July 13th, 2020
Mile 11.4 to 30.6
Today we woke up at 4:15am to a gentle sunrise and a deer in the camp! We had to pack up and move quickly because we had to get over Rock Pass AND travel 18.5 miles back to the car.
Luckily, Rock Pass was much better this time around. A lot of snow had melted out and because we made it there earlier, the snow was hard packed and easy to navigate with microspikes. We decided not to deal with the cornice and instead took the route another group suggested- up a steep section with no snow.
The rest of the day was smooth sailing. My body felt very good for the morning and afternoon. We stopped for lunch in a valley with a mountain spring. I had a sad version of quesadillas with plain cheese in a tortilla but it hit the spot. I did manage to slice my thumb with my swiss army knife, so I’m dealing with that now.
By the last few miles of the day my feet were throbbing from all the walking. But we did get some magical North Cascade views.
When we finally made it to the car, I took some time to reorganize and load up with food for the next stretch. 7.5 days until Steven’s Pass and Highway 2!! And I’m not sure what the snow will be like so I have extra food incase I’m slowed down. My pack is very heavy right now.
Matt and I said our goodbyes and he drove away to get back to Seattle. I am very emotional. The weight of this journey and the loneliness hit me hard as we said goodbye. Goodbyes aren’t usually too emotional for me but I SOBBED. Something about this trail, y’all. According to the trail register at the border, there are ~30 people ahead of me on trail. And I saw ~10 behind me on their way to the border. I’m hoping I’ll start seeing some around my pace soon so I won’t be quite this alone.
I’m camping at the Harts Pass Campground tonight and I’m back to my one person tent. I’m pretty upset there aren’t any bear boxes because I have too much food for my own good. No idea how I’m going to hang it all.