Day 131-132 – Magic everywhere

Day 131

Last night we found great tent sites away from at least a dozen other campsites at Sheep Lake. We arrived a little later than planned due to the fantastic magic of Mister Ed’s trail at Chinook Pass. This section has had some fantastic trail magic and the views are incredible.

I wake up a little later every morning as the sun also rises a little later. We hit the road at 6:45 and are now hiking through the beautiful Washington prairies. I’ve walked this section before; It’s what put me over the edge in wanting to hike the entire PCT. I’m a home run, but I love hiking in Washington and I think it’s awesome.

From our next water source, it is approximately 13 1/2 miles to the Urich cabin. I’ve camped there before on my previous section of the hike, but rumor is that there’s some magic on the trail today, so we’ll try to get there while there’s still some left. When we arrive it will be late in the afternoon, so we’ll see what happens. I’m not sure if we’ll camp there or go another mile or two, but it’s too early to think that far ahead.

After rain two days ago and some drizzle yesterday, today there are blue skies and warm weather. I’m hoping the weather will be clear for the next couple of weeks so we can have a nice dry finish at the border. Whatever happens, I’m prepared for it.

Day 132

The magic of the trail at the Urich cabin did not disappoint. We stayed there for over an hour and ended up camping at the end of a dirt road just a few miles away with a beautiful view of Mount Rainier. I remember taking a break at this exact spot two years ago when I hiked this section and I’m glad I had the opportunity to camp here this time. LP camped just at the end of the trail at a campsite right next to the trail. We were both disappointed to see some toilet paper lying on the ground nearby. Hikers must do better.

I’m two full days away from Snoqualmie Pass and last night I realized I was missing one dinner. I think I have enough snacks to get me there, so I’m not too worried, just a miscalculation on my part. I’ll have to make sure I do better on future stops.

Other than that, I’m still hiking the trail I hiked two years ago as a section hike. As much as I loved it the first time, it’s even more amazing the second time. The trail is well maintained and the miles are covered quite easily.

I’m having a great time and I’m still nervous and excited about the rapidly approaching Canadian border.

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