Trail Day 117: Cispus River (mile 2269.9) to White Pass (mile 2292.4)

22.3 PCT miles

I was going to do a really short day today. The goal was to get to a campsite a couple miles out of White Pass, then hitch into Packwood the next morning and figure out a plan from there.

I still got up and started moving at first light, since I knew the terrain would be difficult, and you never know what the PCT will throw at you.

The wind had come in last night, rattling my tent so that I didn't get a lot of sleep. It also brought in the clouds and a little bit of smoke so the views weren't as clear.

The terrain was cool. It was much more dramatic and rocky than I have seen for quite some time and reminded me a little of the Sierra. I was starting the day with a couple miles of steep uphill to a section known as Knifes Edge.

Early on in today's hike,  looking back at Mt. Adams.

The PCT. 

That sounded like it would be a challenge and was one of the reasons I got up early. There was even a “stock alternate” route to make it safer for horses to cross that section. It went up and then down the mountain called Old Snowy, instead of going straight across it.

The notes in Guthook highly recommended the alternate on clear days because the views were spectacular. I bumped into a woman going southbound and she was up there yesterday evening. She said it was an incredible view, but it was also much clearer. I could already see Mt. Adams and it was pretty hazed out.

Not long after I bumped into the other hiker, I was in for a surprise. There was an icy snow patch traverse. I thought I was done with those as they had all melted. I had been carrying my microspikes with me in case of any surprise snows in Washington. The patch wasn't that big, but since I had been carrying the extra weight, I might as well put it to good use. It ended up being overkill since the traverse wasn't very steep and had good traction.

Surprise! A snow traverse.

Next I hit the trail junction for Knifes Edge and its stock alternate. It was still hazy so I took Knifes Edge. It honestly wasn't bad at all. The slope was pretty steep, but so are other sections of the PCT, only they don't have intimidating names. There was one small section that was a little washed out, as well as a small snow patch where I was glad I had my microspikes,  but other than that I made it across easily and without issue.

Knifes Edge. 

After that the trail continued cresting the cool looking high ridges. I was taking my sweet time going up and down. Eventually, I got really hungry (because I had been rationing food) and had to stop for a snack break.

Smoky view of Mt.  Rainier. 

Looking back at Old Snowy.

View from the ridge. 

The PCT. 

As I was nibbling on my ration, Zorro and Little Engine came up and joined me. They were nice enough to give me some of their good. They had also told me that they contacted a trail angel in Packwood who not only would let them camp in her backyard, but pick them up from White Pass and make them lasagna. They asked if I wanted to join them.

Heck yeah I did. One of the reasons I was going to stop short tonight and head into Packwood tomorrow was because of the uncertainty of it all. The trail was closed for 90 miles past White Pass and people needed to get shuttled to the next town of Snoqualmie. I wouldn't have network until I got into town. I figured there was a possibility of having to pay for a hotel room for two nights instead of one, and those get expensive. Free camping, a ride, and lasagna was a much better option.

The one bad part about this solution was that I had been taking my sweet time today and had to haul butt to get to White Pass in time. I started racing downhill through  really pretty scenery that I couldn't enjoy with snow melt streams and mosses. Then I got into the forest section again.

Heading down.

The PCT. 

Back in the forest.

I ate lunch near the bottom, then did probably the best uphill section I have done on the trail, motivated by lasagna. I hit the crest of that section, which would have had nice views if it had been a clear day, and started downhill into Goat Rocks Wilderness. I could hear the road of White Pass two miles out.

Heading up.

View from the trail.

Another view from the trail.

The PCT. 

I walked the 0.6 mile to Kracker Barrel, as gas station convenience store where I saw Zorro and Little Engine. We went to town on food at the convenience store and were chowing down the food on a bench outside the store looking very dirty and ragged. It must have been quite a sight.

The Kracker Barrel at White Pass. 

We were picked up by a woman named Lynn, who was helping out a trail angel named Momma G. Lynn explained that Momma G became a spontaneous trail angel in the past week or so.

When the fire closure closed down at White Pass, all the hikers were funneled into Packwood, a town that doesn't usually see that much hiker traffic.  Mamma G started talking to a group that was just hanging out, asking what they had planned to do. Their response was something like, “We don’t know.”

She invited them to her house for the night and in the next couple days she became a full fledged trail angel, letting hikers know they can camp and shower at her house, and providing dinner. In that week or so she had hosted close to 300 hikers.

Lynn did not know Momma G before last week. She was supposed to hike for the week around Mt. Rainier, but her trails were closed as well. She heard about Momma G’s trail angel effort and volunteered to spend her vacation both helping out at the house and shuttling people to/from White Pass and Snoqualmie.  They have also coordinated with another trail angel who helps out with the shuttling. Pretty amazing!

We got to Momma G’s house a little after dark and there were at least 8 other hikers there, both northbound and southbound. I set up my tent in the yard, checked the internet, then sat in the living room with everyone watching the finals of American Ninja Warrior.

Then we all gorged ourselves on lasagna, garlic bread, and salad courtesy of Momma G and a injured thru hiker who had stayed a couple days to help out. I ate dinner, took a shower, and got my spot on the 9 am shuttle to Snoqualmie tomorrow morning.

On a side note, when I went online I found out that the PCT near Old Snowy, which I crossed today, would be closed down tomorrow as crews worked on sections. Apparently some of this work involved “blasting.” This was another section that I seem to have gotten through “just in time.”