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Sunday, July 20, 2014

Washington doesn't make sense

Day 26 7/8
Mileage 16
Camped at Anderson Lake

Today started easily, like the days preceding it. We had 11 blissfully snowless miles from Big Crow Basin to Chinook Pass. North-facing sides, east-facing sides, all totally clear. We saw a marmot, too! The great conditions north of Chinook pass made the ridiculous piles of snow on the south side make even less sense. Maybe there's a rain shadow from Rainier? Mostly, we think it's because Washington just doesn't make sense. It was also in the 80s and very humid. We were all perplexed. We caught our first glimpses of Mt. Adams to the south, rising huge above everything around it. We ended up going slightly farther than we had planned, because of the light snow north of the pass. Now, we only need to make 12 miles a day for the next two days to arrive in White Pass on schedule. We made a new rule for talking about food on this trip. We're only aloud to fantasize about real food right before we eat. This way, food isn't the only thing we talk about, and we're starving when it's time to eat. I feel a bit nervous about the upcoming section between White Pass and Cascade Locks. Goat Rocks wilderness promises to be snow covered, with sharp rocks and a "Treacherous Knife Edge", according to our map. I'm hoping its extreme exposure, combined with super hot weather in the next few days, will make for some easier going. It's our longest leg yet, the second longest of the hike, and probably the most difficult. The pressure to make miles will be stronger than ever, but I think it will be quite doable.

Think you're out of the snow? Think again, fool. 

1 comment:

  1. On the edge of our seats, waiting to hear about how the Knife's Edge Traverse went.

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