Incomplete snow hunt in goat desert rocks

This morning my alarm shot around 3 in the morning and began to pack. I wasn’t playing today and certainly didn’t sleep again. The land in recent days has slowed me at least a little. So this morning I wanted an early start. Today I will be making my way through the Goat Rock desert and climbing and on the edge of the knives. I guess it doesn’t hurt to have some extra time.

Right after 4 in the morning, I was packed and walking in the dark. I felt very proud of myself to really do it. Especially after having a particularly big day yesterday and the day before. I walked in the dark for about an hour and a half until the sun came out. And when I finally did, I had the opportunity to see what I was walking. I had been following along the narrow crest, which was open to my left. Now that I could see, I realized that there was a huge mountain covered with snow to my left. With the sun rising, the views were spectacular.

This had to have been one of my favorite mornings throughout the entire path.

I felt very good to make miles before most people had woken up. Even after a few hours of walking, I was still going through people installed in the camp at night. They still had to wake up and start the day. The first 7 miles of the day spent going up Ciphus Pass. Which was quite gradual for the most part. Then, once I went up, I went through the pass and wrapped on the crest on the other side.

The sun began to rise after walking for more than one or two hours.

I remembered this next section with love. It would continue along the narrow crest, eventually passing some camp places. The path would pass through some waterfalls and continue to climb while heading towards the edge of the knife. However, it would be another hour or so until I got there. After arriving at Ciphus passing, the path was leveled for a while. Then slowly I began to climb once again. He was curious to see how much snow would be ahead. I definitely remember crossing some incomplete snow patches before the edge of the knives.

Going up the Ciphus pass this morning.

Heading towards the edge of the knives.

I hadn’t even noticed until recently it was almost 3 years to date since I was last. I finished Washington on the PCT towards the end of August in 2022. Returning north through this section before finally jumping and completing Oregon in northern California to the south. Then he goes south to the border in the field. Now only three years later I came back, this year doing much more.

After climbing Cifus, the path continued along this crest, passing under multiple water falls.

This time there was definitely a little less snow. It is at the beginning of the year that in 2022, but it seems that it was a lighter snow year in northern Washington. I managed to get to the top of the climb before seeing the snow for the first time. Then I arrived at the crossing for the PCT and Old Snowy, an alternative route, which continues to the top of the nearby mountain. The PCT continued along the mountain side before reaching the edge of the knife.

This plant looked like Lorax!

I saw my first big snow patch that would have to navigate. Of course I don’t have my spikes and, of course, snow was very steep. It wasn’t too lazy or ice cream to make me fall. But if I had fallen, it would have been treacherous. The snow was inclined at a very steep angle, and I would have fallen almost indefinitely. So I got very slowly through snow. That was particularly long. I had to have followed a few hundred yards. When I went out to the middle, I did everything in my possession to avoid looking down to my left. I didn’t need to increase my heart rate and get nervous.

The path was just because of this incredible waterfall.

Once I arrived on the other side, I returned to Dirt Trail. The path was very narrow and mainly composed of rock and loose sand. If I had not been careful, it could have slipped and fallen, even in real dirt. And if you had fallen, it would have been very bad. When I went to the next snow, he crossed a hiker to the south happened to me. He recognized me outside the Internet and was surprised to see me there. We talked for a couple of minutes and took a photo together. Apparently I was planning to do the path of the Apalaches this year, but I did not feel it was in good shape. But he was here enjoying a sectional along the rock rocks, which is so beautiful.

The best part of the Goat Rocks desert in my opinion is this section. Where you can see Mount Adams and Mount Hood simultaneously.

Just after crossing the roads with them, I had to cross the next snow field. Which would definitely have been more pleasant in southern direction. I was inclined at a descending angle that went north. So basically I had to take a step in every ice feed. The angle of the slope was much more steep, and the possibility of falling was much greater. I was very slow because I knew the impulse would take me if I had slipped.

Absolutely impressive views.

The first long snow goes through that I had to do. He was wildly steep.

I certainly did not love that section of snow, but transmitted without problems. And that was the last snow I saw for the day. It is very likely that the last snow that I will see on the PCT. After that, it was not long before he began to navigate on the side of the knives. A narrow column that rides along a crest, weaving up and down on its back. With incredible views of the snow -covered mountains around them. This was undoubtedly one of my favorite sections of the PCT. And something I have been waiting for all year.

While walking on the edge of the knife, the views improve more and more.

The knife edge has a surprising amount of elevation gain. You end up going up and down on small hills. This continues for a couple of miles before reaching the end and finally descending back to a valley.

This is my favorite view along the edge of the knife. When this great mountain looks out.

At this time of the day, it was not even 10 in the morning and that was already about 14 miles. What meant that I really had 16 more miles for the day! That sounds like much, but yesterday the previous day or when I have gone 14 miles I still had 26 miles for the day. When it rethinks it like this, the amount that I have left today does not really sound so bad.

The edge of the knife!

After completing the edge of the incredible knife, I fell towards the valley. I was lined with lush, bright wild flowers. And they had snow that melted in streams through it. I felt good and I had no need to stop, so I kept moving. I hope to enter White Pass as soon as possible today. That way, I can at least create the illusion of rest and relaxation after averaging 37 miles during the last four days.

Incredible wild flowers while I fell into the valley after crossing the edge of the knife.

After going down to the valley, I continued on the path. The views were beautiful and the land was much easier than it had been before day. I was more or less in the middle of the day and kept it in motion. The path was so beautiful and simply aligned with wild flowers. I had much more elevation gain for the day. But I remembered that one of my favorite sections of the path was coming.

Mount Hood, I think!

Today you definitely have some of my favorite walks on the PCT and all Washington. I continued and had a great time. Then, when I approached White Pass, I had a final climb. And just before reaching the top of the climb, it surrounds a corner and get unreal views of Rainier in the distance. Although I was eager to get to the city, I could not resist briefly to enjoy the view. In 2022 I sat here with my friend Juicy, whom I was walking. He brought such good memories to return to this same exact place once again.

A crystalline blue lake under the path.

From there he had approximately half a mile uphill. Then, in general, everything was flat and downstairs for the rest of the day. In addition, as I approached White Pass, I finally received service. While descending to the road, I called my mother and we updated by phone for a while. That was really pleasant and definitely helped to spend the last hour quickly. Once you leave the road, you have to walk a little less half a mile along the way to get to White Pass. I put my thumb just in case, but I ended up walking all the way.

It was just before 4 pm when I arrived at Barrel Kracker White Pass. This place is more or less a service station that also offers showers, laundry, campaign stores and cargo for hikers. Aka, has everything you may need. But what I did not know in 2022 was that they rent rooms in the building next door. For most hikers, it is a bit practical and a bit expensive taking into account the lack of nearby restaurants and other comforts. But for someone who does what I am doing, to be able to spend the night in the city, recharge my devices and relax in a bed, it is literally invaluable. This year I feel that sometimes I am too much in the city. But in general, I am in the city after making a great day of mile. And it only makes much more sense to spend the night in the city to passively recharge devices and not waste time. That is just what worked very well.

MY KRACKER BARRIL TREASURES.

In the general store, I had drinks and a lot of other treats. Then I walked to the side to register in a room to spend the night. The good thing is that the rooms here basically have Kitchenette. The space was a small study with a bed, television, sofa and kitchen. They recorded me and then I dropped and returned to the store. Then I got food and other things for dinner and breakfast tomorrow.

I am thinking that I am going to hang out until the store opens at 8 in the morning to have breakfast before walking too. In the store, I met some hikers that I had not seen since the Trail Desert section. It was really great to hang out and connect with some people. But I also glad to be able to go to the side and lock myself to rest and do some work. That is another reason that I find that I am in the city more frequently than other hikers. It would be one thing to do the triple crown of the calendar year. That is incredibly exhausting and requires a lot of time and energy. But doing the triple crown of the calendar year, and also making as many social networks as I am, is incredibly exhausting. It is a need to stay in the city more frequently than other hikers simply because I have a lot of work to do.

I spent the rest of the night resting and eating. I shower and also washed the socks and underwear in the sink and hung them to dry. Then, I only broke a different online work for the rest of the night. He felt great to do things and, of course, I was awake a little later than I should probably have done it. But tomorrow I sleep at least a little. The store does not open until 8 in the morning, so I will not feel super hurry. However, I hope to get about 35 miles in tomorrow, regardless of when I start.

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