WA PCT day 13

Friday, August 21
Start: Lemah Meadow
End: Snoqualmie Pass
Miles: 21.5 miles
Gain/loss: 8425’/8681′
Listened to: book- Furies of Calderon; podcast- An Arm and a Leg; RadioLab

I was up at 5:25am and on trail by 6:15am. The morning’s initial climb was long but I persevered, driven on by the spectacular views. The trail meandered around many rocky summits, hugging the steep slopes.

The trail did a 270 degree loop to follow the slopes after I was able to look down and see Snoqualmie Pass in the distance. At least I got some cell service at the top, which was a nice change of pace. Along the way, I found the most perfect pine tree, with a comfortable root seat and a beautiful view where I rested and had a snack. As the trail worked its way towards town, the terrain became more rough, going over unstable talus slides and maneuvering on technical terrain. This slowed my pace by quite a bit, and I also found myself out of water when some seasonal sources had dried up.

I pushed onward and as I got closer to town, I had to dodge all of the day and weekend hikers coming up the trail. Most had face coverings but some did not. It started raining around 1:45pm, so I threw on my pack cover and kept moving.

I made it to the trailhead by 2:45pm, enjoying the clean bathroom, and then walked into town. I was checked into the hotel, with my days switched no problem, by 3:15pm. I did laundry, dishes, and ordered some pizza and salad for dinner. I also hit up the convenience store for gummies, Ben and Jerry’s, chocolate milk, and Sprite. I stuffed myself and watched a few episodes of Star Trek Voyager before passing out at 9pm.