8/25 – Day 128
2.2 miles from Clear Creek Trailhead to Deer Lake
In the morning in Packwood, WA, we made staggered trips to resupply at Blanton Market next door and ate breakfast at Cruiser’s Pizza. Check out was at 11:00am, but we did not start the hitchhiking attempt back to White Pass until closer to 1:00pm.
Back at the Kracker Barrel, I finally met my good friend Doc (Tim to some, Skiddy to others). We have hiked hundreds of miles together and no doubt influenced one another’s obsession with backpacking. It was amazing to be see each other 2,300 miles into this wild adventure.
The back patio of the gas station was a hangout area absolutely packed with hikers. In addition to Doc, we met Deep End and reunited with Janick (now Beach Boy). The gas station sold $11.99 six packs of Rainier’s and the vortex began.
Thru-hikers are crazy, all of them. You have to be a little bit crazy to be doing this. The crowd was high energy. Twice someone rolled up with a bag of locally grown apples or cooler of beer. Spout braided the hair of like five people. Payload announced a party two miles up the trail at Deer Lake, which we did not end up pursuing until 6:00pm.
The hike out was uphill (of course), but we found our way to the lake easily enough. As advertised, there were dozens of hikers, the bravest of whom were already swimming. Both Spout and I jumped in, then hung around the scene until hiker midnight.
8/26 – Day 129
23.6 miles from Deer Lake to Big Dewey Lake
The majority of hikers were cleared out by the time I woke up. Hitting the trail at 8:00am, Spout and I mostly hiked with Doc, catching up on all of the shenanigans that unfolded during our hikes up to this point. We took breaks with 100 Grand, Snake Eyes, Ass Cactus, Jukebox, and Stag.
The trail was unusually forgiving, guiding us downhill through the woods past several lost lakes and ponds. We crossed the park boundary for Mt. Rainier National Park, then played peek-a-boo with the volcano at an incredible viewpoint.
It was a cloudy, nearly overcast day. WatchDuty alerted us about the 50 acre Wildcat Fire burning just five miles off the trail, but we determined it should not cause a problem for us. Instead, we just enjoyed a fairly easy day of hiking with Doc’s fresh stories to distract us further.
At length, we pulled up to Big Dewey Lake. After some time on the beach snacking on PB&J’s, our group migrated to a nearby campsite. It sprinkled for ten minutes, then quit.
To cap off the night, we played a ridiculously heated round of Pass the Pigs. 100 Grand scored 96 points, then rolled 3 siders in a row to hit 99 (just 1 away from winning) before rolling a Pig Out and resetting to 0, choking away the victory to the dark horse, Ass Cactus. Everyone was screaming.
Possibly drawn to the noise, two day hikers wandered up to our camp. They were lost and desperately needed directions. It was nearly dark by the time they started their 3 mile walk back to the road and they were clearly panicking. Stag put on his cape, tore down his tent, and left to catch up and guide them to the trailhead.
There goes my hero, watch him as he goes
8/27 – Day 130
26.6 miles from Big Dewey Lake to Mike Urich Cabin
A happy ending: Stag caught up to the lost women and they made it back to their car safely. The rest of us hustled to the parking lot at Chinook Pass. When we arrived we found Mister Ed providing trail magic. He was a true character who served up multiple courses of pudding, then raw vegetables, and finally potato salad. He also played an original recording of his song, “Thank God for the Hiker Box”.
A FarOut comment teased yet another hiker feed at a cabin 26 miles away. It was a bit further than we needed to travel, but the possibility of meatball hoagies had us crushing miles by 10:00am.
A climb up Crystal Mountain took us into the Norse Peak Wilderness, with outstanding views of the surrounding valley. Washington has been exceptionally beautiful so far.
We heard the adorable “meep” of pikas, demanding respect for their home among the rocks. Their chirps function as an alarm system, but to us giants, they might just be the cutest sound in all of nature.
The weather was cool and moody, which played to our advantage through a short burn section. We re-entered the woods and cruised to the Mike Urich Cabin by 7:00pm. As promised, Greg’s 10th annual trail magic was underway. We ate hotdogs for dinner and realized that we packed entirely too much food for this stretch.
8/28 – Day 131
20.1 miles from Mike Urich Cabin to Bearpaw Butte
I continued a stretch of poor sleep, but woke up late to breakfast burritos at the trail magic. The circle of happy hikers discussed their plans for the day. The debate was whether or not to follow a 20 mile road walk that shaved off a few miles and plenty of elevation. Spout, Doc, and I were in no rush, so we opted for the shaded trail, while the rest of our friends took the road.
There was nothing wrong with taking a road, but I could not help but feel we were at the point in the hike when the miles remaining were quickly dwindling. I realized that there is genuinely nowhere in the world I would rather be. Any discomfort was as temporary as the time I had left out here. Viewing it that way, it was a blessing to sweat up those punishing hills.
The trail was littered with strawberry plants well past their fruiting days. We covered ten miles before heading up the side of Blowout Mountain for lunch (two catholes were dug to prevent the name from becoming a reality).
After an hour or two snacking, we followed the precarious cliff edge down to reconnect with the PCT. This was a hidden gem and one of the coolest side quests we have stumbled upon.
The landscape was dominated by white fir trees. From afar, they appear to have frosted tips, like a forest of Guy Fieri’s hair. The trail descended into the woods over the next several miles. The day concluded with a climb towards Bearpaw Butte and a beautiful campsite.
8/29 – Day 132
21.2 miles from Bearpaw Butte to Olallie Creek
It was an ideal night, temperature wise. The morning promised to be equally nice. It seemed bluebird days were a thing of the past, but I could not ask for more than some cloud coverage and a high in the 70s.
Washington tried its best to intimidate us with more elevation change than we were used to, but the climbs have been short and much more approachable than an average east coast hill. We ran into Otis while filtering water at a trickling stream.
Doc pointed out a massive ant hill near a dirt road crossing. It was about three feet in both height and diameter. Over the next half mile, we passed two more of the ant kingdoms.
As we hiked through the afternoon, the trail grew more rugged. Rocks and roots polluted the pristine duff. I took a spill after placing a little too much trust on a slick rock.
In the midst of the rocks was a hiker tip-toeing along wearing no shoes, no shirt, and a Jansport backpack. He looked awfully uncomfortable. We passed him by and made camp along Olallie Creek, nestled within a blueberry patch. Snapshot, who hiked with Doc throughout NorCal, rolled up later to join us for dinner.
8/30 – Day 133
4.8 miles from Olallie Creek to Snoqualmie Pass (Seattle, AirBnB)
Hiking five miles into town took about two hours. Snapshot, Doc, Spout, and I walked in a disjointed group. We passed a tree with a large cluster of chicken of the woods, and I foraged a small piece to throw on some pizza later. Nothing was particularly impressive about the terrain until we popped out of the woods in front of Snoqualmie Pass.
We hurried into town, stopping first at Laconia Market for coffee. No Rush, Otis, Bear Hug, and NTS were just a few of the other hikers who joined us inside. Once 11:00am rolled around, we migrated to Dru Bru Brewery. It became the exclusive hiker hangout before much longer, with just about everyone in our bubble showing up for a drink.
Hali flew in from Las Vegas and met us at the brewery! She arrived a little after noon (5:00 somewhere), and proceeded to embarrass the hikers in a round of Pass the Pigs.
After some time, the four of us including Doc drove to Seattle for the night. Spout and I had to prepare one final resupply package at Safeway. Doc replaced his short size Thermarest sleeping pad that had busted baffles at REI. We ate dinner at the iconic Dick’s Drive-in. Finally, after eating, we visited Sammamich Lake, a large, residential lake near Bellevue, WA.
That night, we watched Doc’s movie suggestion, Death Race 2000. It was a wholesome family film that left me feeling inspired as I fell asleep. Sylvester Stallone’s magnum opus, to be sure.
Here he comes, Machine Gun Joe! Loved by thousands, hated by millions!
8/31 – Day 134
0 miles in Seattle, WA
Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, which means it is the birthplace of pumpkin spice lattes by extension. Our first stop in the morning was the Starbucks Reserve, an excessively bougie coffee shop that served a “Whiskey Barrel Aged Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew”. One drink cost a whopping $12 but I will admit it was worth every penny.
Caffeinated and confused, we drove through the city in search of somewhere to ship a resupply package on Labor Day weekend. I found a FedEx on the second floor of a Sheraton hotel to drop off the food. With this completed, we made it over to Pike Place Market to meander. We shared an à la carte lunch consisting of a shrimp cocktail and smoked salmon dip from the market and two baguettes from Le Panier.
After another hour or two of exploring the waterfront, we walked over to the Space Needle and bought tickets for a ride to the top.
The view of the city, the Puget Sound, and the many inland lakes was phenomenal. The rotating glass platform on the lower deck was also neat. Some random guy walked up to me and said, “I took some photos”. Cool, dude.
We ate dinner at Half Shell. Summerstone oysters and dungeness crab rolls were my favorites. Throughout the day’s activities, many of us were preoccupied with Fantasy Football drafts. Beer pairs better with football than seafood, so we walked next door to Just the Tap to drink and play pinball.
9/1 – Day 135
20.6 miles from Snoqualmie Pass to Lemah Creek
We had time for a breakfast at Issaquah Cafe before heading back to trail. The burrito was solid and I left feeling stuffed. Then, we made the hour drive back to Snoqualmie Pass. The weekend with Hali was gone in a flash, but we took solace in that we would be back to visit in less than two weeks. It was time for the final push.
Washington has proven it does not mess around when it comes to climbs or scenery. Six, steep miles awaited us at the road, elevating us to the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Though the sky was overcast, the humidity was off the charts and the nonstop ups and downs had us panting like dogs. We took a brief lunch break with Doc at Ridge Lake. The trail then made an epic half circle around Joe Lake.
Wild blueberry bushes abounded on either side of the trail. They were mostly sweet with just a smidge of tartness. I preferred these to the huckleberries, though Spout would disagree.
The trail followed the side of several mountains over loose, rocky terrain. The view at every twist and turn seemed to one up the previous one, surmounting at an epic overlook of Spectacle Lake.
Spout and I stopped for a quick trail dinner by the Delate Creek waterfall. Then, we continued hiking until dark when we snagged a tentsite on the north side of Lemah Creek.
9/2 – Day 136
28.9 miles from Lemah Creek to Dispersed Campsite
I set an alarm for 6:00am. Spout was not a fan. I figured we might as well hoof it to Stevens Pass to catch up with some other hikers. The day began with a sweet little climb up a five mile hill. It was still cool at this point, so it was actually enjoyable.
A lengthy descent provided excellent views of Waptus Lake. Spout and I found ourselves lost in conversation on the downhills, then plugged into our headphones on the uphills. We took lunch on the Waptus River, soaking out feet in the cool water.
The afternoon was miserably hot. Another drawn out mountain awaited us to the north. Drinking water, then refilling, became a chore. I noticed the westward sky was covered in smoke from the latest wildfire. Nothing to see here, the Earth is literally just going up in flames as global temperatures continue to rise.
Sometimes, the smoke makes for surreal scenery. Our walk down the rugged path took us to the impressive, Cathedral Rock. From here, I basically just blacked out for the next seven more miles until we rolled into camp after dark. I think there was a pretty mountain or two at some point.
9/3 – Day 137
21.7 miles from Dispersed Campsite to Stevens Pass (Leavenworth, FairBridge Inn)
We woke at 5:30am and hit the trail about an hour later. The “Red Flag Warning” of the past week continued, meaning the weather conditions were hot, dry, and ripe for wildfires. We climbed the west side of Surprise Mountain over Piper Pass. The descent had outstanding views of the next Cascade volcano, Glacier Peak.
A nondescript trail junction (mile 2,454.7) had a fun FarOut comment trend called the “Dump Truck Challenge”. The following 0.7 miles of trail went over 700′ straight uphill, one of the steepest of the PCT. The challenge was simple: hike to the top as fast as possible. I broke into a half jog, half power hike and pulled off a 12:59. Spout clocked in at 18:47, but confessed she gave up half way and even stopped to pick a huckleberry.
The next ten miles to the road were more difficult than they should have been, factoring in the heat, the steep trail, and my overly exerted lungs. At length, we reached the ski lifts south of Stevens Pass and descended to Highway 2. We covered 21 tough miles, and it was only 3:15pm.
We scored a hitch for the 45 minute drive into Leavenworth, WA. Despite being nestled in the mountains of central Washington, the quirky theme of the town was… Bavaria? All of the buildings were coded to resemble traditional German architecture. We stopped first at Rudloof’s, where we enjoyed a non-authentic pretzel with beer cheese.
Since this was essentially our last opportunity on trail, we booked a room at the Fair Bridge Inn. It turned out to be an extremely good value. All of the usual chores were completed, then we spent some time at the pool with Payload, Beer Run, Captain, Humble, and a slew of other hikers.
What’s Next?
Northern Washington marks the home stretch of the PCT. Only a few hundred miles of trail through the rugged North Cascades.
How’s It Going?
Spout and I agreed that we both feel fantastic at this point in the hike. Whereas I was suffering from foot and knee pain at this point on the AT, my body feels stronger than ever.
The reality of the hike coming to an end was starting to sink in more. It is a major shift when a thru-hike that seems so formidable at the beginning can suddenly be boiled down to a few weeks of hiking. Needless to say, no one who has made it this far is struggling because they do not think they can make it to the end of the trail. However, many hikers are confessing that they have reached their limits and cannot wait to finish. Spout and I are still messed up enough to truly enjoy the majority of days out here.
Food & Resupply
We prepared our second resupply box of the entire PCT while we were in Seattle. The first box was sent to Warner Springs, CA before starting the hike, but we did not actually need it when we arrived so we bumped it to Hikertown, CA, which we also did not need. In 2025 on the PCT, relying on resupply boxes is simply not necessary unless you have special preferences or dietary restrictions.
Our second box was shipped to Stehekin, WA, a remote town that we were worried would not offer enough shopping options for us to resupply.
Gear Changes
- I replaced my tattered Duckworth Vapor sun hoodie with an Evolved Supply Co. Mirage
- I received replacement sliders for our broken ZPacks Duplex zipper, but the repair process was too involved and risked making the problem worse, so we are leaving the tent as is
- I sent home my long pants and underwear and will finish the trail in my Patagonia Multi Trails shorts
- Spout replaced her Enlightened Equipment pillow that was deflating with a Sea to Summit Aeros
Notes
- The Wildcat Fire later caused the PCT to close between White Pass and Chinook Pass, meaning we cleared it by less than a week