Passing through Seattle

I've written lots of notes in my little notebook since my last post here, but of course no time now to transcribe... so just a brief catch-up:

I did take the plunge and continue onto the trail at the Sauk river trailhead, to clearing skies though still soggy ground and underbrush, of course. Took me a day to climb out of the mushroom-sprouting forest to the crest at White Pass, but what an exhilerating contrast with spectacular views especially crossing the crest at red pass, getting first glimpses of Glacier Peak though the to me anonymous lesser peaks were at least equally worthy of gigabytes of repeated snapshots and panoramas from ever-changing perspectives.

The trail did it's usual alternation between river crossings at 3000ft and ridge-passes at 6000+ft, as I passed by the other trailheads that aI would have preferred entering this section from, which, as mentioned in my last post, were closed from slides now several years old. Some, such as the White Chuck trail junction, seemed passable from the PCT end, others, such as the Milk Creek trail that had been my first choice, was obviously completely overgrouwn just a few yards from the junction.  The Suiattle River trail, which from the west end was still closed due to unfinished road construction, but due to open this fall, seemed to be well maintained at the PCT trail junction.  I suspect I could have walked the road past the construction, as someone in Darrington had suggested I could do.

But as it turns out, many of the views of Glacier Peak from the southwest were in that section between the Sauuk river and Suiarrle river trails, and since the weatehr was good for the first few days, it was good that I got to this section during that time.

The weatehr did deteriorate after the firstt few days, so my views of Glacier from the northwest were probably fewer, although I did get some glimpses through occasional breaks in the clouds.  More than half the time the trail went through forest and there would have been few views of distant peaks anyway.  In fact, at some times I found myself grumbling that I had sunny skies while slogging through the creek valleys, unable to take photographic advantage of the clear skies.

Approaching the "High Bridge" junction with the bus going east to Stehekin on Lake Chelan, I had set myself up the night before to catch  the 9am bus, by pushing on a bit past dark to make it to 4 miles south of the stop, setting my alarm for 5am to hopefully be walking by 6am, but it was still deep dark in the deep woods and steady drizzle at that time, and I was a bit sluggish getting myself out of my sleeping bag , packed, dressed for the rain, dripping rain fly packed, etc, and as a result I missed the bus by about 10 minutes.  No big deal though, the nearby campground had a lean-to shelter and I took advantage of having the camp all to myself by hanging things out to "drip" off some of the excess weight of water - no chance things would "dry"...   Did make it on the neen bus along with a few otehr hikers.

In town, recognized a few otehr hikers that had passed me in the last few days.  Had a chance to chat with then over meals. They all seemed to be in ratehr reflective moods, this being towards the end of their through hikes...

There wasn't much productive work I could do there besides do my laundry - no internet, no computers to copy files, very little resupply options - no peanutbutter!!!??? (though the lady did me a speial favor by grtting some from the restaurant next door...  So I ended up taking the next noon bus back to the trail.  The bus was full of hikers, with a smattering of weekenders staying at the "ranch".

It was still raining at midday, though forecast called for clearing, and it did clear toward the end of the day. Made it to the junction of the spur trail to my assigned CG just after dark, and decided to plop right there in a nice camping spot at the junction, ratehr than going down to the actual campground.  Technically a violation, I guess...  Next morning to sunny skies I made the last 7 miles to my bicycle at Rainy Pass, took about two hours to rearrange myself onto the bicycle, and coasted down to the base of ross lake, to a campground who's name escapes me at the moment. Chatted over a fire that night with anotehr "walker" on some slightly different quest - a roadwalk encircling the continental us - he would be heading west into Iowa this winter. I did wish him to stay warm and dry when I left the next morning.

It was a strenuous peday the net day along the mostly level stretch next to the river but with an increasing headwind funneled through that valley. Spent a second night at a campground just short of Concrete.

Made it into Concrete the next morning. I had been asking around for a good place to stash my bike in that town before boarding the busses to Seattle.  The Community Center came highly recommended my the girl at the gas station in Rockport.  That gas station, by the way was going out of business, it was their last day, shelves were empty, pumps out of gas, a big "card" at the counter  with best wishes notes from well wishers, the girl would be out of a job.

At the Community center, the response was no - sherrif's office, was their suggestion.   I did, caught the sherrif as he was leaving, he was agreeable, emptied my bicycle of my baggage, left it there in his office, and promptly caught the bus going west.  Managed to quickly make connections twice into Seattle, stopped at the central library, got a reservation for the Green Turtle Hostel, walked there from the libry, and here I am the next morning.

Now I need to make some arrangements to stay anotehr night or leave.  More later.