PCT Washington Day 25: Meadows Camp to Hopkins Lake

 This was one of those days that I did not need extra motivation. I awoke earlier than normal, but I still waited until 5:30 AM before I got up. I slept rather well, though, not long enough which seemed to be the usual. I had a little extra food this morning. On top of my usual Clif Bar, I added in a breakfast of ramen. It was necessary calories because this was going to be a full day. I quickly got my gear packed up and then I got a ride from my dad to the Meadows Trailhead. It was just up the road and the place that I had exited the trail the day before. Here I would start the long journey toward the Canadian Border. I would not reach it today, but was likely to reach it early in the afternoon the following day. 

The trail started out mostly flat hugging the ridge of Hart's Pass. There were big views all around with mountains and deep valleys. I could see over to the North Cascades with its glaciers and dark, foreboding mountains. I could see Mt. Challenger which was honestly one of my favorite mountains. After about 2 miles of hiking, I came upon Hart's Pass proper. Here there was a small campsite attended to by other people who sounded as if they had just finished the PCT. I also saw my dad's car parked at this trailhead as his day of exploring started from here. In fact, there were a series of trailheads with no less than 3 within a mile and a half. One was an upper trailhead and the other was the trailhead for Slate Peak with a lookout on top. 

I passed all of these and I also passed quite a few people on this day. Everyone was in the mood to congratulate each other on a job well done. It was exciting to share the journey with other people and I was proud of the accomplishments that we had made. I also got to share the trail with a different species of squirrel than I was used to. Gone were the marmots who kept me company for so long and instead I had the company of ground squirrel that was very active and very noisy. It was fun to see a new animal this close to the border as animals have not been quite as abundant as I had been hoping to see on the trail. This was a day of passes. Hart's Pass was obviously the first. 

The next pass that I was heading toward was Buffalo Pass. There was no sign of buffalo in this area, but there were incredible views. The trail sort of climbed elevation, but was hardly noticeable. Here I was with a lighter than normal pack and of course, my numb foot, but I was so close to the end that nothing could stop me. I enjoyed the big sweeping views that included a strange looking yurt that was really close to the trail. I guess you could rent it, but it didn't look like an exciting spot for a rental. 

This put me at Windy Pass where I would take a break. I was soon to leave behind the big views of high mountain peaks and instead I would now be descending elevation into the Pasayten Wilderness. This is where I started to see people beginning to come out with the exalted look of finishing the trail upon their faces. It was such a different feeling as I would be coming back this same way in a few days. They had accomplished something that I was still toiling to accomplish. Their mood and mine were completely different though at the same place and time. The trail descended from Windy Pass going down switchbacks through a forested area. Here is where I saw the small fire that I thought would end my PCT journey prematurely. 

This was not currently burning, of course, but was the one on the map that I saw on Watch Duty before setting out from Stevens Pass. It was completely out and had only burned an area the size of a living room in a house. The trail climbed for a bit before descending to Foggy Pass. Then slightly ascending to the unremarkable Jim Pass. From here the trail said I would be on the Devil's Backbone. It was not nearly as dramatic as it sounded and the trail was rather unremarkable except that it did go through some burned out area that looked a little sad. I saw a group at this point and they reassured me that the entire trail was not like this and there were some pretty places ahead. That did not happen for some time, but I made notes of places that I could get water and camp on the way back. Shaw Creek seemed like a good spot for this.

This was about the spot that I decided to take a break. I grabbed some food on a log that allowed my back to lean up against a tree. I thought nothing of it until I had gone for a few miles past. I checked my pocket and my quarter was gone. I had used the same quarter the entire time to open my bear canister and now it was lost. I had another one in my pack, so I wasn't completely at a loss, but I had carried that quarter the entire time. It felt like my lucky quarter. I thought about where I lost it and I knew it had to be when I leaned back on that tree. I tried to make a mental note to get it back when I returned. The trail continued to descend until I was in the deep dark woods around Holman Pass. Here was the intersection with the Pacific Northwest Trail. I knew very little about this trail, but I saw that there was a trail crew working out here. They had a base camp set up right at the intersection with a sign that told us that they had run out of fuel. They asked for any extra canisters to burn fuel. I looked at the table where they were asking for them and there seemed to be a plethora of different canisters waiting for them. I decided to keep my fuel. From Holman Pass, the trail climbed. Along the way was the last reliable water for 9.3 miles which was likely where I would camp. 

Water really had not been an issue and it continued to be that way. I never once seemed to be wanting for water. The trail continued to climb and as it did, the views became more and more remarkable. There were large mountains all around me with big sweeping views. I was seeing all sorts of people as I climbed uphill through switchbacks in large grassy meadows. I was even passing a few people on my way up to Rock Pass. On Rock Pass, there was a wide shelf and a big valley below me. This was the first point where it felt real that the journey would be ending soon. I could see so far that I was sure I was looking into Canada. I went down off of Rock Pass and the trail switchbacked against the mountain side. 

Here I passed a couple who I spoke with for longer than usual. They were very friendly and they would be camping at Woody Pass. This was my original thought, but as I looked at it, I knew that I wanted to get a little bit closer. It was late afternoon, but there was still time to move. Plus, I had no guaranteed access to water and it was hot. I decided to keep moving and it was a lot of work to climb up to Woody Pass. Luckily, I was listening to a Tale of Two Cities and the dialogue kept me entertained as I pushed through the hot sun toward the pass. This was an incredibly scenic spot and one that I will remember for a long time because of the peaks and scree flows around. 

Once I made it up to Woody Pass, it was smooth sailing from here. I was on Lakeview Ridge would take me to the highest point on the PCT in Washington state at 7126 feet. It really did not feel that way, though, as I was encountering the people finishing their treks and taking in their energy. I saw some people looking out into the distance near Woody Pass and you can almost feel them contemplate their future about what was next. As I continued to hike, I ran into a deer which was a rare event being one of only a few that I had ran across on the whole trail. The trail continued to climb until I was at the highest point. There was no sign marking this event and for me the story of the French aristocracy controlling the peasants was what I will remember.

From this high point, though, the trail began a steep descent. This high point would be my last uphill of the day. From here, it was down the Devil's Stairway to Hopkins Lake. The Devil's stairway was a very dramatic name for a bunch of switchbacks. Yes, there was a little bit of exposure, but not much. There was an incredible view of Hopkins Lake and it looked like just what I was hoping for. I could take a dip and then sleep soundly before beginning the last of my journey tomorrow. I dropped elevation until I saw a side trail coming in. This was probably a very popular campsite as it was one of the last water spots on the entire trail before the border. I was a little late getting into camp, so I assumed I might have a hard time finding a spot.

I was right. It seemed like everywhere there was a group. I finally found a nice spot on an open meadow that was mildly impacted. It became my home for the night. It was a quiet spot and there were not many people wandering around anyway. I had put in 28 miles to get here which was likely my longest day on the trail in Washington. I was hoping to finish it off with a dip in the lake, but when I tried, I could not find a way to get in the lake with my sore and numb foot that was not walking over painful rocks. I decided not to risk it. Besides, it was pretty chilly by this point and I decided instead to just do a quick rinse of the legs. I had my dinner and settled in for the last night heading north on the PCT in Washington.