As the Lion of Mazama called it, the “polar vortex” is hitting this region on the day we are supposed to leave. With this in mind, we booked a cabin in Mazama as a bit of insurance.
After getting off the last bus we started walking towards the cabin. The person at the rental agency said it was 1 mile up the road. Google says it’s closer to 2. The rain was starting, but not hard.
As bigger cars passed by, I stuck out my thumb and got a lot of nice waves. We were halfway to the cabin when Sharyn stopped and offered a ride. She thought we knew where we were going. Luckily our cabin was right across the street from hers.
Explosion of suitcases, dinner and off to bed. It’s surprising how exhausting a day of travel can be.
After a leisurely breakfast and lots of coffee, we headed to the Lion’s Den. We were interested in talking to hikers who had attempted to reach the border and getting information about transportation to Harts Pass.
The Methow Valley is beautiful. The construction is of very good taste and does not detract from the mountains. It is also very expensive. If you stay here, bring plenty of food or be prepared to take the bus to Winthrop.
Between the two hikers we met on the bus yesterday and those who gathered at the Lion’s Den, we heard a lot of good stories. In one of the passes there is still little snow and the falls are bad. All but one of the hikers had reached the border. The one who didn’t start two weeks ago and who is going to try again soon.
I loved being in the company of hikers again. Great stories, relaxed, all the same.
We met up with Sharyn again in the evening and spent some time sharing life stories. He is 80 years old and spends a month here every winter practicing cross-country skiing. He spent most of his life in Alaska and it is obvious that he misses that wilderness. He told stories of taking his young children on hikes where they had real bears.
Yesterday afternoon, Sharyn told us about a great hike nearby. We left quite early this morning to find the trail and walk to a swing bridge. All ski slopes become hiking and mountain biking trails when the snow melts. The short drive through the pine forest was beautiful.
While I was on the walk, I received a text from our vet about an appointment today for our dog. We hadn’t scheduled anything so I was a little confused and called them. I appreciate that our house sitters didn’t want to be a burden on us and as far as they knew, we were on the road without any cell service. I’m still sad for our dog.
We returned to the Lion’s Den late in the morning. All but three of the people we spoke to yesterday had headed to Harts Pass this morning. We still enjoy the smaller crowd. As we were leaving four more hikers appeared, we waved to each other as we headed out to the bakery.
The salty baguette is good. Better than good. We had baguette slices covered with peanut butter and honey for lunch. I’m sure we would have done the same if we had gone to France. Good times.
We are approximately 99% confident that we will leave in two days. Tomorrow we will move to the Lion’s Den to be ready for the next morning’s transport. We wash our clothes in the sink, good practice for later on the trail, and we sit naked waiting for our clothes to dry. Maybe not completely naked, I have my waterproof jacket on.
Big load of clothes.
We get up early. The last night sleeping in a bed for a while was a pleasure. A cool breeze came through the window most of the night. I’m looking forward to all the nice breezes and fresh air we’ll have over the next few months.
The Lion’s Den was filling up when we got there at 8. There were 3 hikers returning from the border and several others leaving tomorrow. We put our names on the shipping list, set up our tent, and started making new friends.
The bus system in the area is very convenient. We took the 10am bus to Thriftway and were able to get enough food to make breakfast for tomorrow long before the 11:15 bus showed up to take us back to Mazama.
Meriwether didn’t tell me my hat was crooked.
Back to waiting. And enjoy the company of all the hikers who hang out at the Lion’s Den. Eat too. We have plenty of food to consume before tomorrow morning.
I’m looking forward to hitting the trail tomorrow. Hopefully you’re looking forward to some tour posts.
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