Days 123-130: Cascade Locks (Mi. 2144.6) to Cispus Pass (Mi. 2267.1)
Hello hi hey what's up!!
Y'all- Washington has been INSANELY beautiful. I can't wait to share all the things I've been learning, experiencing, and seeing. We've already dealt with some wicked fires, classic PNW rains, and the joys of Washington's elevation profile.
The miles are winding down, and we're all getting sentimental. This is going to be a tough end.
Days 123 and 124: Zeros in Portland
Hooray for a well-earned weekend off!! In case you missed the last post, The Naked Suncups (that's my trail fam) busted our tails through NorCal and Oregon to arrive at Bridge of the Gods (Washington border) just in time to meet loved ones that came in for the weekend. Talk about giddy, because that means an entire weekend spent with my dad! And my dad's the best!
We spend Friday night at the famous Timberline Lodge I was at on Wednesday (yeah, I ate that breakfast buffet TWICE 💕), and skipped to Portland Saturday morning.
You may imagine my dad and running around Portland, eating at cool restaurants, visiting breweries, and immersing ourselves in cool, hip things.
NOPE. Highlights included the grocery store, preparing resupply boxes for all of Washington, eating at Chipotle, and just hanging out as a killer duo. This time was the best thing I needed before heading out into our final state. Love you, pop! 👍 Day 125: Bridge of the Gods (mi. 2144.6) to Mi. 2157.4
To catch his flight, my dad dropped me off in Cascade Locks pretty early. I hung around town for a while, grabbed some coffee, sent out resupply boxes, and waited on my crew to trickle into town.
It is SO weird having all of Washington's resupplies in the books. It's a huge relief, but also a little sad to know we don't have any grocery store scrambles in the future 😪.
After meeting up and grabbing breakfast as a fam, we recrossed Bridge of the Gods and began a gnarly climb to the top of the gorge. Welcome to Washington- the land of a crazy amount of elevation change.
Also, humidity. We're in a heat advisory and DANG I didn't know Washington could be so warm. 🤦🏼♂️ Day 126: Mi. 2157.4 to Mi. 2184.6
This stretch I packed out green bell peppers, some apples, and a bag of carrots. What an excellent decision. I guess I'm getting the hang of resupplying? Bout time. Day 127: Mi. 2184.6 to mi. 2211.4
Long, pretty boring day through a canopy of trees. However, there was a beauuutiful ending of the day with the Sawtooth Mountain trail, which parallels the PCT with views of all the surrounding volcanoes. What's up, Hood, Adams, Helens, and Rainier?! PSA: The new King's Kaleidoscope album is incredible. Wow. Day 128: Mi. 2211.4 to Timberline Trail Junction (Mt. Adams Base)
Spontaneity! You know those last minute decisions you just *know* is that right call? I feel like I do this a lot as an artist. Change some type here, adjust some copy there, etc etc. Welp, definitely did that today.
Tonight I find myself at the base of Mt. Adams, a pretty rad volcano in the area. A quick, last-minute decision to run to Trout Lake for more snacks allowed a few us of us to take a day to summit the nearby volcano. We'll get started at 3am tomorrow, and I'm giddy with excitement (and a little afraid I'll fall deeply in love with these volcanos). Day 129: Timberline Trail Junction (Mt. Adams Base) to Lewis River (Mi. 2239.2)
Eyo!!!! Adams was BLAST. The six mile, 6,000' climb to the summit took about five hours. Wasabi, Unger, and I climbed together and MAN was it worth it. The long pull up the glaciated slope reminded me painfully of the Sierra, and the rock scramble after Crescent Glacier felt a little like our Mt. Whitney climb.
There are no words that do justice to high mountain climbs. The exhaustion, in conjunction with absolute wonder and amazement, makes for a pretty fun feeling at the top. I really want everyone to climb one of these volcanoes up here- they're just so special, with 360° vistas. Mmmmm. Day 130: Lewis River (Mi. 2239.2) to Cispus Pass-ish (Mi. 2267.1)
Wellllll I stopped two miles short of my goal for today, but I'm getting to bed before sunset... so that's good! Basically Adams WORE me out yesterday. I even woke up sore today, something that hasn't happened in a good while. Tough!
Y'all I'm allllllmost out of the long green tunnel of the PNW. Since the California/Oregon border, vistas have been minimal and the trees have been our home. Not complaining- in the desert I would do anything for a bit of tree cover.... but man, I just love seeing what's around me. And I *think* tomorrow will be the beginning of a few passes, a lot more vistas, and the majestic beauty of the Cascades. I can't wait!!
I was super sleepy today, so I didn't really soak in much. However, two cool things happened! We're officially less than 400 miles to Canada (what), and I ran into some new friends that sorta knew me! David, Daniel, and Luke are southbound section hikers and were keeping an eye out for me. Daniel hails from Northwest Arkansas (eyo!) and knew me because of my blog! His girlfriend is apparently BFFs with my neighbor growing up, and through the wonderful world of social and digital media, was able to recognize me on trail. So cool.
Anyways, those guys were great to run into, reminded me of home, and the value life on trail can bring. Also, sorry for being so sleepy, fellas. I had just woken up from a nap. 🥇
Before rolling into camp, I listened to an episode of the Liturgists on ableism. If you have the time, check it out. Bottom line: We are so, so valuable. No matter age, skill set, sensory abilities, or chromosome count. Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts!
Over n out.
🥜