move my knee for about a minute and thought my hike was over. I started tearing up thinking how stupid it was to get injured so close to the end. After the initial shock it started feeling a little better and a couple hours later it felt fine.
Later in the day the sun came out so I dried out most of my gear. I had lunch with Muchka, Cowboy and a bunch of others. The atmosphere was mixed with excitment and sadness as we are all realizing this incredible parenthesis in our lives is about to end.
Day 141
23 August 2019
Mi 2516.2 - 2552.9
Today started with a big downill section followed by four miles of steep switchback up a mostly overgrown trail. I was rewarded with rain and clouds at the top but it cleared relatively quickly to reveal some nice views. In the next valley I saw several jet fighters, some doing upside down turns and all sorts of crazy maneuvers. They were really close and it was kinda surreal in the middle of nowhere to see and then hear these jets fully sending it through this valley at full speed.
There are a lot of marmots on trail and they aren't scared of hikers so I got a bunch of them to become models for a little while. The views are spectacular and despite some tough terrain I am really enjoying this section of the trail.
I set up camp in a nice clearing and it was a big mistake. After laying down I heard a ton of mice crawling all over my tent. I can handle snakes, spiders and deers or even bears but for some reason mice rub me the wrong way. I turned on my headlamp and saw four mice munching on food scraps on my backpack. I couldn't bear the noises so I threw my bag 20 meters away from my tent and let the mice do their thing, just far away from me this time. The worst were probably the ones on the outer second wall of my tent, their little feet making all sorts of weird noise on the stretched fabric.
Day 142
24 August 2019
Mi 2552.9 - 2589.3
I got lost for an hour in the morning after taking a wrong turn. The PCT is so well marked that I think this is only the second time I got off of it by mistake since I started.
I saw Chef and the others (the group I have been sort of hiking around for the last couple of days) probably for the last time as they decided to head into Stehekin and I skipped it. We congraluted each others, shared contact details and that was it. The best and hardest thing about the PCT is meeting people, it's amazing but the vast majority of these encounters are ephemeral.
I entered the North Cascades National Park shortly after, not much difference from previous miles except a lot more rules and established campsites that I couldn't go to since my PCT permit does not allow for camping here. After reaching the northern boundary of the park I met section hikers one of whom already thru hiked the PCT, we chatted for a bit they congratulated me and we went our separate ways.
Day 143
25 August 2019
Mi 2589.3 - 2591.6
I woke up early in order to make it to Mazama, a small town just off Rainy pass. I needed to sort out paperwork (again) and get food for the last stretch of the PCT. Some day hikers left beers in a cooler for PCT hikers just near the road and altough it was 7am I obliged and cracked open a cold one.
I made it to Mazama and decided to wait until tomorrow before I head back out as I still haven't received the necessary papers to enter Canada.
Day 144
26 August 2019
Mi 2591.6 - 2617
I spent the morning in Mazama, a small town serving as gateaway for Seattleite to enjoy beautiful hiking trails. While small Mazama has one of the best bakery I have seen on trail with some really good bread and all sorts of fresh pastries. I spent way too much money there but it was all worth it.
I left Mazama at 1pm and hitched back to Rainy pass thanks to a retired engineer spending half the year in a camping car travelling around the USA. After an hour on trail I got stung by two yellow jackets. I'm not allergic so I was fine but it did hurt for the rest of the day. It felt like someone constantly pinching me at two different spots on my right leg.
The PCT was on some nice ridges here, blessing me with nice scenery. I almost night hiked but decided it was stupid to end the PCT in the dark and saved the last miles for tomorrow where I could truly enjoy them.
Day 145
27 August 2019
Mi 2617 - 2653.1 (+4mi)
My last day on trail, and what a day it was! I left camp at 6am and enjoyed the last minutes of a beautiful sunrise on an exposed ridge.
At 1pm I heard noises on my right and looked up to realize I was a few meters away from a fairly big black bear. Unlike other bears I have seen on trail this one wasn't as skittish, he just chilled around for a little and we looked at each other. It was a pretty special moment, one I waited on for most of this trip and I finally got to experience it on the last day.
I saw a lot of thru hikers who had just finished, tagged the Canadian border, and were heading back to Harts pass where they could hitch to Seatlle as they didn't want to enter the land of maple syrup and hockey. Every time I saw one we looked at each other and in an instant knew what the other had gone through and how much it took to get here. Sure congratulations were exchanged but words can't really compare to that look, a look mixed with satisfaction, excitment and sadness.
The last few miles were emotional as I looked back at all the moments and hardships that led to the end of this adventure. I turned around a switchback for the last time at 7pm and tagged the monument, I couldn't believe I made it. When I first started out Canada was the goal but I was fine with just hiking as long as I liked and didn't really think I would make it. In fact I didn't apply for my Canada entry permit until 10 days before reaching the border. I thought either boredom, an injury or any of the 1000 reasons people quit a through hike of the PCT would stop me from achieving this seemingly unreachable goal. But there I was standing with one foot in the USA and another in Canada.
A couple from germany was also there and we shared stories about our favorite moments of the trail. They still had 700 miles to go as they skipped sections of the trail but were really happy with how far they had made it. They were filming a documentary so interviewed and filmed me as I reached the border. I will put a link to the documentary once it's released (probably wont be for another year or two since they have a ton of footage).
I hiked another four miles in Canada and set up camp for the last time just four miles away from the road that would take me to Vancouver back to civilization.
Day 146
28 August 2019
4 miles
After a quick four miles I reached the Manning Park resort, a popular destination for Canadians to enjoy cross country skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. I got a hitch pretty much immediatly from twins in their 60s who section hiked Washington. I was also with two other PCT hikers and we talked about our hike, shared stories and discussed how weird it'll be to go back to normal life after such an extraordinary experience.
I made it to Vancouver at 1pm, walked around for a bit, ate a Poutine for the first time and went to my hotel early as my flight is at 5am tomorrow.
I'm going to write a more in depth article soon about my thoughts on this whole experience while it's still somewhat fresh as well as release some stats and graphs on my pace, the money I spent etc. In the meantime thanks for reading this blog and following me on my adventure, I had a blast and hope you had too while reading it.
If you are considering hiking the PCT or any trail for that matter, do it! It's hard but oh so worth it.