So we've completed the Pacific Crest Trail! We hit the border on September 2nd, slept at the campsite just after the border & then hiked the remaining 8 miles into Manning Provincial Park the following morning (& made it in time for a very delicious but very expensive breakfast at the restaurant)! We have a finish photo, as well as other pictures but we have no capability to post it right now.
We had a lovely drive across the top of the U.S. via Highway 2, which began in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We decided to stop & spend a day at Glacier National Park which was PHENOMENAL, as all who know who have been there. Absolutely beautiful & also, where the top of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) travels through. Western Montana, Idaho & Washington were all quite beautiful.
Ironically, Highway 2 led us right to Steven's Pass, where we were to begin our hike. So we began mid-afternoon on August 23rd at Steven's Pass, 180 miles from the border. 22 of these miles were being repeated because we'd gotten that far when we got snowed out last fall. We had a great time seeing these 22 miles in the warmth with the sun shining down upon us. The views were spectacular - we had no idea when we were passing through last year because we were in clouds the entire time. We found that we returned to the trail with fresh eyes & a fresh spirit so our surroundings seemed brand new all over again. We were so happy to be back on the PCT, it felt so good. The Long Trail whipped us into shape & made the terrain of the PCT seem so simple, so easy, we felt like we were floating down the trail most of the time. We were able to recall certain parts of the trail when we had passed through first in rain and then in snow. It's amazing how different the trail can look passing through in different weather.
The Appalachian Trail has a section near the end called the "100-mile wilderness" but the 100-mile section between Steven's Pass & Stehekin felt like more of a wilderness than I've probably ever felt. There are no road crossings, the only sign of outside civilization is the occasional jet flying overhead & other hikers you pass along the way. It's unreal how remote & wild parts of this section felt. We didn't realize there were places in the U.S. in the lower 48 that could feel that remote. It was beautiful. The weather was great except for one afternoon of lightning, thunder & hail. But this time we not only had umbrellas - we had Chrome Domes by GoLite, which is probably our favorite piece of equipment we own now. It is lightweight, strong & made of plastic so it's not as attractive to lightning.
We met other hikers who we'd somehow never met but who were also completing their unfinished thru-hike from last year, for similar reasons as us. We were thrilled when we ran into Sweet Tooth & Pants Off Dance Off because we knew them from last year & it brought back some familiarity, made it feel for a second like we never even left. They were finishing up the same stretch as us.
Stehekin, our one & only resupply stop was amazing. It's a small village along Lake Chelan just east of the trail & North Cascades National Park, which the trail crosses into as we head north. Very friendly to hikers, they let us camp there for free, had a small store, a restaurant, a Post Office, an AMAZING bakery (as anyone would tell you who's been there), a farm stand & a beautiful view any direction you turn. It is a very special place indeed & I hope we'll return again someday & it'll have to be either by ferry, water plane or foot again because those are the only ways in!
The day we left Stehekin, the on & off again rain began. But first I should mention on our shuttle ride back up to the trail, Keith spotted 2 young black bears (the mom was there, too but we didn't see her). We had also just seen a deer and then when we got back on trail, we saw a small rattlesnake crossing the trail. That was the major extent of the wildlife we saw on trail, almost entirely in one day. The weather stayed pretty misty/rainy/cool for the remainder of our PCT trip. We made it to Rainy Pass & sure enough, it was raining but we met a guy giving trunk-magic out of the trunk of his car, which was very exciting. We were surprised at how busy the parking lot was here but we were reminded it was Labor Day weekend. We hiked up toward Cutthroat Pass from there & on our way met 2 people out for the weekend & they seemed interested in hearing about our adventure but we found a campsite in a very beautiful spot so we stopped because we were very much done for the day & they hiked on up to camp on the pass. In the morning, when we passed they invited us up for a cup of hot coffee & we said YES! It had been a wet & chilly night so a cup of hot coffee sounded fabulous as we waited for the sun to pop through the clouds. They were interested in hearing about trail life & they told us they lived in Bellingham, WA & that if we found ourselves looking for a ride and a place to stay after we finish the trail to call them up & they would help us if they could. We thanked them & went on our way, smiling at the kindness & good energy you receive from people out on the trail.
We hiked up & down, through passes & down into valleys, taking off layers & then putting them back on because the weather was ever-changing & never predictable. We knew we were getting toward the end & our emotions were mixed as it got closer & closer. We imagined what it would have been like to be hiking through this in snow as some of our trail friends from last year did after some of the snow melted & the sun eventually came out, almost 2 weeks after we got snowed out. We've seen pictures, but man this would've been so beautiful in the snow.
Eventually, we made our way to the monument at the border & at first, I felt myself tearing up but that didn't last long because it was just so dang cool. It looked different than I'd imagined even though I've seen so many pictures of the exact spot. It felt different because we were just finishing up an 11-day trip instead of a 5-1/2 month thru-hike, like we'd imagined. But in some ways it felt as if we'd never even left. It was a great spot, with great energy & at first we spent our time there shared with a few others & then eventually hiked on .2 mile to our campsite. But later that night we hiked back & had some time there to ourselves to truly soak it in. It felt good, it felt right.
We had such an enjoyable last night with Jay, Cindy & Whit from Alaska & Professor, sitting around a campfire in the rain, talking & celebrating & soaking up our last night in the woods...for now.
When we made it to Manning Park the next morning, we spent a few hours hitchhiking before eventually getting picked up & then dropped off just north of the Canadian border so we could walk across on foot. First we stood in line with the cars, waiting patiently for what looked to be at least an hour's wait to get through but then a woman crawled out of her car & yelled over to us that we could just walk right up there & go in through a building - thank goodness for her!
We called the couple from Bellingham - Donna & Bryan - & they gladly came & picked us up & hosted us at their house for a few days as we let our bodies heal & our minds grasp the transition back into life in society. They took us sailing & introduced us to the world of travelling via sailboat which we find very exciting, they took us to some amazing bookstores, fed us good food & inspired & reminded us at how good & generous people can be. They eventually even drove us back up to our car at Steven's Pass, bringing 2 of their children along for the ride. And....they had a cat. :)
Now we are in Portland, visiting friends & scoping out the city...and the city is great. Big, but great. Marijke & Scott (Luna & Werewolf, we met on the PCT) & Kevin & Kanako (Red Oak & Buttercup, we met on the AT) are housemates & are hosting us & putting up with us as we ask them a million questions about life in Portland. We were able to go out to the coast for a day & wow.......it was beautifully beautiful. We were able to spend yesterday evening with our good friend Art (Beans, we met on the AT) & his girlfriend Susan, who just got back from backpacking for 6 days in The Enchantments in WA. Good people here. :)
But tomorrow, we leave. We will probably head toward Yellowstone National Park & then toward Colorado to see what we can find there.
But our PCT adventure is over now. Finally. And it feels good and it feels right. Really, we are glad it turned out the way it did. Fresh eyes, fresh spirit, fresh mind. What's next? Who knows.
