September 28

9/28

We spent last night in Vancouver. We ate food and drank a celebratory bottle of champagne while in bed watching tv and eating sweets. I dreamt of the trail and by this morning we were both missing it. When it was cold and wet we were miserable but the sun always came out and our mood would quickly change, "let's just live out here". We are happy to have accomplished our goal but are not necessarily ready to emerge from the woods. We are already talking about the next trail. 

This morning we explored vancouver's public transportation system to retrieve our passports (thank you kent!) and spent the rest of the day eating and reading magazines in the public library.  The train will take us to bellingham, Washington tonight where our bikes await us. That's right! The adventure continues! 

September 27- Vancouver

9/27

We camped last night and woke up early to hike the last 5 miles into manning park.   It was a cold night and our wet tent fly froze into a stiff board. Time to get out of here. It was a cold walk but there was hot coffee and a buffet breakfast at the end. At 11 we caught the greyhound bus into Vancouver. What a surrel experience, straight back into the world. Did that whole hiking thing even just happen?

September 26- Canada!

9/26

23 miles 2630 to CANADA! 

We did it, we really did it! 

September 25

9/25

26 miles (2604 to 2630)

Tomorrow's the day! It's hard to believe that we are actually going to cross the border. It's hard to believe that we actually walked all the way here from Mexico. 

We got trail magic today from the parents of another hiker. When we got ready to leave, the mom gave me a hug and said she was proud of me. I'm proud of myself. We set out on this trip with so many uncertainties. There were so many challenges day after day. I am excited to reach the border and know that I have met my goal that every day for five months I have been working towards. There are things we are really excited about: toilets, being able to get out of the rain, eating real food again. I have also really enjoyed life on the trail and I know I will miss it. I'll miss it's simplicity, it's community, it's beauty. 

September 24

9/24

23 miles (2581 to 2604, mathow river)

Last night we hung our food for the first time on the whole trip. We sleep with it every night. Do you suddenly feel less sympathy for us and our mouse attacks? We slept within the national park and they had a cable run between two trees making it super easy to hang. It was the best sleep we had all week. Tonight there is no cable and all the trees have stubby little branches, unsuitable for safe keeping from little or big creatures. 

We hiked past rainy pass, hwy 20, where two thru hikers who have already finished were cooking up hot dogs. We each had two, chatted for a long time and continued on. The rest of the day was beautiful, large forested valleys and sharp mountain tops. It started to sprinkle as soon as we climbed inside our tent. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. We are hoping the snow level isn't too low because we will be spending most of tomorrow above 6,000 feet. We aren't in the clear yet. 

September 23- Stehekin

9/23

21 miles (2560 to 2581, six mile camp in north cascades park) 

We woke up super early at 4:15 and were out of camp before 5 to hike the 9 miles to catch the morning bus to stehekin. It's a town without any connecting roads to the outside world but a few roads connecting it within. It's a really beautiful and cool town on lake chelan. 

The bus stops at the bakery on the way into town, then dropped us off by the lake. We picked up our last resupply box! The last box! We sorted through it and were surprised that we didn't find our passports. No passports means no Canada or at least no re entry into the United States. Clay frantically called his dad from the one pay phone in town, who still had them tucked away for safe keeping and will be mailing them somewhere for us to pick up in Vancouver. Canada here we come, legal or not. 

September 22

9/22

27 miles (2533, vista creek to 2560, agnes creek)

Last night a mouse chewed a hole in our tent. Stupid creatures! There are so many mice in northern Washington, I'm hoping they aren't around every night. It's so annoying to wake up to chewing noises wondering what it is of yours their diseased mouse teeth are destroying. 

The sun was out again today, hurray! We didnt see much of it from below giant thick forest canopy. I still enjoyed knowing blue sky was up there. I do hope it lasts. We have less than 100 miles left! Tomorrow we resupply in a town only accessible by foot, boat and plane, stehekin. It should only take us 4-5 more days to cross that border. We would be so happy with a couple more days of sun. 

The ravens, inspiring!

September 21

9/21

25 miles (2508 to 2533)

Today marks 5 months on the trail, Oh beautiful sunny day! We dried out all our gear at lunch on the top of a big climb. We had a largest day of climbing ever today with 8194 feet. There were really only two hills but they were big ones. The scenery is beautiful, hiking amongst glaciated peaks producing milky  streams. 

September 20

9/20

25 miles (2483 to 2508)

I asked clay what I should write, "it rained all day, it was pretty crappy". 

I wrang my socks out this morning before sliding them onto warm dry feet. The seem of the crotch of my rain pants has been compromised leaving me with wet arse and pants. The tent is wet from last night and a day jammed into a stuff sack riding on the outside of clays pack. My warm long sleeve shirt got wet inside of its safe storage of a gallon ziplock bag. 

Clays been wearing a compression sock to help with his shin splints. It's only been bothering him on his left leg. That is until the end of the day today when the right leg decided to join in on the fun. 

I see now why people quit when they have almost reached the end. Northern Washington is wet, muddy, super steep, and we are so tired. 

The sun is supposed to come out tomorrow and if it does, we will be very happy indeed. 

September 19

9/19

23 miles (2461 to 2483) 

I hate rain. We got all dried out and happy and warm in town. Now we are wet soggy and miserable. It's cold, it's wet, no more rain!

Toliet!

September 18- Skykomish

9/18

Zero day in skykomish!

Skykomish is our last chance to dry out, do laundry, and sit in a hotel room watch tv and eat a disgusting amount of food. 

We met the coolest family while hitching a ride into town in the rain yesterday. They are hiking the pct, two parents and two kids, 10 and 13.  They have done the whole trail, they are so inspiring and amazing, we love them. 

It's seems like we just had time off for Tim's wedding but I remember that is when I got these shoes, new.