Heart of the wild wow11/13/2023 ![]() I was close to quitting my thru-hike to apply for a job at the amazing bakery and spend the rest of my life in a little cabin directly by the lake (obviously I didn’t do that, but still strongly considering!). The little town of Stehekin stole my heart and we loved it so much there, that we actually took a spontaneous day off. Be it a breathtaking view after a long climb, crystal clear and ice cold creeks to drink from or tentsites with premium spots to enjoy the most fantastic alpine glows. As we were approaching the end of the 500 miles through Washington, I felt severe physical exhaustion for the very first time on trail and my hiker hunger had finally taken over – I was hungry all day, tried to avoid thinking too much about food while anticipating every next town stop with highest excitement.Īs difficult as some of the days in Washington were, it never – and I mean NEVER – failed to reward us. I had uncountable scratches and cuts within a few days only and my dreams of becoming a leg model are forever destroyed. „CrossFit“ – wilderness) and generally a lot of bushwhacking, I must admit that I felt miserable at times. Though in combination with sometimes very rocky terrain, a multi-day section between Stehekin and Stevens Pass that was covered with hundreds of fallen trees (yes, I am looking at you, Glacier Peak – a.k.a. I can tell by now that body and legs adjust to the elevation gain. Though the PCT is generally mildly graded and accessible for equestrians as well, across the whole state the trail is basically made of up- and downhill – ALL DAY LONG! BUT: My friend was right on the elevation profile. Also, the weather improved a lot after only the first couple of days and we were lucky to have a majorly sunny and dry hiking experience throughout the state. Though the Sierra and Northern California were buried under record amounts of snow, Washington had an average winter this year and was almost snow-free by the time we started – so at least that would not become a severe issue for us and we actually didn’t even have to put on our microspikes once. “CrossFit wilderness” putting thru-hikers to the test: Bushwhacking, blowdowns and uphill battlesīefore I decided to change my long-distance hiking permit and continue the hike direction south after finishing the desert section, I got warned by a friend who had hiked the PCT himself during a high snow year: Washington is the state with the most elevation, the steepest climbs, known for being cold and wet, and the likelihood that we would still catch a lot of snow very high. And already the first days gave us a good impression on what we could expect for the weeks to come. But if I have learnt one unique thing about this state: It will never fail to reward the hardship with the most amazing views. ![]() Weather conditions which aren’t necessarily easy to adapt to, particularly coming out of the hot and dry desert. ![]() Washington welcomed us with afternoon storms, a good amount of rain and pretty wet, cold mornings. Guess what? We walked there! Not only did that require 30 extra miles, but – lucky as we were – we had additional 10 miles to conquer due to a forest road closure (which opened the following day … as said: lucky us!). Therefore, the new finish line will be Kennedy Meadows South and I have only 1,947 miles to go – easy! It’s never too crowded on the extra mile: Tagging the northern terminusīefore the actually hike south would start, we had to get to the Canadian border first. It is official: I am a SnoBo now – a thru-hiker that escaped the incredible amount of snow in the Sierra Nevada and decided to do a flip flop by continuing the hike going south from the Canadian border. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |