After walking 2350 miles in 155 days, my time on the PCT for this year has come to an end. With multiple fires near the trail and border in the North Cascades and in Manning Park in BC, I had to get off trail 60 miles before the terminus at Rainy Pass. The day we heard the news that the trail was closed to the border was a tough day, and it took us all some time to process this new information. After running from the McKinney fire during our last night in California, not being able to finish WA due to fire was a crushing blow.
This trail is too long for the trip to be solely about the destination though. The past 5 months have been so rich with beautiful landscapes, great new friends, and kind locals, that seeing Monument 78 is really the cherry on top of the milkshake. I’m in Vancouver right now, spending some time with two of those new friends, resting and being a tourist in the city. This transition period has been helpful, talking about the trail and reminiscing as we slowly reintegrate into modern life.
The hiking in this last stretch has been some of the most challenging in WA. There have been lots of blow downs, including a small section of trail that was littered when an avalanche went through. There was brush that has eroded the trail and makes it hard to keep moving uphill. We forded a sketchy water crossing across a glacially fed stream, and fire smoke filled our lungs for a day.
To make up for it, there were some fantastic views and lots of box toilets along the trail. The light streaming through clouds was cool to see, and we swam in some refreshing alpine lakes. Our campsite at the Harlequin campground on the penultimate night was one of the best sites on trail. We were on the shores of the Stehekin River, with Kokanee salmon spawning in the river, and trout jumping all night. The campsite was soft and flat, and it seemed like we were the only ones there compared to the dozens of tents at the campsite in town. We packed out some food from the bakery and I enjoyed some blackberry pie for desert and a cinnamon bun for breakfast in the morning.
Checking out the photos below for some highlights! This will likely not be the last post from me, but it will be the last ‘real-time’ post. Thanks for reading along and sharing the journey with me – I’m looking forward to seeing all of you back home in person when I return.
