rough stretch
Day 155-161
Due to the intense terrain which is beginning, and the rough weather which has also reared it's ugly head, this past stretch has been a rough one. Since the kind folks in Snoqualmie bought our lunch for us, we used that saved money to take a much need day of rest. Nursing our tired bodies, and preparing for what is to come; we are lucky we did.
The zero day was wonderful, and the Summit Inn was a great place to stay. Soaking in the hot tub made us chuckle, since we had been complaining about being wet for a few days, yet we sat in a pool of hot water. It's ironic how a different environment can mean so much. We wouldn't have been caught near any type of swimming if we had been on the trail!
When we left the Summit Inn, it was a incredibly foggy, cloudy, and cold. That day wasn't too bad since we got a later start and could only do about eight miles (it's ironic that in all this wet, there are dry spots with no water sources on the trail!). The next morning is when it started to get tough.
That morning we ole up to the heavy sound of rain. It was cold, wet, and no one was thrilled. But we did the only thing we knew how to do, and trekked on. The day was filled with foggy views, climbs and descents, and just getting wet. Wet to the bone. Cold to the soul.
Unfortunately the following day wasn't any better. We woke up to a frozen tent. Due to the fact that the tent has been wet for the past few days, the inside of the tent was frosty on the inside as well! Wiping a layer of snow from the inside of the tent wasn't too fun. On the bright side, it wasn't actively raining, and as the morning began, the sun came out. So we were able to slowly start the day, dry off and take a sigh of relief -- any day it's not raining out is a day we are thankful for.
Of course, the weather didn't hold up, and we were rained on, frozen, and unhappy once again. One more day we had to endure this stretch. Mentally, and physically, beaten up, we wearily wake up the morning of Stevens Pass -- the mark of the end of this stretch, 180 miles remaining, and two more stretches left of the trail.
Tired. We are all tired.
We had packages sent to the Dinsmores, a trail angels place here near Skykomish, WA. Ironically, two folks around here have been following our blog and offered to take us in! We appreciated the Dinsmores and all they do for hikers, but we wanted to support our followers and stay with the McMinns! We picked up our packages, and off to the McMinns house we went where Dan and Tami cooked us dinner, let us shower and lay out all of our gear to dry.
I write this post today because we have just been too exhausted to even think about writing posts on the trail this past stretch (as if we even had service anyway). Today we take another day off. Yes, we just took one, however, five days of cold, wet, crudy weather really tears you up. So with the generous support of Dan and Tami, we are going to REI to get a few supplemental gear items, rest up for the final push of the PCT, and get ready to finally finish this trail.
It's strange to think that after years of waiting, planning, and hiking, we are so close to finishing. Help us finish this trail! We love all the support our friends, family, and supporters give us. At this point, it is all we have to use as fuel. The Dan and Tami have truly saved us from mental breakdown!
-- Ian
