On 9/26, Kyle and I were joined on the Eagle Creek trail by none other than fellow hikers, Keith and Deb (Kyle’s parents)! These happy hikers were visiting from Green Bay, Wisconsin and treated us to an Airbnb for 2 days of rest. We did some relaxing hikes, went back to Timberline Lodge and caught up with some other family in the area!
Kyle and I then took a 7.5-hour bus ride back to Northern California to fill in a section of the trail we missed due to smoke from the Park Fire. We walked south-bound, to switch things up, from Mount Shasta to Burney Falls Campground. We completed the 81.6 miles section of trail in just 3 days! Northern California made us work for it! We had some bushwhacking through overgrown sections of trail, three 10+ miles uphill climbs and saw our biggest rattlesnake on trail! We caught another bus back to Portland, and Kyle’s relatives Lisa and Gary put us up for the night before driving us back to Cascade Locks!
To enter into Washington, hikers walk across the Columbia Gorge on the suspension Bridge, “The Bridge of the Gods”. This was a monumental moment for Kyle and I! Long have we been anticipating entering our last state of Washington.
Due to the Williams Mine Fire, hikers have to detour around a section of the PCT, miles 2232.1 to 2254.3, with a 30-mile road walk. This made this section one of our LONGEST food carries with 7-days of food on our backs! To make this section a bit more challenging, we hike through both the lowest point on the PCT (99-feet at the Bridge of the Gods) up to the second highest point point in Washington, 7,095-feet on Packwood Glacier).
Between these two extremes, we saw a wide variety of environments. We hiked through the lush, damp Columbia River forest, with 5-inch-long slugs, lush mosses, prickly vines and prehistoric appearing ferns, recent lava flow. We navigated a lake-speckled, glaciated lava plateau and climbed to a subalpine forest. Unfortunately, we had to veer off the PCT to the reroute road walk before getting to Mount Adams, a periodically active volcano.
Goat Rock Wilderness greatly exceeded my expectations, and I recommend all who are capable, to check out this section of the PCT. The route took us up on exposed ridges high above glaciated canyons and snow fields - which remain even into the summer. Kyle and I followed the original PCT alternative up Old Snowy Mountain (7,630-feet), for a full panoramic view of Goat Rock Country. We then followed the spine of the mountain down a winding, steep and rocky trail back into the subalpine forest. The views were spectacular, even with the smoke from the Williams Fire. Walking on the Knives Edge, was slightly nerve racking with loose scree and rocks.
The last morning, before heading into White Pass, we came over a ridge and were blown-away by the Monarch of the Cascade Range, Mount Rainer (14,410-feet).
Next stop, Snoqualmie Pass!
