Snoqualmie to White Pass: Friends and Elks (elk?)

Let's start this blog post out with the low point of the last six days. I accidentally stepped on a baby frog who was crossing the trail. I think it died. This put me in a funk for approximately 24 hours. Something about slow-motion roadkill is particularly traumatic. Especially for this vegetarian. Fortunately, Justin had stashed a bag of my favorite Trader Joe's mango passion fruit gummies for just such a moment. Eating 700 calories worth of them, in one sitting, eased the pain a bit.

We just finished a 99 mile section, from Snoqualmie Pass to White Pass. It's our first stop in Washington that doesn't start with the letter S! It's also our last official resupply stop. We are doing 148 miles from here to Cascade Locks (the WA-OR border), and then we are ... done! It's kind of hard to wrap my head around. The trail has been my "home" for almost 4 months now. There will be nice things about returning to civilization: sleeping in a bed, getting water whenever I want (and not having to filter it!), and being able to talk with friends and family at the click of a button. But there will be hard things too. I will miss the inevitable moment every day (every hour!) where I gasp at how beautiful something is. I will miss the simplicity of having everything I need on my back. I will miss drinking hot chocolate and watching the stars come out. And I will miss the deeply-held belief that around every corner, there is a bear just waiting to say hello (I've walked 1200 miles through prime bear country and so far seen not a single bear). It's going to be a transition, to say the least.

This section was beautiful. The trail has been significantly easier since we left Snoqualmie - flatter and less rocky. And we've had unbelievable views of Mt Rainier for days! While the trees are all evergreens, many of the smaller bushes and shrubs are turning red and yellow, making it really feel like fall. Also making it feel like fall: the temperatures by night. It has been so, so cold!! We talked to some guys with a thermometer, who said it was in the 20s in the valleys, so had probably been in the teens up in the mountains where we were! I've been sleeping in every layer I own, including my down jacket. Brrrr. But the days have been sunny and perfect. Giveth and taketh away.

Another highlight of this section has been seeing so many friends! Over the last 3-4 days, we've crossed paths (literally, haha) with so many of the folks with whom we hiked north through California. We were especially excited to see Half Step, SloMo, Two Feathers, Pippin, Hobo, and Milkshake. Hopefully we will see Snake Charmer in the next day or so! We were glad to give Half Step the intel on the Stehekin Bakery, as he has been craving cinnamon rolls for the whole trail. It's going to be a dream come true for him. Two Feathers continues to be a fount of positivity - as she has been, since we first met her on the windiest night in the desert! And we were so glad to see SloMo closing in on the finish! He is doing the trail in honor of his adult son, who passed away while on a cross country bike trip. Our mileage has been low the last few days, as we've been having so much fun talking with everyone!

The other big thing of note for this section is that it is elk hunting season, so the trail is currently a mix of thru hikers (distinguishable by their beards and dirty clothes) and bow hunters (distinguishable by the massive bows they carry around). Justin and I had lunch with a big group of them one day - and let me tell you, they did not modify their word choice or topic range, despite there being a lady present. Fortunately, I've got brothers, so I wasn't entirely horrified. Shortly thereafter, we saw a big male elk on the trail. We warned him to stay hidden in the woods! Maybe that warning evens out for the baby frog in a karmic sense.

A final note: I listened to a "Dirtbag Diaries" podcast called "Moms have it the hardest." It was a really sweet conversation between a professional climber and his mom. The son really understood how dangerous his lifestyle was and how hard that was for his mom. So on that note: thank you, mom!! You've almost made it!! Eight more SPOT check-ins and you're done!!

Captions:
1. Huge mushroom!
2. As I said, I sleep in all my layers. The rice crispy treats were a nightly ritual/treat in this section. Thank you, Emily!!
3 & 4. But the days were beautiful.
5. Trail magic! Cooler with beers right on the trail.
6. Slo Mo!
7. Two Feathers! (She's also a RN who helped me cure "The Blister" back in the desert. Thank you, Two Feathers!!)
8. Half Step. Very first person we met on the trail, back on June 5.
9. The scene in the tent: my pillow (the north face stuff sack) and bedside table (the ziplock with my kindle and maps).
10. It may sound all awesome and wilderness-y. But the reality is that sometimes we are just camping in a parking lot.
11-13. Beautiful views, especially of Rainier!!