Too Short

So I’ve finished up a few days ago, laying around in Seattle waiting for my flight as I write this.  Still haven’t processed it all.  A discerning reader would note I had a series of section recap blogs going on.  Thought about making the Washington recap part of the finale blog but I decided to give Washington its own send-off.

The Washington section felt really short, and in reality it was only about 2 weeks.  Having to skip half the state due to fire closures was part of it, but despite that, Washington was a great section deserving its own recap.  From Mt. Adams to Goat Rocks to Chinook Pass to the Northern Terminus, I’ve enjoyed Washington despite the miserable rain.

Flora & Fauna

Washington had a plethora of mushrooms, lichen, and mosses.  The micro scenes here are stellar.  Toward the end the larches, a specific conifer, were turning a beautiful shade of yellow for the fall.  I didn’t know conifers could do that.  The meadows of red and yellow bushes are always a welcome sight.

Other than the plants, I loved hearing the pikas play among the rock fields.  Or the elk bugles in the distance, though I did have magical sightings as well.  Or mountain goats grazing in fields below me.  No bears, but I swear I heard a large cat getting scared off.  Fewer insects, fewer birds than other sections, but that’s probably the time of year.

A Legit Path

Washington was the most well-groomed trail so far.  The treadway, or the trail’s surface, wasn’t the best; many dips that could/did fill with water.  But the amount of brush was greatly diminished compared to the previous 2,000 miles.  Blowdowns weren’t bad, minus the last 2 miles.  Goat Rocks’ knife-edge ridge walking was super fun, though legit sketchy with the rockslide on Old Snowy.

Sweeping views were common across the state, with lush green tunnels amongst towering giants and falling lichens.  Many crystal ponds, valley vistas, and mesmerizing mushrooms.

Mountain Passes

Towns were rare and small.  Remote Trout Lake, White Pass’ gas station, single-street Snoqualmie, and hippie Mazama.  I heard the other towns I skipped were highlights, but I can’t exactly speak to them.  The towns were more quick stops than places to be, minus Mazama.  They just didn’t have much to offer other than room and board.

The Last NoBos

After not making forward progress for a week due to a cold, I fell into what felt like the last of the NoBos.  That’s probably not true, yet it’s how it felt.  It’s the “Hey, why are you still here?” that everyone asks.  Surprisingly, quite a few familiar faces are still around me, and honestly mostly people I wanted to be around.

It’s the hikers who are doing the math to take the most time possible whilst still finishing in comfortable weather.  That’s the crowd I’m surrounded by.  It shows in the conversations: little talk of miles or stats, more talk of the scenic trail miles, of unexpected encounters, and of home.  Everyone is eager to finish, but also wants to enjoy the experience as much as possible right up to the end.

Snowballs

Weather in Washington was largely what I expected.  Rainy.  I was either in rain, waiting out the rain, or rushing to get to town before the rain.  On the AT, rain wasn’t so much an issue, but here it’s been freezing cold lately, a legit safety concern—being cold and wet.  Also I can’t describe the misery of being completely soaked and knowing you will not be dry for days.

It actually snowed on me toward the end.  The valleys are a fine temp but the mountains are frigidly cold.  Though the scene was mesmerizing, I was cold.  Woke up my last day to everything covered in frost.  Tried shaking the frost off my tent, but a snowball formed inside instead.

Highlights & Lowlights

Lowlight was walking 2 days in endless rain, with all but the inside of my quilt wet.  Another was the 30-mile spirit tunnel at the end, but I’ll get to that in a finale blog.  Or Sheep Lake with demonic screaming children running amok.

Highlight was Goat Rocks and other spectacular vistas.  Washington gives the Sierra a run for its money in terms of quality vistas.  Seeing prominent peaks off in the distance, such as Rainier or Adams, gave a sense of scale and grandeur similar to Mt. Shasta, but there are steep valleys for eye candy as well.

Welp, I’ll be writing about my finale immediately after this, and then flying home, I guess.  I’ve enjoyed this journey, though I do plan to come back and clean up the Washington miles I skipped someday.