Thursday August 20
Start: near Deception Pass
End: Lemah Meadow
Miles: 28.0 miles
Gain/loss: 8238’/9475′
Listened to: book- Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian; podcast- Nice White Parents; America Dissected
After rolling into camp on the later side last night and chatting with my neighbors, I got into bed around 9:15pm. I didn’t sleep well with all the noise from the two tents and a person cowboy camping within 15 feet of my tent. I’d also been unable to find a tree for a bear hang and so had my food in my tent, and rodents kept scratching at my tent all night. This morning, I noticed a few new small holes in my tent’s mosquito netting, so I won’t be doing that again!
I was up at 5:15am, tired from being awake at least every hour. I was packed up and on trail by 6:15am, after looking at Rebecca and Johnathan’s tent and seeing that they were still cozy in their tent.
I cruised along all day, making decent time but feeling a little tired. I passed by a lot of people this morning and then saw almost no one in the afternoon. I got to my first planned overnight site at 3pm but it was up on a ridge and with rain coming tonight and tomorrow, I’d rather be at a more sheltered site. I’m alone at my campsite but there is a section hiker at a site nearby and some NOBO thru-hikers at a third site.
I discovered that today’s peanuts and dessert were infused with the Irish spring soap flavor from my backpacking body wipes, which is not a pleasant soapy taste to get stuck between your teeth. I didn’t finish the peanuts and I just wolfed down the dessert without tasting most of it.
I’m now lying in my tent with a very full belly, ready for a solid night sleep. I should arrive in town at Snoqualmie Pass tomorrow afternoon. Back in Skykomish, I made the mistake of putting in a Booking.com reservation for two days (Sat/Sun nights), assuming it would take me 4 days to do this section, but the terrain has been much easier than the last section and I’ve made good time. I’m hopeful that they’ll let me shift my two reserved nights to Friday and Saturday, rather than Saturday and Sunday.
Transcending Mountains 