Zero in Stevens Pass

I woke up to annoying news. I had a text from my Trail Angel that my new package wouldn't arrive for another day and a half, instead of sometime today as I originally thought. It might work out in the end, since the storm system is still moving through, but I do not like being without food. Skykomish has a deli with accessible snack options, but food options are very limited in Stevens Pass.

I took my time getting up, working on blog entries and taking one last hot shower. I checked out of my room and hung out in the common room until I was ready to eat lunch.

I went to the cafe that was part of the inn and saw Bam Bam and Slim Shady finishing a late breakfast. I joined them at the table and ordered lunch. Slim Shady was calling it quits on the trail. He had had enough. Bam Bam was actually heading out today,  despite the snow and rain.

Skykomish today, actually getting some sun.

I just notuced today that the street signs are shaped like railroad cars.

Right when I was finishing my lunch, and Bam Bam and Slim Shady were leaving, I saw Zorro and Little Engine walking in with their resupply packages. They joined me and ordered lunch for themselves. They were going to take a zero in Leavenworth, a bigger town with more resources, and had planned to leave for the trail the following day, when my package was supposed to arrive. We were excited about the possibility of hiking together again.

I said goodbye to Zorro and Little Engine and headed to the deli to grab a couple snacks for when I was in Stevens Pass. I then positioned myself outside the deli to grab a ride back. Many cars passed me by before one turned around and picked me up.

Crossing the bridge out if Skykomish, the river lookrd much prettier with some sunshine.

She was a recently retired principal whose husband does a lot of hiking in the area. She was really sweet to chat with on the way back, talking about the places she and he husband would travel during their retirement.

I got back to Stevens Pass and went to the Mountaineers Lodge. The area had gotten much more snow since I had left and at a much lower elevation. I saw pictures on the PCT FB page of the lodge surrounded by snow, but it had melted by the time I got there. I signed in, paid, and chose a single bunk next to where the chimney ran through the dorm. That was the benefit of having been there before, I knew the layout of the dorm and which bunk I wanted to grab.

That is more snow than when I left.

As I was settling in, there were parents of a fellow hiker hanging out next to the fire. They had brought food to make stew for their son. I later found out their son was Holiday, the hiker who was escaping the mice by sleeping on the bridge at Trout Creek as I walked through. There was plenty of stew left so, they offered me some as well.

Then, people started trickling in, cold and soaked to the bone, telling tales of how miserable the last couple days were. They were able to get some stew as well. Some of the people who trickled in were people I knew including Flame, Hatchapi, Second Wind, Papa Oats, and Vortex.

Lots of people were also coming in who had left either this morning or the day before, but who had turned around and come back.  Hearing everyone talk, I was glad I wasn't out in that. At the higher elevations people were breaking trail through at least 6 inches of snow. Everyone was wet and cold.

The majority of the rest of the day people huddled around the fire, warming up, chatting, and catching up with the world on their phones. Our host made pasta again for dinner.

I was getting pretty tired, so I went to lay down in bed, thinking I was done for the day. Then I heard music from downstairs. Earlier in the day there was talk about watching Reptar’s documentary he had made about his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. It had gotten so late that I thought it wasn't going to be shown. Apparently, they had put it on. I went down and watched the rest of it, then went to bed for the rest of the night.