White Pass to Stevens Pass
September 28
To Sheep Lake, mile 2323
18.5 miles
Slept in and started walking at 7.30. Felt slow today, the pack felt heavy and my legs felt sore.
Found a nice spot with a view of Mt Rainier for my coffee break. Happy that it was another sunny day despite being tired. Pared by a few beautiful lakes.
Chatted with some day hikers in the afternoon and they offered me some of their favorite German chocolate: Ritter Sport.
Savanna caught up just before Chinook Pass and we both set up camp at the very peaceful Sheep Lake at 5.45. Nice to be at camp early after yesterday’s late-night hike and too tired to move on.
Exchanged memories of the trail with Savanna, there are so many things happening in a short period of time that it is almost overwhelming, although walking might seem monotonous sometimes we see so many new places and meet so many people.
September 29
To Ulrich Cabin
20 miles
Sad as Savanna decided to take her time before leaving the trail. I was sad for the next few miles and thought that there were too many goodbyes on this trail. While I was standing there on the Dodge starting at Mt Rainier suddenly a female moose came into sight down by the lake.
Leapfrog with Ratatouille for a while but did not see him anymore the whole afternoon.
Stopped at the Ulrich Cabin around 5.15. Met Serenity and Napoleon and decided to stay. Push-up showed up and right before it was getting dark Savanna too although she had already set up her tent somewhere else before.
We all sat by the campfire talking until way after hiker midnight.
September 30
To mile 2368
24 miles
My night's sleep was on the chilly side, likely because I camped too close to a foggy meadow.
While on the trail, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow hiker known as Real Dish.
The weather forecast didn't bring much optimism - rain was predicted for a week, starting tomorrow.
To cap off the day, I set up camp alongside PushUp and Savanna. It marked the last night on the trail for Savanna, who would be departing at Snoqualmie Pass.
October 1
To Snoqualmie Pass
22 miles
I wake up at 5 as I have to pee but stay in my sleeping bag until 6 am. It is very misty outside. I pack my stuff and put my rain gear on however as I leave my tent it does not look like rain at all. My hands are cold after packing out my tent and putting on my rain gloves does not really help. They seem to be a bit wet from yesterday when I slipped from a log while crossing a small stream - half of my pack landed in the water.
I get in a really bad mood and get angry at the trail. At some point I start crying: I just don't want this anymore, I want to go home. Some trail runners pass by a bit later. We chat a bit and one of them gives me one of his energy bars. They also mention that the weather seems to be less rainy than initially forecasted.
I do my coffee break and Savannah catches up. We continue walking together and it is good to talk to her about my sadness and thoughts about leaving the trail this morning.
At lunch, PushUp catches up and we all hike the remaining 13 miles to Snoqualmie Pass together. The last 5 or so miles are mostly downhill but the trail is full of roots and stones.
At 5 pm the ski lifts and pass come into sight. We take some photos with Savannah. She tries hard to smile in these photos. Once down there, we get a coffee and cookies from a cafe before heading over to the hotel.
I take a super long shower to get warm and it feels awesome. Before heading over to the store to order some pizza, we eat some snacks from Savannas Box and drink beers from a hiker who did some trail magic at the Chevron station.
Once back in the hotel, we watch a movie. We all enjoy this as it feels so “normal”, almost like at home.
October 2
To Tentsite Mile 2405
15 miles
I start the day with a hearty breakfast of pancakes. The breakfast spot was bustling with a significant number of fellow hikers, creating a lively atmosphere. The day takes an emotional turn as Savanna says her farewell, leaving me with some tears and a heavy heart.
After packing all my stuff, I team up with PushUp, covering a total of 15 miles today. Though we reach camp later than expected, the sense of happiness prevails. During the hike, I had a surprising encounter with an elk on the trail. We locked eyes for a moment before it sauntered off gracefully.
october 3
To Tentsite Mile 2428
23 miles
I enjoyed a restful and warm night's sleep, and although the morning was misty, it didn't seem like rain was in the forecast.
I embarked on a brisk walk, covering quite a few miles before taking a much-needed coffee break.
As I tuned in to an audiobook, a flood of memories from the beginning of my trail journey resurfaced. The nostalgia was so strong that I almost didn't notice I was ascending a substantial climb.
PushUp eventually caught up with me and provided a morale boost by saying, "just 3 more switchbacks."
We shared lunch at the summit, where we were rewarded with a scenic view overlooking the valley. After this, we faced a nine-mile descent, leading us to a cozy and sheltered campsite. Here, we enjoyed dinner by a campfire, followed by a daily stretching routine that I learned from PushUp.
With a sense of accomplishment, I reflected that I now had only 222 miles to go as of that day.
october 4
To Tentsite Mile 2451
23 miles
Earlier in the day, I faced a challenging ascent just two miles before reaching our campsite. It was a steep climb that nearly pushed me to my limits, but I soldiered on, taking it one step at a time. The silver lining was that the exertion kept me warm. Later in the evening, I met up with Fancy Pants in the dark, and both of us made our way to the camp where we found PushUp had already set up.
I prepared dinner while nestled in my sleeping bag, which was a cozy but slightly restless experience. Throughout the night, I struggled to get a good night's sleep, waking up every two hours. Sleeping on my side made me slightly chilly, and the constant chirping of the pikes provided a restless soundtrack to the night.
october 5
To Stevens Pass
11 miles
The morning brings a chilly surprise as the walls of my tent are frozen.
Despite the frosty start, I find myself in a good mood that morning.
I decide to sleep in a bit and enjoy a leisurely breakfast of coffee and a pop tart before tackling the task of packing up. The only downside is putting on damp pants and shoes, but the bright side is that the sun is shining, lifting my spirits. I hit the trail around 8:30 am.
By around 1 pm, I reach Stevens Pass. There, I cross paths with Share Bear and Mighty Mouse, who are preparing to head back on the trail. Fortunately, Tim kindly offers to give us a ride to the Dinsmores an hour later, which is a great stroke of luck!
