This seemed to be a theme, but I was up early. I was anticipating the last day on the trail. I waited for it to get light before I started packing up, but I was glad to see the sun. This was the last day, but I definitely had a goal. Two days earlier, I had dropped my quarter when taking a break for a snack. I was now very close to it and I was excited to see if I could find it at that point. It was not long before I encountered the tree and I looked right where I thought it would be. And there it was! I don't why this felt like such a win. This quarter had traveled the who length of the PCT with me and it was now back in my possession. This quarter was one that was left over from the Holiday Farm Fire when the only thing I was able to retrieve was a money box with my coin collection in there. So who knows how long this quarter had been with me. I was happy to see it back in my possession again.
The quarter did not necessarily motivate me to move quickly. I was really not focused on moving quickly. I guess 27 days of motivating myself to get up early and put in lots of miles had finally taken its toll. With only 11 miles to go and my dad waiting patiently for me, I really just worked hour by hour. I hiked for an hour and then I would give myself a long break. Then I would start moving slowly again. The weather was just ideal. Perfect blue skies, cool, but not cold conditions. This was truly the last hurrah as I climbed back up to Jim Pass, then Foggy Pass, and then Windy Pass. Along the way I saw people with that same excited look in their eye. They were nearly done also, but not as close as I.
At Windy Pass, I could see the yurt and soon the lookout on top of Slate Peak came into view. I enjoyed the view out toward the North Cascades and Mt. Challenger was out in full glory. I was almost back, but I had to take one more pit stop before I made it there. Then it was only a few minutes and I was at the upper, upper trailhead where my dad was waiting for me. He thought that I might think this was where he was going to meet me so he brought a chair to wait for me. Then we hiked down the last mile or so to the true upper trailhead. It was pretty exciting to put my pack down and be done. There were some people there who had met a friend with some food and they offered me some. I took it and somebody even gave me a beer. I usually have an allergic reaction, but on this day, I was willing to risk it. It was worth it and it felt good to celebrate the accomplishment. We started the long drive back.
It was down the Hart's Pass road which was long and steep in places, but a decent road that two wheel drive with a little bit of clearance was sufficient. Then it was a long drive after that. I couldn't believe just how warm it was down off the mountain in Mazama. Luckily, I had reached the car by 11 AM, because we had a 6 hour drive back. This drive included the chance to listen to the Mariners game which I missed doing. It also included a stop at Dick's Drive In for some much needed cheeseburgers, fries, and a strawberry shake. That hit the spot. Then we took the Edmonds ferry across to Kingston, where we then drove to my dad's house in Port Angeles. I met up with the family there. Everyone was so excited to see me. My wife really does not like me going on these long backpacking trips, but she still gives me the hero's welcome when I return. The kids were very excited for me and we all just could not stop from smiling. This had been a long journey and it was now over, but I felt very accomplished. Now on to tackle California?
No comments:
Post a Comment